gobble

⚠️ This project is made for fun and learning purposes. As such, the code quality or support cannot be guaranteed. ⚠️

A small REST API to manage and generate iPXE configs, and match them to specific clients using their MAC address.

Check out the quickstart article on the wiki for an example setup.

General concepts

• Simple REST API to create, assign and delete profiles and systems.
• Uses the iPXE scripting language.
• Does not include a DHCP, TFTP server or iPXE firmware. Those will have to be set up separately, giving you the flexibility to choose whatever you want or already have.

Process

• A client boots from the network, and starts sending DHCP requests.
• The DHCP server instructs the client to chainload iPXE, and points it towards the TFTP server and proper iPXE firmware file to do so.
• The TFTP server serves the iPXE firmware to the client.
• The client loads the iPXE firmware; it starts PXE booting and sending DHCP requests again.
• The DHCP server sees that the client has now loaded iPXE, and points it towards Gobble to retrieve an iPXE script; an example URL is http://gobble.example.local/api/pxe-config?mac=$servermac
• Gobble looks up the registered system using the provided MAC address, and renders the iPXE config on the fly from the profile assigned to it.
• This config contains the kernel, initrd and custom kernel parameters that were assigned. This points to a TFTP, HTTP, NFS, etc. server, which is all out of the control of this application.
• Done!