PXE Boot & Install Windows 10 from a Samba Share

26 Oct 2017

Prerequirements

This guide is based on this setup. The steps for configuring dnsmasq and pxelinux have to be completed to make booting the Windows Installer over the network work. There also needs to be a Windows 10 x64 ISO available on the Debian box.

1. Install packages:

   apt-get update
   apt-get install -y samba genisoimage wimtools cabextract
   

2. Link mkisofs:

   ln -s /usr/bin/genisoimage /usr/bin/mkisofs
   

3. Create direcories:

   mkdir -p /mnt/waik
   mkdir -p /var/lib/tftpboot/windows
   

Prepare Windows PE ISO

1. Download the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) ISO:

   wget https://download.microsoft.com/download/8/E/9/8E9BBC64-E6F8-457C-9B8D-F6C9A16E6D6A/KB3AIK_EN.iso
   

2. Mount KB3AIK_EN.iso:

   mount KB3AIK_EN.iso /mnt/waik
   

3. Generate Windows PE bootable ISO:

   mkwinpeimg --iso --arch=amd64 --waik-dir=/mnt/waik /var/lib/tftpboot/winpe.iso
   

4. Unmount KB3AIK_EN.iso:

   umount /mnt/waik
   

Samba

1. Edit /etc/samba/smb.conf:

   [global]
     workgroup = WORKGROUP
     map to guest = bad user
     usershare allow guests = yes
   [windows]
     browsable = true
     read only = yes
     guest ok = yes
     path = /var/lib/tftpboot/windows
   

2. Restart samba service:

   systemctl restart smbd
   

3. Mount Windows 10 ISO onto samba share:

   mount <$WINDOWS_ISO> /var/lib/tftpboot/windows
   

pxelinux

1. Link memdisk:

   ln -s /usr/lib/syslinux/memdisk /var/lib/tftpboot/
   

2. Edit /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default:

   LABEL windows10
   MENU LABEL Windows 10
   KERNEL /memdisk
   INITRD /winpe.iso
   APPEND iso raw
   

Windows Installation

1. Boot with PXE
2. Wait for DHCP assigned IP (check with ipconfig)
3. Mount Samba share:

   net use Z: \\192.168.1.10\windows
   

4. Run z:\setup.exe
5. Install Windows.

1. http://it-joe.com/windows/pxe_install
2. http://www.webupd8.org/2013/07/how-to-create-bootable-windows-pe-iso.html
3. https://www.savelono.com/linux/how-to-install-windows-7-over-a-network-using-linux-pxe-dnsmasq-and-samba.html
4. https://github.com/pimterry/rpi-pxe-server