pxe_boot_alma

AlmaLinux 10 PXE boot and unattended Kickstart deployment for a two-server setup:

server1: PXE host that provides DHCP/TFTP/HTTP boot assets with dnsmasq
server2: target host that boots from the network and installs AlmaLinux automatically

This repo is the source of truth for:

dnsmasq configuration
PXE boot menus
AlmaLinux Kickstart files
helper scripts to build and sync boot assets
replication documentation

Goal

Boot server2 from the network, point it at an AlmaLinux 10 install tree hosted by server1, and complete installation with a Kickstart file that can also bootstrap your existing kickstart and tools repos in %post.

Repo Layout

dnsmasq/: sample dnsmasq config
boot/grub2/: UEFI GRUB menu example
boot/pxelinux.cfg/: BIOS PXELINUX menu example
kickstarts/: AlmaLinux Kickstart templates
scripts/: helper scripts for ISO extraction and post-install bootstrap
docs/: replication and operating notes

Current Lab

Current virtual lab values:

server1 management NIC: libvirt default NAT network
server1 PXE NIC: 192.168.50.1/24
PXE DHCP range: 192.168.50.100-192.168.50.150
TFTP root: /var/lib/tftpboot
HTTP root: /var/www/html

High-Level Flow

Put the AlmaLinux ISO in this repo root or another local path.
Use scripts/sync_alma_tree.sh to copy the ISO contents into an HTTP-served tree on server1.
Copy vmlinuz and initrd.img from the Alma tree into your TFTP directory.
Install the sample dnsmasq config from dnsmasq/dnsmasq.conf.example and adjust interface/IP/path values.
Use the sample PXE menu files from boot/grub2/grub.cfg and boot/pxelinux.cfg/default.
Customize kickstarts/alma10-auto.ks.
Boot server2 from PXE.

Existing Repo Integration

The starter Kickstart includes a %post phase that can call your current repos:

/usr/local/valherun/kickstart
/usr/local/valherun/tools

The wrapper script is scripts/post-install-bootstrap.sh. It clones those repos onto the installed Alma host and then runs the reusable pieces directly:

kickstart/bin/create_valherun.sh
kickstart/bash_profiles.sh --adduser
tools/bin/install_codex_access.sh
tools/bin/update_sshd_config.sh

This avoids relying on kickstart.sh --all for unattended installs.

First Files To Edit

Before using this in production, update:

dnsmasq/dnsmasq.conf.example
boot/grub2/grub.cfg
boot/pxelinux.cfg/default
kickstarts/alma10-auto.ks
scripts/post-install-bootstrap.sh if you want different bootstrap behavior

Documentation

General rebuild guide: docs/replication.md
Exact VM lab steps used on this host: docs/virtual-lab.md

3.5 KiB Raw Blame History