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PXE Profiles

PXE profiles allow the automatic installation of operating systems or booting rescue systems such as grml. All popular operating systems are already included by default, such as:

In addition to this, there are PXE profiles for:

  • Memtest86
  • Fast disk wipe (insecure)
  • Slow disk wipe (secure)
  • Grml Linux (rescue)
  • Finnix (rescue)
  • Clonezilla
  • System Rescue CD
  • Automatic OS password reset

The above-listed PXE profiles are maintained by the Tenantos team and are kept up to date.

Manage Profiles

You find the scripts at "PXE Manager" -> "Operating Systems". Click on the edit icon to edit an existing profile or on the plus button to add a new profile.

The individual options are described below. Some options are not available for all operating systems.

Basic Details

OS Name

Enter the name of the operating system. It will be shown on the server reinstallation page.

Tags

Enter tags of the OS profile. If the tags match with the tags of a script or disk layout, they are considered linked and will be shown on the server reinstallation page (unless server tags exclude them).

Template Type

The following template types are available:

  • Kickstart
  • Preseed
  • Windows
  • Rescue System

If the type is a rescue system, the OS profile is listed on the PXE Manager overview page in the "Rescue Systems" tab. Also, rescue systems are not displayed on the server reinstallation page but in the "Rescue" tab.

Language

The language of the operating system to install.

Timezone

The default timezone.

Mirror URL

The URL to the mirror for the installation files. For example: http://ftp.us.debian.org

Additional Drivers URL

If additional drivers are required that are not included in the operating system by default, a URL can be stored here to be loaded during installation. By default, additional drivers for Debian profiles are loaded, to add support for NICs such as Broadcom NetXtreme. In our experience, most other operating systems come with all common drivers out of the box.

This option is not compatible with Windows. To inject drivers into the Windows installer, please follow this guide.

Local Cache Directory

The installation files are cached in the specified directory so that they do not have to be downloaded repeatedly.

The installation directory should be a unique name, with a few exceptions.

Enable COMBOOT

To load a iPXE version with COMBOOT support, activate this option. This is only necessary for a few operating systems, such as VMware.

iPXE BIOS File

It is possible to specify a custom iPXE file for chainloading in this field. The file must be uploaded in the directory /srv/tftp at each remote agent.

This option is typically needed only in edge cases, primarily when the default iPXE version isn't compatible with the server. If left blank (the default setting), a recent iPXE version is used.

iPXE EFI File

Similar to the BIOS file, it is possible to specify a custom iPXE file for EFI booting. As with the "iPXE BIOS File" setting, the version must be uploaded into the directory /srv/tftp at each remote agent.

This option is necessary mainly in specific edge cases where the default version may not be compatible. By default, if left empty, a recent iPXE version is used. For EFI boots, the additional version "snponly_1.20.1.efi" is pre-loaded on all agents.

DHCP Post-Setup Keep Alive

Specify the duration DHCP remains active after the installation has been marked as completed. This is useful for profiles that require manual steps or interaction after PXE booting, but still need to receive a DHCP lease for a short time. Examples for that would be netboot.xyz or Hiren's BootCD PE.

Important: It is not guaranteed that the DHCP configuration will update after the specified number of minutes. Instead, this value defines the minimum time to keep the DHCP lease available.

Network Configuration Mode (preseed only)

The following modes are available:

  • Default
  • Netplan (recommended for Ubuntu)

Default is if the network configuration is located in /etc/network.

HTTP Directory (preseed only)

The subdirectory of the mirror.

Release Version (preseed/windows only)

The release name of the operating system. E.g. "bionic" for Ubuntu 18.

Windows: Skip OOBE (desktop editions only)

Only required for Windows desktop versions. Enabling this option will auto-configure the system and the Windows setup will not hang at the setup screen (OOBE).

When importing a Windows desktop version, Tenantos will automatically enable this option.

Windows: Bypass system requirements checks

Only required for Windows 11 if your hardware does not meet the system requirements. Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. Enabling this option will bypass the checks of the Windows installer. This option also disables the system requirements checks for RAM, CPU, and disk.

Theoretically, the option can also be used for other Windows versions if the servers do not meet the system requirements. Use at your own risk.

Windows Activation Key

The entered activation key will be used during OS installation. Leave empty for trial installations.

Windows: Use empty activation key

Usually required for desktop installations, like Windows 10. Otherwise, the Windows installer will ask for a license key during installation. Do not activate for server editions, even if no activation key is stored. Server editions will automatically activate a trial.

When importing a Windows desktop version, Tenantos will automatically enable this option.

Windows: Activation key location

This setting let you choose where the activation key should be specified. For more information, please refer to the Microsoft documentation.

When importing a Windows desktop version, Tenantos will automatically enable the setting "User Data".

Only offer if server has one of these tags

The profile is shown only if the server has one of the listed tags.

Don't offer if server has one of these tags

The profile is not shown if the server has one of the listed tags.

Only offer if user has one of these roles

The user must have one of the assigned roles for the profile to be offered. However, please note that role limitations are not recursive. For example, if the user has the "Reseller" role, the limitations will not be inherited by the roles created by the resellers. If you require such limitations, consider using the tag limitation feature.

This feature is particularly useful if you need to share specific profiles exclusively with users of certain roles, or limit them for internal use only.

Don't offer if user has one of these roles

If the user has one of these roles assigned, the profile will not be offered. However, please note that role limitations are not recursive. For example, if the user has the "Reseller" role, the limitations will not be inherited by the roles created by the resellers. If you require such limitations, consider using the tag limitation feature.

This feature is particularly useful if you need to share specific profiles exclusively with users of certain roles, or limit them for internal use only.

Offer profile for following server types

Choose whether the profile should be available for dedicated servers, virtual servers, or both.

Default Disk Layout Template

Here you can select the default disk layout that will be used for the profile. It is preselected in the dropdown on the server reinstallation page.

Default: Automatic Partitioning

Fallback to default disk layout if unset

If no disk layout has been selected during reinstallation, the installer can automatically use the default disk layout selected above. If disabled, the disk layout configuration from the PXE profile is used. It is recommended to enable this option in conjunction with Automatic Partitioning.

The difference to "Force Selected Disk Layout" is that the customer can still select another layout like RAID 5, but if no layout has been selected, the described fallback occurs.

On this page, you can find out why this setting is recommended.

Force Selected Disk Layout

If you enable this feature, the disk layout selected above will be forcibly selected. On the reinstallation page, no disk layout is offered for selection.

Default Script Executions

Here you can select scripts to be executed after the operating system installation is complete.

By default, the "System Update" script is enabled.

Enforce Script Execution

If you enable this feature, the selected scripts above will be forcibly selected. On the reinstallation page, the selected scripts will be hidden.

Hide Other Scripts

Specifies whether other compatible scripts should be hidden.

Features

Allow set hostname

Specifies whether the user can set the hostname on the reinstallation page for this profile.

Allow SSH key

Specifies whether the user can add SSH keys on the reinstallation page for this profile.

Allow set root password

Specifies whether the user can set the root password on the reinstallation page for this profile.

Installation completed after first PXE file access

Activation of this option is usually not necessary. It is only needed if the PXE profile does not perform further steps after downloading the PXE file (memtest, for example).

Update server hardware inventory after installation

This feature is only available on Linux operating systems. The disk wipe profiles and most rescue systems also support this feature.

If you use the automated hardware inventory via PXE profile or shell script and do not maintain the inventory manually, enabling this option is handy as it will update the hardware inventory of the server on every installation.

Tenantos tries to detect if the feature is applicable to the PXE profile. If the feature is not supported, for example for Windows PXE profiles, the option is not offered.

IP Configuration

The installer can configure additional IPv4 and IPv6 addresses automatically. The installer only assign IPv4/IPv6 addresses that use the same gateway as the primary IP. If an IPv6 subnet is assigned, the first IPv6 address will be configured.

IPv4: Allow installer to configure all IPs on the operating system (user must confirm)

The user must activate the automated configuration of additional IPs on the reinstallation page.

IPv4: Force installer to configure all IPs on the operating system

The installer will automatically configure all IPv4 addresses on the operating system.

IPv6: Allow installer to configure all IPs on the operating system (user must confirm)

If an IPv6 subnet is assigned, the first IPv6 address will be configured.

See above.

IPv6: Force installer to configure all IPs on the operating system

See above.

Disable PXE Profile

If this option is enabled, the profile will not be available for selection.

OS Profile

PXE Boot Configuration

The iPXE boot configuration. You can see from the existing profiles which variables are available.

Installation Template

Here the preseed or kickstart configuration must be placed.

Default Disk Layout

You need to insert the disk layout if you don't enforce one. If you want to distinguish between UEFI and legacy bios, you can find the necessary information here.

Default Packages

A list of packages to be installed by default can be stored here. By default, only a minimal installation will be done.

Custom Scripts

Default Post Installation Script

The post-installation script is executed immediately after the installation, even before the server has restarted. The execution takes place within the installer environment.

Default First Boot Script

The script stored here is executed after the first start of the operating system. This feature does not affect the functionality of scripts. If both are defined, both will be executed.

Screenshots

Show PXE Profile 1 Show PXE Profile 2 Show PXE Profile 3 Show PXE Profile 4 List PXE Profiles