How to use vesamenu.c32

[glenc2004]

Hello all. I am fairly new to ipxe so please bare with me. I am trying to use the vesamenu.c32 and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to chain that menu rather than the standard. I do not use DHCP and cannot due to environmental reasons. So I am stuck using http to download everything. I have enabled most features of ipxe on my ISO and the regular menu.c32 work just great. But I want to use the vesa menu. What is the proper load sequence so I can use the vesa menu.

Here is what I do....

1) Load ISO into vmware vm
2) Boot and the ipxe I have setup to manually enter the IP, netmask and all the proper info into the built in menu.ipx in the ISO
3) set the network info and open the interface
4) chain the menu.ipxe menu from the web server

And I have a working menu. I have tried various methods using php and unloading the current kernel and etc. But I always seem to get a vm error trying to run outside memory bounds. So obviously I'm missing something. By the way I do have access to esxi/vsphere but for testing purposes I prefer to use vmware player for now.

If someone can show me at least after #4 I get a working vesa menu that would be awesome.

Thanks for your patience!

Glen

[glenc2004]

Hello all. I'm really new to iPXE and for the last week been trying to figure out how to use vesamenu.c32 instead of the builtin menu. I am using vmware player but have access to esxi/vspehere environment but for testing purposes player is easier to deal with.

Since I do use DHCP or TFTP all my menus and such have to come from a web server While the standard menu works and works just fine I would like to use vesamenu.c32 but I have been unable to figure out how to load it properly. I am creating an ISO with a simple built in menu that prompt for the networking info and sets the network interface so it can talk on the network.

But I have found no documentation on the home page or the internet that shows how to use a different menu system. I have tried to piece together articles that I thought would help me but with no luck.

So how do I build my iso so that when I grab my menu from the web server it's using vesamenu.c32 instead?

boot iso -> input network info -> chain menu.ipxe from webserver (works!)

And yes. I have complied most of the features in the ISO including COMBOOT.

Thanks

Glen

[NiKiZe]

(2015-06-21 15:52)glenc2004 Wrote:  Hello all. I'm really new to iPXE and for the last week been trying to figure out how to use vesamenu.c32 instead of the builtin menu. I am using vmware player but have access to esxi/vspehere environment but for testing purposes player is easier to deal with.

Since I do use DHCP or TFTP all my menus and such have to come from a web server While the standard menu works and works just fine I would like to use vesamenu.c32 but I have been unable to figure out how to load it properly. I am creating an ISO with a simple built in menu that prompt for the networking info and sets the network interface so it can talk on the network.

But I have found no documentation on the home page or the internet that shows how to use a different menu system. I have tried to piece together articles that I thought would help me but with no luck.

So how do I build my iso so that when I grab my menu from the web server it's using vesamenu.c32 instead?

boot iso -> input network info -> chain menu.ipxe from webserver (works!)

And yes. I have complied most of the features in the ISO including COMBOOT.

Thanks

Glen

vesamenu is from the syslinux project, and there might be an issue with the format or other incompatible changes in syslinux since the COMBOOT implementation was made.

Otherwise I would recommend to look at the iPXE menu instead. and then use iPXE menu in VESA mode.