2021-07-02 16:50:58 +02:00
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# Booting from the "netboot" media (PXE) {#sec-booting-from-pxe}
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Advanced users may wish to install NixOS using an existing PXE or iPXE
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setup.
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These instructions assume that you have an existing PXE or iPXE
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2023-11-09 21:48:05 +01:00
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infrastructure and want to add the NixOS installer as another
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2022-02-14 17:36:49 +01:00
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option. To build the necessary files from your current version of nixpkgs,
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2021-07-02 16:50:58 +02:00
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you can run:
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```ShellSession
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2022-02-14 17:36:49 +01:00
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nix-build -A netboot.x86_64-linux '<nixpkgs/nixos/release.nix>'
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2021-07-02 16:50:58 +02:00
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```
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This will create a `result` directory containing: \* `bzImage` -- the
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Linux kernel \* `initrd` -- the initrd file \* `netboot.ipxe` -- an
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example ipxe script demonstrating the appropriate kernel command line
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arguments for this image
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If you're using plain PXE, configure your boot loader to use the
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`bzImage` and `initrd` files and have it provide the same kernel command
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line arguments found in `netboot.ipxe`.
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If you're using iPXE, depending on how your HTTP/FTP/etc. server is
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configured you may be able to use `netboot.ipxe` unmodified, or you may
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need to update the paths to the files to match your server's directory
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layout.
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In the future we may begin making these files available as build
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products from hydra at which point we will update this documentation
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with instructions on how to obtain them either for placing on a
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dedicated TFTP server or to boot them directly over the internet.
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