How to build a PXE server support legacy BIOS & UEFI

Server OS: CentOS 6.4 x86_64

Step 0. Download CentOS-6.4-x86_64-bin-DVD1.iso from CentOS website

Step 1. Install OS (minimal install is OK)

Step 2. After booting successfully, use yum to install necessary packages:

#yum install dhcp.x86_64 tftp-server.x86_64 syslinux httpd.x86_64(If using http as installation method)

Step 3. Set up networking before initial DHCP service

#service network stop
#service NetworkManager stop (If not minimal installation)
#vi /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0
#ip6tables -F

DEVICE=eth0
TYPE=Ethernet
IPADDR=192.168.10.1
NETMASK=255.255.255.0
ONBOOT=yes
BOOTPROTO=static
NM_CONTROLLED=no
DELAY=0
IPV6INIT=yes
IPV6ADDR=2001::1/112
IPV6_DEFAULTGW=2001::1

#vi /etc/sysconfig/dhcpd                                                                          

DHCPDARGS=eth0

#vi /etc/sysconfig/dhcpd6

DHCPDARGS=eth0

#vi /etc/sysconfig/network

NETWORKING=yes
NETWORKING_IPV6=yes

#service network start                                                                            

Step 4. Modify DHCP service configuration

#vi /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf                                                                        

default-lease-time 14400;
max-lease-time 86400;
ddns-update-style none;
subnet 192.168.10.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
  option broadcast-address 192.168.10.255;
  option routers 192.168.10.1;
  range 192.168.10.2 192.168.10.253;
  next-server 192.168.10.1;
  if substring (option vendor-class-identifier, 15, 5) = "00007" {
    filename "/BOOTX64.efi";
  }
  else  {
    filename "/pxelinux.0";
  }
}

#vi /etc/dhcp/dhcpd6.conf                                                                      

allow booting;
allow bootp;
ddns-update-style none;
default-lease-time 2592000;
preferred-lifetime 604800;
option dhcp-renewal-time 3600;
option dhcp-rebinding-time 7200;
option dhcp6.bootfile-url code 59 = string;
allow leasequery;
option dhcp6.info-refresh-time 21600;
subnet6 2001::/112 {
        range6 2001::1001 2001::fffe;
        option dhcp6.bootfile-url "tftp://[2001::1]/bootx64.efi";
}

#service dhcpd start                                                                              
#service dhcpd6 start                                                                              

Step 5. Put the installation media to the proper directory
Copy CentOS-6.4-x86_64-bin-DVD1.iso into server and

#mount -oloop CentOS-6.4-x86_64-bin-DVD1.iso /mnt                            
#mkdir /var/lib/tftpboot/CentOS6.4x64                                                    
#cp -r /mnt/images/pxeboot /var/lib/tftpboot/CentOS6.4x64                      
#mkdir /var/www/html/CentOS6.4x64                                                  
#cp -r /mnt/* /var/www/html/CentOS6.4x64                                          
#service httpd start                                                                                

Step 6. Set up syslinux (for legacy BIOS PXE) configuration:

#cp /usr/share/syslinux/{menu.c32,pxelinux.0} /var/lib/tftpboot                
#mkdir /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg                                                      
#vi /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default                                                  

DEFAULT menu.c32

label CentOS 6.4 x64
        MENU LABEL CentOS 6.4 x64
        kernel CentOS6.4x64/pxeboot/vmlinuz
        append initrd=CentOS6.4x64/pxeboot/initrd.img \ method=http://192.168.10.1/CentOS6.4x64 ip=dhcp

Step 7. Set up UEFI PXE configuration:

#mkdir ~/efi                                                                                        
#mount -oloop /mnt/images/efiboot.img ~/efi                                                
#cp ~/efi/EFI/BOOT/{BOOTX64.efi,splash.xpm.gz} /var/lib/tftpboot      
#vi /var/lib/tftpboot/efidefault                                                                

default=0

splashimage=(nd)/splash.xpm.gz

timeout=8

title CentOS6.4 x64

        root (nd)

        kernel /CentOS6.4x64/pxeboot/vmlinuz \ method=http://192.168.10.1/CentOS6.4x64 ip=dhcp

        initrd /CentOS6.4x64/pxeboot/initrd.img

(for ipv6, change kernel parameter as

kernel /CentOS6.4x64/pxeboot/vmlinuz \ repo=http://[2001::1]/CentOS6.4x64 ipv6=dhcp)

Step 8. Set up tftp server

#vi /etc/xinetd.d/tftp                                                                                

service tftp
{
        socket_type         = dgram
        protocol              = udp
        wait                     = yes
        user                     = root
        server                  = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
        server_args             = -s /var/lib/tftpboot
        disable                 = no
        per_source              = 11
        cps                     = 100 2
        flags                   = IPv6
}

#service xinetd start                                                                                

Done!

If you want to make sure the PXE server works properly after reboot, please add the commands below.

#chkconfig network on
#chkconfig NetworkManager off (if need)
#chkconfig dhcpd on
#chkconfig dhcpd6 on
#chkconfig xinetd on
#chkconfig httpd on
#vi /etc/rc.local

ip6tables -F

Now we use an UEFI supported Noteboot to see how it works under different PXE function.

1. We choose Legacy Network as boot option

2. After getting IP from DHCP server, the system will go to tftp server (which we set next-server option in /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf) and loading pxelinux.0 in /var/lib/tftpboot directory.

 3.This menu shows the selections wrote in /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default

 4. This time we choose UEFI IPv4 as boot option.

5. After pressing Enter, the screen shows "Checking Media Presence" in the upper-left corner, it may take couple seconds to load /var/lib/tftpboot/{BOOTX64.efi, splash.xpm.gz}

6. And then it shows the menu which wrote in /var/lib/tftpboot/efidefault

7. After pressing one of the OS, system start to load the vmlinuz and initrd.img 

8. After loading the kernel and initrd, this screen will confirm the installation method again. In our case, we use httpd.

 9. If you choose UEFI IPv6, it's totally the same as UEFI IPv4.

 

Thanks for my colleagues Mars and Jasper, they spend a lot of time to help me searching useful info and official guide. And Jack donates his new Notebook (the only 2 has UEFI function in Lab) to test. Help it won't kill the NIC port function.