Network Installing Ubuntu Using a Windows box

This document describes how to install ubuntu through your network without having to use a linux box as a TFTP and DHCP server. This is a very easy method for a linux newb like me.

My scenario

I want to install ubuntu linux onto a computer that has no working CD or Floppy drives. This computer has a PXE booting capable BIOS.

If you have a floppy drive, you can make a floppy that will allow you to PXE boot but that article is somewhere else on this wiki.

What you will need

• A network with a windows computer
• A a network gateway to the internet (Cable/DSL Router)
• Tftpd32.exe (The windows TFTP/DHCP server program)
• The Ubuntu Netboot Image
• WinRAR to unzip the image (google for it)

Download Tftpd32

[http://tftpd32.jounin.net/ From The Makers Website]

[http://www.cameronbergh.com/ftp/tftpd32.zip From My Mirror]

Here are some links to ubuntu netboot images

[http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/breezy/main/installer-i386/current/images/netboot/netboot.tar.gz Breezy i386]

[http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/breezy/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/netboot.tar.gz Breezy amd64]

[http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/hoary/main/installer-i386/current/images/netboot/netboot.tar.gz Hoary i386]

[http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/hoary/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/netboot.tar.gz Hoary amd64]

OR... you can download tftpd and all of the image files pre organized in a torrent.

[http://www.cameronbergh.com/BlogTorrent-preview-0.92/bt/btdownload.php?type=torrent&file=Ubuntu+%28Hoary%29+Network+Boot+Kit.rar.torrent Hoary i386]

This is how we do it

1. On the windows box, make a folder called "cameronrules"
2. Place Tftpd32.exe in that folder
3. Extract the contents of netboot.tar.gz and place them in a folder called "netboot"

   • Note: Winrar may give you some errors that it couldnt create some symbolic links, just ignore it.

4. Put the netboot folder inside of the "cameronrules" folder
5. Go To cameronrules/netboot/ubuntu-installer/i386/ or cameronrules/netboot/ubuntu-installer/amd64/ and copy pxelinux.cfg folder
6. Go back to the netboot folder and Paste pxelinux.cfg folder
7. Run Tftpd32.exe and click the DHCP tab
   • in the default router box, put the address of your internet gateway (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 for residential routers)
   • in the ip pool starting address box put your gateway's address + 1 to the last number (Example: 192.168.0.2)
   • Size of pool = i said about 10
   • if your network is something like 192.168.0.1 then your network mask should be 255.255.255.0
   • Set the Bootfile field to the address of the pxelinux.0 file (it should be "\netboot\pxelinux.0)
   • Leave the WINS/DNS, Domain Name, and additional option fields the way you found them unless you really need to change them, but I dont think you do.
8. Hit the "Save" button and then click "settings"
9. on the settings menu Check the following and leave the others how they are.
   • PXE Compatability
   • translate unix file names
   • allow / as virtual root
10. click "ok" and tell your target computer to look on your network for a PXE boot rom.

if all went right, you should see some text fly by and then the ubuntu installer will load on your target computer. let me know if you have any problems.