Unable to iPXE boot on bare metal using netboot.xyz

[remedywilliams]

Description

Unable to iPXE boot flatcar (stable channel)

Impact

Inability to boot Flatcar Linux for install to bare metal.

Environment and steps to reproduce

1. Setup

• Hardware
  • pfsense using itself as tftp/next server
  • HP EliteDesk 800 G2
    • Legacy Boot Disabled (forcing UEFI)
    • tested with TPM on/off
    • booted into netboot.xyz via IPv4

2. Task

• (within netboot.xyz)
  • Linux Network Installs (64-bit) > Flatcar Container Linux > Flatcar Container Linux Stable Channel
  • set ignition.config.url with ignition config

3/4. Action(s) / Error:

• while booting, the following was noticed
  [0.044319] localhost kernel: Kernel command line: rootflags=rw mount.usrflags=ro flatcar_production_pxe.vmlinuz flatcar.first_boot=1 ignition.config.url=OMITTED flatcar.autologin=tty1 flatcar.autologin=ttyS0 initrd=flatcar_production_pxe_image.cpio.gz
[0.483890] localhost kernel: fail to initialize ptp_kvm
[0.689238] localhost kernel: Trying to unpack rootfs image as initramfs...
[0.689268] localhost kernel: Initramfs unpacking failed: invalid magic at start of compressed archive
[91.074440] localhost systemd[1]: dev-disk-by\x2dlabel-OEM.device: Job dev-disk-by\x2dlabel-OEM.device/start timed out.
[91.082245] localhost systemd[1]: Timed out waiting for device /dev/disk/by-label/OEM.
[91.089188] localhost systemd[1]: Dependency failed for Ignition (setup).
[91.095350] localhost systemd[1]: Dependency failed for Ignition (files).
[91.097851] localhost systemd[1]: Dependency failed for Ignition Complete.
[91.100194] localhost systemd[1]: Dependency failed for Initrd Default Target.
[91.102620] localhost systemd[1]: initrd.target: Job initrd.target/start failed with result 'dependency'.
[91.105190] localhost systemd[1]: initrd.target: Triggering OnFailure= dependencies.

In between 0.6 and 91 seconds is a hanging message, switching between
(1 of 2) A start job is running for /dev/disk/by-label/OEM (58s / 1min 30s)
(2 of 2) A start job is running for /dev/disk/by-partlabel/USR-A (59s / 1min 30s)

Expected behavior

Ability to install FCL via iPXE on bare metal using netbook.xyz

[pothos]

netboot.xyz is broken for BIOS boot (see #586) but UEFI was reported to work.
I rather recommend you to set the iPXE script up yourself: https://www.flatcar.org/docs/latest/installing/bare-metal/booting-with-ipxe/#setting-up-the-boot-script

#!ipxe
set base-url http://stable.release.flatcar-linux.net/amd64-usr/current
kernel ${base-url}/flatcar_production_pxe.vmlinuz initrd=flatcar_production_pxe_image.cpio.gz flatcar.first_boot=1 ignition.config.url=https://example.com/pxe-config.ign
initrd ${base-url}/flatcar_production_pxe_image.cpio.gz
boot

One more example is https://stable.release.flatcar-linux.net/amd64-usr/current/flatcar_production_packet.ipxe where it makes use of relative paths. Make sure you use the right serial console argument in case you don't see initrd boot logs.

[jepio]

A different version of netboot.xyz might be needed.

[remedywilliams]

@pothos thank you for that additional info.
Yes I'm aware of the BIOS bug (I thought I referenced it in the desc but I don't see it), which is why I ensured disabling Legacy Boot on the machine, yet interestingly I still noticed the invalid magic message.

I've since booted using bare ipxe, so it may be as @jepio mentioned that netboot.xyz may need to address this.

[pothos]

When switching to PXE, the default PXE mode is BIOS and you have to explicitly tell to use the PXE UEFI mode, e.g., when using ipmitool.