Diskless MDs not PXE booting

[m3freak]

I've installed LinuxMCE on a 2-nic server with the snapshot image LinuxMCE-8.10-24098-i386.iso.  The instructions on the 8.10 install page are missing steps, so it was a bit of a challenge because I'm not used to Ubuntu (I'm a Red Hat guy).  In the end, I got the core updated.  I also ran the script for creating the diskless boot image. It seemed to complete without any issue.

When I try to PXE boot a Jetway Ecomini, it never gets an IP and eventually the PXE boot fails.  After many failed attempts, I tried another random PC (HP laptop) - PXE boot on it failed, too.  I reviewed the logs on the core, and saw this:

Jul 24 17:51:03 core dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:30:18:ae:b5:56 via eth0
Jul 24 17:51:03 core dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.80.129 to 00:30:18:ae:b5:56 via eth0

The DHCPREQUEST and DHCPACK are never logged.  Oh, the above log is for the Ecomini.

I don't understand why the device attempting the PXE boot doesn't follow through with the DHCPREQUEST.

It's very likely I've missed something.  Would someone please point out what that something is?

[tkmedia]

Did you run /usr/pluto/bin/Diskless_CreateTBZ.sh  to create the initial images.

if not please do so.

HTH

Tim

[m3freak]

Did you run /usr/pluto/bin/Diskless_CreateTBZ.sh  to create the initial images.

Yes, of course I did.  I even said so in my post!

I have also run the script a few times, but the result is the same - no device will PXE boot.

[purps]

Knackered switch? And check your cables.

[RayBe]

hi m3freak,

Below are a few URL's on how-to setup your Lmce network,
i would suggest to check your setup with whats described in the URL's,
your PXE-boot devices must be on the internal part of your setup.

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Network_Settings
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Network_Setup
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/File:Diagram1.jpg

br,
Raymond

[coley]

m3freak,
Your logs are showing that your internal network is on eth0.
The external n/w should normally be on eth0 and internal on eth1.
If you swap your n/w cables and click "Swap interfaces" on the Network Admin page this should swap over eth0 and eth1 interfaces.

Try pxe-booting your machines again.

-Coley.

[m3freak]

m3freak,
Your logs are showing that your internal network is on eth0.
The external n/w should normally be on eth0 and internal on eth1.
If you swap your n/w cables and click "Swap interfaces" on the Network Admin page this should swap over eth0 and eth1 interfaces.

Try pxe-booting your machines again.

No way.  I'm going to cry if this really is the case.  Why would LinuxMCE care?

FYI: I put the internal on eth0 because eth0 is the on board Gb NIC.  eth1 is an Intel PRO1000 PCI card.  I figured the on-board NIC would have better performance.

I'll try the swap tonight and report back.

[klovell]

m3freak,
Your logs are showing that your internal network is on eth0.
The external n/w should normally be on eth0 and internal on eth1.
If you swap your n/w cables and click "Swap interfaces" on the Network Admin page this should swap over eth0 and eth1 interfaces.

Try pxe-booting your machines again.

-Coley.

I'm not arguing these instructions, but if he swaps the cables and click on thw swap interface button wouldn't that put him back in the same position... Like a double negative? I thought the swap interfaces button was there so you wouldn't have to physically swap the cables.  I thought it swapped eth0 and eth1 in the config. 

Correct me if i'm wrong.

[bongowongo]

Correct.

Or swap cables

Or swap interfaces

Or do Both, 1,5 times.

[klovell]

No way.  I'm going to cry if this really is the case.  Why would LinuxMCE care?

FYI: I put the internal on eth0 because eth0 is the on board Gb NIC.  eth1 is an Intel PRO1000 PCI card.  I figured the on-board NIC would have better performance.

I'll try the swap tonight and report back.

By default LMCE doesn't offer ip addresses to the external interface, therefore you can not pxe boot off of the external interface.  It doesn't care which interface is internal or external.  I had the same logic when I setup my core.  Both nic's are gb nics but I just figured the on-board nic would yield higher performance. 

[bongowongo]

Usually dedicated NIC has more speed, and doesn't lean on processor.
That could have changed, but in the olden days that was the case.

[coley]

yep, thx for the correction.
don't know why the system is giving out ip addresses on eth0.

-Coley.

[purps]

I always put eth0 on external and eth1 on internal because "that is what you are supposed to do", but I've had past installs working with no problems that were the other way round.

If you want to change which card is eth0 and which card eth1, you have to do it in /etc/udev/rules.d/70-persistent-net.rules

Cheers,
Matt.

[ardirtbiker]

ditto what Matt (purps) said!

Dennis

[m3freak]

So this is what I did:

1. took the udev approach and made the add-in nic eth0, and the onboard nic eth1.  PXE boot still fails.
2. I reinstalled LinuxMCE.  PXE boot still fails.
3. I changed cables.  PXE boot still fails.
4. I change the switch.  PXE boot still fails.
5. I plugged the Ecomini directly into eth1 on the core. PXE boot still fails.
6. I plugged in a lexmark printer, a random PC, and a HP laptop.  PXE boot or just plain IP assignment via DHCP fails on all of them.
7. I checked iptables - no rules, at all.

I ran tshark on eth1 to see what's happening on the wire (I had a feeling the DHCPOFFER wasn't getting out).  When I PXE boot anything, tshark shows the DHCPDISCOVER.  /var/log/daemon then shows DHCPOFFER, but tshark NEVER sees it.  That is, even though the core shows a DHCPOFFER being sent, tshark reveals the DHCPOFFER never actually reaches eth1. This explains why I wasn't seeing a DHCPREQUEST before: the PXE client isn't getting the DHCPOFFER, so it can't send a DHCPREQUEST!

Something is preventing DHCP from working correctly. I don't think it's the hardware: both nics exhibit the same behaviour.  No matter how many times I install LinuxMCE, I see the same problem.

I don't know LinuxMCE well enough to troubleshoot this.  Does anyone know what's going on?