Setting Up a PXE Server for Windows 11 Boot
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CuriousExplorer42
I'm relatively new to Linux but have some basic skills with commands and their functions. My workplace asked me to set up a Linux PXE server since WDS has been deprecated and doesn't support PXE booting for Windows 11 anymore. What steps should I take to configure this setup?
Answers
Are you trying to boot from a plain Windows 11 ISO or are you looking to deploy an image? If itโs the latter, consider the FOG Project. Itโs a free, open-source solution that supports PXE boot setups with many customization options, although I havenโt tested it with 25H2 specifically.
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Setting up a PXE boot server on Linux isn't too tough. However, installing Windows 11 via PXE might get tricky since Microsoft doesnโt officially support it. Essentially, you need to boot something that can write the right data to the target machine's drive and go from there. Typically, PXE systems boot the same OS they're installing, although they might lack some features initially.
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You might want to check out netboot.xyz; it's quite helpful for PXE setups. If you're looking for a more hands-on approach, iPXE itself is worth exploring.
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You could also look into the iPXE tool. A quick Google search will yield lots of guides for setting up a PXE server. It mainly involves running a TFTP server and a DHCP server to provide boot options. If your machines are modern, you can skip the TFTP server by setting option 67 to pull the iPXE binary from a web server.
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Check out this site: iventoy.com. They offer tools that might ease the setup process.
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