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I am trying to boot an Intel Pentium 4 based 32-bit architecture PC through Serva PXE server.

I have set up Serva (https://www.vercot.com/~serva/) on a Windows 10 machine with the following settings:

  • TFTP enabled
  • DHCPproxy enabled
  • BINL enabled

I have downloaded Kali 32-bit live kali-linux-2020.2-live-i386.iso from their website: https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/download-official-kali-linux-images/

And followed the instructions on https://www.vercot.com/~serva/an/NonWindowsPXE3.html#linux:

I extracted the iso contents into a new folder inside the NWA_PXE folder that has been created by the Serva server BINL process.

I set the following contents in the ServaAsset.inf file:

[PXESERVA_MENU_ENTRY]
asset    = Kali 2020.2 Live
platform = i386

kernel_bios    = /NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/live/vmlinuz
append_bios    = initrd=/NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/live/initrd.img,/NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/live/INITRD_N14.6.GZ boot=live components splash username=kali hostname=kali netboot=cifs union=overlay nfsroot=//$IP_BSRV$/NWA_PXE_SHARE/$HEAD_DIR$ ipby=dhcp NFSOPTS=-ouser=serva,pass=avres,sec=ntlmv2,vers=2.0,ro rw ipv6.disable=1 ipv6.disable_ipv6=1
ipappend_bios  = 2

kernel_efi32   = /NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/live/vmlinuz
append_efi32   = initrd=/NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/live/initrd.img,/NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/live/INITRD_N14.6.GZ boot=live components splash username=kali hostname=kali netboot=cifs union=overlay nfsroot=//$IP_BSRV$/NWA_PXE_SHARE/$HEAD_DIR$ ipby=dhcp NFSOPTS=-ouser=serva,pass=avres,sec=ntlmv2,vers=2.0,ro rw ipv6.disable=1 ipv6.disable_ipv6=1
ipappend_efi32 = 2

Additionally I executed the following instructions:

  • Create a SMB share on the Serva server machine with the name NWA_PXE_SHARE to the NWA_PXE folder. Granted a local user serva with password avres all permissions (I think actually read permissions would be sufficient).
  • Copied the file INITRD_N14.6.GZ to the live folder.

The target PC is able to boot the Serva menu and I am able to pick the Kali registration. vmlinuz, initrd.img and I believe initrd_n14.6.gz as well are pulled successfully by the laptop from the serva server.

Then the Linux kernel boot log flows by on the screen. Unfortunately it ends with failed to execute /init (error -2), kernel panic - not syncing: no working init found. Try passing init= option to kernel. See Linux Documentation/admin-guide/init.rst for guidance..

What have I missed? What do I need to do to get this fixed? And is there any way to view the full history of the kernel log?

Last lines of kernel log

1 Answer 1

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There's a problem with the init script; most likely scenario you are loading a damaged INITRD_N14.6.GZ. Try booting without loading INITRD_N14.6.GZ by removing its path

initrd=/NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/live/initrd.img,/NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/live/INITRD_N14.6.GZ
> initrd=/NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/live/initrd.img

do you get the same error?

Finally try loading a new INITRD_N14.6.GZ please consider many times downloads are cached and if the cache has a damaged file it could take a lot of tries until you get a healthy copy. The crc32 of the file should be 5555BF4F

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