Issue with hyper-v

[netfire]

Hi guys,
I'm loading ipxe from a pxelinux vesa menu and using wimboot to boot a windows installer from a network share. This works on our bare metal machines, however hyper-v guests do not work properly. This is all legacy boot, using legacy network adapter in hyper-v (required by our network config).

iPxe gets to this point in the boot process where it just appears to hang:


Anyone have an clue how I can get this working?
Thanks

[NiKiZe]

So you are using hyper-v Gen 1 since you are using legacy boot?

Is it windows 10 you are trying to boot?
which iPXE binary are you using (undionly.kpxe or something else)

What is the iPXE script you are using?

Have you tried without pxelinux?

[netfire]

Yes, no uefi here so we only use gen1.

Win 10 and server 2016.
using ipxe.krn

ipxe script:

Code:

#!ipxe

cpuid --ext 29 && set arch amd64 || set arch x86
kernel ../wimboot
initrd install.bat                        install.bat
initrd ../winpeshl.ini                       winpeshl.ini
initrd ../media/Boot/BCD                     BCD
initrd ../media/Boot/boot.sdi                boot.sdi
initrd ../media/sources/boot.wim             boot.wim
boot

Vesa menu looks like this:

Code:

LABEL Server 2016 Installer
        MENU LABEL Server 2016 Installer
        KERNEL ../images/ipxe/IPXE.KRN dhcp && chain http://xxxxx/microsoft/pxe/server2016/boot.ipxe

Have tried booting ipxe iso in hyper-v, and issuing the dhcp && chain commands manually. Same result.

(2018-10-10 12:13)NiKiZe Wrote:  So you are using hyper-v Gen 1 since you are using legacy boot?

Is it windows 10 you are trying to boot?
which iPXE binary are you using (undionly.kpxe or something else)

What is the iPXE script you are using?

Have you tried without pxelinux?

[NiKiZe]

add gui to wimboot commandline, meaning that the line will be.
kernel ../wimboot gui

If that fails remove install.bat and winpeshl.ini to try and make the boot as clean as possible as well.

Which version of iPXE are you using? (git commit id is printed after 1.0.0+ on iPXE startup)
Which version of wimboot are you using?

Where is boot.wim from, and have it been modified in any way, (for example containing any additional or modified drivers)

[netfire]

ipxe version is 133f
Wimboot is from here: http://git.ipxe.org/releases/wimboot/wimboot-latest.zip

boot.wim is from Windows ADK for Windows 10 v1809, not modified in any way

I tried this minimal ipxe script:

Code:

#!ipxe

kernel ../wimboot gui
initrd ../media/Boot/BCD                     BCD
initrd ../media/Boot/boot.sdi                boot.sdi
initrd ../media/sources/boot.wim             boot.wim
boot

Still no dice. With the gui option, it shows the windows logo on a black screen instead of pausing on that text as before. But it sits there with that screen for quite awhile and doesn't seem to do anything.

(2018-10-10 18:45)NiKiZe Wrote:  add gui to wimboot commandline, meaning that the line will be.
kernel ../wimboot gui

If that fails remove install.bat and winpeshl.ini to try and make the boot as clean as possible as well.

Which version of iPXE are you using? (git commit id is printed after 1.0.0+ on iPXE startup)
Which version of wimboot are you using?

Where is boot.wim from, and have it been modified in any way, (for example containing any additional or modified drivers)

[NiKiZe]

Ok,
A few things that I know can be the problem,
Wimboot 2.6.0 have caused issues for me, testing with v2.5.2 and it worked.
Drivers added or modified by ADK, - Try pure boot.wim from Win 10 installation media.
Some have also reported issues with having multiple CPUs in some VMs, so lowering to 1 CPU might help.
The other way around is also possible, meaning that having only one Core in a VM might cause issues.
I also want to recommend a different minimal BCD: https://github.com/NiKiZe/wimboot-bcd/bl...gen/PXEBCD (you will find the script used to create it in the git repo as well)

Make one change at a time and see what you end up with.
Gen 1 hyper-v is known working, so it is just a mater of finding out what breaks it in your case.

[netfire]

Hey there,
I tried all that you recommended below, and none of these solutions work. The only thing I can think of is that our current server os on this hvm is a 1607 build which is a bit old. Could that be it?

(2018-10-11 18:50)NiKiZe Wrote:  Ok,
A few things that I know can be the problem,
Wimboot 2.6.0 have caused issues for me, testing with v2.5.2 and it worked.
Drivers added or modified by ADK, - Try pure boot.wim from Win 10 installation media.
Some have also reported issues with having multiple CPUs in some VMs, so lowering to 1 CPU might help.
The other way around is also possible, meaning that having only one Core in a VM might cause issues.
I also want to recommend a different minimal BCD: https://github.com/NiKiZe/wimboot-bcd/bl...gen/PXEBCD (you will find the script used to create it in the git repo as well)

Make one change at a time and see what you end up with.
Gen 1 hyper-v is known working, so it is just a mater of finding out what breaks it in your case.

[netfire]

Anyone have any other ideas on this one? We're going to test with a newer build of server 2016 on the hyper v host so I'll post back with the results of that. The install works fine on bare metal but hangs when trying to install on hyper v Gen 1 vms.

[NiKiZe]

how many CPUs are configured in your vm?