Here's a brief overview of what you need and need to do to complete this;
1. One Windows based (XP/2000) to host TFTP Server, network enabled
2. One PC to have Ubuntu installed on to, with Intel PXE Boot capability
3. DHCP & TFTP Server (download Tftpd32 (freeware)
4. Download Ubuntu netboot.tar.gz
5. Live Internet Connection preferably via xDSL (broadband)
6. If you have a ADSL modem "router" with DHCP enabled, then you must temporarily disable the DHCP. You will only have a "router" if you have the capability to run more than one PC on your home network.
Setup your network environment
This procedure is a rough guide as a lot of home environments are different, you DO NOT need to do this if your network is configured with static IP Addresses (which means you are not using DHCP on your router aka where IP Address are Dynamically Allocated to PC's on your network)
1. Start > Run > type CMD > OK
2. At the command prompt type ipconfig /all
3. Copy down the following details: IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, DNS Servers
- Your IP Address should look something like 192.168.1.34. Log onto your router via the web interface (most ADSL routers have this)
- Normally you can do this by typing the Default Gateway address into your web browser5. Locate the section that relates to the DHCP Server, disable the DHCP server, save changes.
6. Now setup your Windows PC with a static IP Address
Start > Control Panel > Network Connections > right-click Local Area Network > select Properties from floating menu
NB: If you're using wireless networking, instead of Local Area Network, select Wireless Network Connection, then right-click and select Properties.7. On General tab, scroll down and select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
8. Click Properties
9. Select Use the following IP Address
10. In IP Address type the IP Address you wrote down eg 192.168.1.2
11. Enter the Subnet Mask you wrote down eg 255.255.255.0
12. Enter the Default Gateway eg 192.168.1.5
13. Select Use the following DNS Server addresses
14. Enter the DNS Server Address you wrote down (most likely the same as Default Gateway) eg 192.168.1.5
15. Click OK to set changes to TCP/IP
16. Click OK to close network settings.
NB: We will revert these changes later.
Download & Configure DHCP/TFTP Server
1. Once you have downloaded the TFTPd32 Software, create a directory on the server PC. eg C:\tftpd32
2. Extract the TFTPd32 software to the directory you created
You should have 3 files: tftpd32.exe, TFTPD32.HLP, uninst.exe3. Run the tftpd32.exe which will start the DHCP/TFTP Server for Windows
4. Select the DHCP Server Tab
5. In IP Pool starting address enter an IP Address greater than the one you gave your Windows machine. eg if your windows machine was 192.168.1.2 enter 192.168.1.3
6. In Size of Pool enter the number of machines you intend on having Ubuntu installed on (each machine will need an IP Address)
7. In Boot File enter pxelinux.0
8. In WINS/DNS Server enter your DNS Server Address you wrote down eg 192.168.1.5
9. Enter the same number in Default router
10. Enter the number you wrote down for Subnet Mask in Mask
11. In Lan enter lan - doesn't matter what you enter here really
12. You must have this software running when you reboot the other PC(s) for PXE to pick-up the Ubuntu install.
13. If your other PC has Windows on it, it might be a good idea to ensure that the DHCP is working.
If the settings you copied down are correct, then your second PC should get an IP Address, DNS Server, Gateway IP Address etc and you should be able to surf the net. It is imperative that you can surf the net, because the Ubuntu installer gets the install files from the net for the installation.
If you can't, then one of your IP addresses may be incorrect or the network card might not be functioning correctly. Unfortunately troubleshooting is beyond the scope of this howto.
Extract & Configure Ubuntu Image
1. Download and use WinZip to extract the files from netboot.tar.gz
2. Copy the ubuntu-installer directory and it's contents to your TFTP directory eg C:\tftpd32\ubuntu-installer
3. Also copy the entire contents of \ubuntu-installer\i386\ directory to the TFTP directory C:\tftpd32\
This is duplication I realise, but for some reason you must have some or all of these files duplicated this way for the install to boot. I didn't have time to figure out which one needs to be there, so I just duplicated the lot... how lazy am I?!Running the Ubuntu Install
1. Have your Windows machine running, with the TFTP Server running and connected to the local network (by wire or wireless, doesn't matter)
2. Reboot the machine you want to install Ubuntu on and enter the BIOS (normally requires the user to hit an F key eg F2)
3. Locate the Boot sequence in the BIOS and change the priority so that LAN boot is first, then HDD.
4. Save changes and exit, reboot.
5. The PXE Boot should appear and attempt to first retrieve an IP Address, then it should begin loading the Ubuntu installer. Wow!
6. Run through the install as documented...
Clean Up
1. Once the install is completed, you can close the TFTP/DHCP Server
2. Delete the directory and files you created for the TFTP Server eg Delete the directory C:\Tftpd32
3. Re-enable DHCP on your router (follow the instructions for "Setup your network environment" steps 1-5)
4. Re-enable DHCP for your Windows machine (TFTP Server) (Follow the instructions for "Setup your network environment" steps 6-16 however where Select "Use the following IP Address/DNS Server Addresses" was written, select the option "Obtain an Address Automatically"
... and you're done! Feel free to edit, praise, update or amend this as it was just a brain dump that I thought would help ppl as it took me all day to get working!
