Create PXE bootable Proxmox installation

• 2019-12-30: successfully pxe-installed 6.1
• 2018-08-27: successfully pxe-installed 5.2
• 2017-07-11: successfully pxe-installed 5.0 (despite #1)
• 2017-06-07: successfully ipxe-installed 4.4
• 2016-12-13: successfully pxe-installed 4.4
• 2016-09-27: successfully pxe-installed 4.3

Preparation

1. download Proxmox VE ISO Installer from Proxmox into a folder somewhere (e.g. /tmp/pve-iso)
2. run the script pve-iso-2-pxe.sh with the path to the ISO file as parameter (you need to be root or sudo for the loop mount)
3. the linux26 and initrd.iso.img (including ISO) will copied to the sub-directory pxeboot

PXE (HTTP - faster)

1. on your PXE server, use lpxelinux.0 as pxelinux.0 (overwrite or set filename via DHCP option)
2. copy/move linux26 and initrd.iso.img to a directory of your webserver (e.g. /var/www/proxmox/${version})
3. add the following lines to your PXE config file (mind the important parameter ramdisk_size or the initrd won't fit into default memory):

   label proxmox-install-http
           menu label Install Proxmox HTTP
           linux http://${webserver}/proxmox/${version}/linux26
           initrd http://${webserver}/proxmox/${version}/initrd.iso.img
           append vga=791 video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr ramdisk_size=16777216 rw quiet splash=silent
           
   label proxmox-install-http
           menu label Install Proxmox HTTP (Debug)
           linux http://${webserver}/proxmox/${version}/linux26
           initrd http://${webserver}/proxmox/${version}/initrd.iso.img
           append vga=791 video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr ramdisk_size=16777216 rw quiet splash=silent proxdebug
   
4. be happy and think about supporting the great guys at Proxmox!

PXE (TFTP)

1. on your PXE server, create a directory proxmox/${version} in your PXE root directory (e.g. /var/lib/tftpboot/ or /srv/pxe/)

2. copy/move linux26 and initrd.iso.img to this directory

3. add the following lines to your PXE config file (mind the important parameter ramdisk_size or the initrd won't fit into default memory):

   label proxmox-install
           menu label Install Proxmox
           linux proxmox/${version}/linux26
           append vga=791 video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr ramdisk_size=16777216 rw quiet splash=silent
           initrd proxmox/${version}/initrd.iso.img
   
   label proxmox-debug-install
           menu label Install Proxmox (Debug Mode)
           linux proxmox/${version}/linux26
           append vga=791 video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr ramdisk_size=16777216 rw quiet splash=verbose proxdebug
           initrd proxmox/${version}/initrd.iso.img
   

4. be happy and think about supporting the great guys at Proxmox!

iPXE

1. copy/move linux26 and initrd.iso.img to a directory of your webserver (e.g. /var/www/proxmox/${version})
2. mofiy the ip adress of the server in the following ipxe bootscripct according to your setup:

   #!ipxe
   dhcp
   set serverip 192.168.1.1 //Modify this to match the ip adress or domain of your webserver
   menu Please choose an operating system to boot
       item normal Install Proxmox
       item debug Install Proxmox (Debug Mode)
   choose --default normal --timeout 5000 target && goto ${target}
   :debug
       kernel http://${webserver}/proxmox/${version}/linux26 vga=791 video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr ramdisk_size=16777216 rw quiet splash=verbose proxdebug initrd=initrd.iso.img
       goto init
   :normal
       kernel http://${webserver}/proxmox/${version}/linux26 vga=791 video=vesafb:ywrap,mtrr ramdisk_size=16777216 rw quiet splash=silent initrd=initrd.iso.img
       goto init
   :init
   initrd http://${webserver}/proxmox/${version}/initrd.iso.img
   boot
   
3. embed the bootscript into your ipxe build or start the script from ipxe using the chain command
4. be happy and think about supporting the great guys at Proxmox!