====== Booting Ubuntu Live Disc ======

To be able to boot into the Live Disc of the Ubuntu distribution, there are several requirements:
  * The Ubuntu iso
  * An NFS daemon
  * Typical network booting infrastructure, including but not limited to:
    * Physical layer
    * DHCP
    * DNS

Due to the similar file structures between Ubuntu variants, this guide should also apply to Edubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu, and so on. Derivatives based on Ubuntu are not guaranteed.

**Note**: While this guide will be able to boot the live environment, installs from this environment will not work entirely as expected when done from the actual disc. In short, [[https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-installer/2013-April/001285.html|networking will not immediately work]] if an install from this environment is attempted.

===== Preparing the File Structure =====

First, [[http://releases.ubuntu.com/|download the latest version]] of the Ubuntu variant of choice. Extract the iso file using your [[http://alternativeto.net/tag/file-compression/|compression software of choice]]. All of the iso file's contents will be required, as this entire directory is going to be mounted to a client whenever it is booted to the Ubuntu environment.

Your directory structure may look like this:

    # ls -alFh ubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-amd64
    total 2.6M
    drwxrwxrwx 13 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:21 ./
    drwxrwxrwx  6 root root 4.0K Jan 30 17:30 ../
    -rwxrwxrwx  1 root root  134 Jul 22  2014 autorun.inf*
    drwxrwxrwx  3 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:20 boot/
    drwxrwxrwx  2 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:21 [BOOT]/
    drwxrwxrwx  2 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:21 casper/
    drwxrwxrwx  2 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:20 .disk/
    drwxrwxrwx  3 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:21 dists/
    drwxrwxrwx  3 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:20 EFI/
    drwxrwxrwx  2 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:21 install/
    drwxrwxrwx  2 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:21 isolinux/
    -rwxrwxrwx  1 root root  21K Jul 22  2014 md5sum.txt*
    drwxrwxrwx  2 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:21 pics/
    drwxrwxrwx  4 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:21 pool/
    drwxrwxrwx  2 root root 4.0K Jan 30 16:21 preseed/
    -rwxrwxrwx  1 root root  231 Jul 22  2014 README.diskdefines*
    -rwxrwxrwx  1 root root 2.5M Apr 14  2014 wubi.exe*

This structure will be copied into a NFS location later.

===== Preparing the NFS Share =====

==== Installing the Package ====

The NFS daemon package must be installed according to your distribution's instructions.
  * [[https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SettingUpNFSHowTo#Installation_and_Configuration|Ubuntu]]
  * [[https://wiki.debian.org/NFSServerSetup|Debian]]
  * [[http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Administration_Guide_Draft/NFS|Fedora]]
  * [[https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NFS|ArchLinux]]
  * Follow your distribution's documentation

==== Configuring the Share ====

Edit the ''/etc/exports'' file using your [[http://alternativeto.net/tag/text-editor/|editor of choice]]. Apply the following line, substituting in the path where you will host your Ubuntu file structure

    /path/to/ubuntu/files     *(ro,sync,no_wdelay,insecure_locks,no_root_squash,insecure)

**Note**: The * prefix before those options specifies that this share is publicly accessible with access to the network resource. This can [[http://linux.die.net/man/5/exports|be changed]] to fit any security requirements.

==== Restarting the Daemon ====

In most cases, after you have edited the /etc/exports file you will be required to restart the daemon for the change to take effect. Follow your distribution's documentation.

===== Putting Everything Together =====

==== Copy the Structure ====

Copy your extracted Ubuntu iso contents from earlier into the path specified in your server's /etc/exports file.

**Note**: This can be put into a subfolder. One export applies to all subfolders of the export.

==== iPXE Booting ====

For the boot to occur the following items must be supplied:
  * Kernel
  * Initial ramdisk
  * NFS options
  * Client IP information

**Note**: This configuration assumes the iPXE boot file you are using has the DOWNLOAD_PROTO_NFS option enabled. If it doesn't, you will have to change the kernel and initrd lines to boot over a protocol that is supported in your environment. Either this, or you could rebuild your iPXE boot file.

=== amd64 ===

    #!ipxe
    
    set server_ip 192.168.100.1
    set nfs_path /srv/nfs/ubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-amd64
    kernel nfs://${server_ip}${nfs_path}/casper/vmlinuz.efi || read void
    initrd nfs://${server_ip}${nfs_path}/casper/initrd.lz || read void
    imgargs vmlinuz.efi initrd=initrd.lz root=/dev/nfs boot=casper netboot=nfs nfsroot=${server_ip}:${nfs_path} ip=dhcp splash quiet -- || read void
    boot || read void

=== i386 ===

    #!ipxe
    
    set server_ip 192.168.100.1
    set nfs_path /srv/nfs/ubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-i386
    kernel nfs://${server_ip}${nfs_path}/casper/vmlinuz || read void
    initrd nfs://${server_ip}${nfs_path}/casper/initrd.lz || read void
    imgargs vmlinuz initrd=initrd.lz root=/dev/nfs boot=casper netboot=nfs nfsroot=${server_ip}:${nfs_path} ip=dhcp splash quiet -- || read void
    boot || read void