> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://zededa.mintlify.site/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. > ## Agent Instructions > Use the documentation index to find relevant pages, then read the linked Markdown before answering and cite the source URL. > Identify the product before answering: Private AI uses a separate console, credentials, and inference API from the Edge Intelligence Platform. Do not apply instructions from one product to the other. > Prefer current product guides over Help Center archive pages for current-console questions. Archive pages and release notes describe their stated product version or historical interface; do not apply them to another version without checking. > Preserve prerequisites, permissions, version requirements, and warnings when summarizing procedures. Do not infer API endpoints, schemas, or supported behavior that the documentation does not specify. # Install EVE-OS 6.3.0 to 13.3.0 over the Network with PXE > Build a PXE server with Docker Compose to install EVE-OS 6.3.0 through 13.3.0 onto amd64 UEFI edge devices over the network. ## Introduction With PXE, an edge device installs EVE-OS (Edge Virtualization Engine) over the network instead of from a USB drive. This is useful for testing EVE-OS versions, where devices are reinstalled regularly, and for deploying EVE-OS to many edge devices. This article describes how to set up a PXE server for EVE-OS 6.3.0 through 13.3.0 on 64-bit x86 (amd64) edge devices with UEFI. For EVE-OS 13.4.0 and greater, refer to [Install EVE-OS over the Network with PXE](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/eve-os-management/pxe-server-setup.md). EVE-OS versions before 6.3.0 do not support network installation. ## Overview The PXE server needs: * Three services: DHCP (Kea), TFTP (tftp-hpa), and HTTP (NGINX), running as Docker containers. * Seven files from the EVE-OS netboot archive, copied to the folders of the TFTP server and the web server. * One changed file: `ipxe.efi.cfg`, which contains the web server address and all installation settings. The edge device requests the files in this order: ``` Edge device │ ├─ PXE DHCP ──► IP address, next-server, boot file ipxe.efi │ TFTP ──► ipxe.efi │ ├─ iPXE DHCP ──► IP address, next-server, boot file ipxe.efi │ TFTP ──► ipxe.efi.cfg │ HTTP ──► kernel │ HTTP ──► initrd.img, installer.img, initrd.bits, rootfs.img ▼ Installer runs ``` > [!NOTE] > > All installation settings come from `ipxe.efi.cfg`. No GRUB and no `installer.iso` are involved. ## Prerequisites * A PXE server host running Linux, with a static IP address on the imaging network. The containers use `network_mode: host`, which gives them direct access to the host network. DHCP and TFTP require this. Docker Desktop on macOS and Windows does not provide host networking in the same way, so it is not suitable for the PXE server. * Docker Engine 23.0 or greater on the PXE server host. That release and later include Docker Compose v2, which provides the `docker compose` command used in this article. The older `docker-compose` command with a hyphen is Compose v1 and is not supported. * Network access from the PXE server host to Docker Hub, to download the EVE-OS netboot archive and the container images. * The EVE-OS version to install, 6.3.0 through 13.3.0. * An edge device with 64-bit x86 (amd64) architecture and UEFI firmware, able to boot from the network or from a hard disk that you can write to. ## Values Used in the Examples All examples in this article use the following values. Replace them with the values of your network. | Value | Example | Used in | | - | - | - | | IP address of the PXE server | `192.168.104.2` | `ipxe.efi.cfg`, `kea-dhcp4.conf` | | EVE-OS version | `11.0.12-lts-kvm-amd64` | Download command | | Edge Infrastructure Services cluster | `zedcloud.zededa.net` | `ipxe.efi.cfg` | | Installation disk | `sda` | `ipxe.efi.cfg` | ## Decisions Before the Setup The decisions on boot order (testing or fleet deployment) and network (single network or staged) are the same as for EVE-OS 13.4.0 and greater. Refer to "Decisions Before the Setup" in [Install EVE-OS over the Network with PXE](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/eve-os-management/pxe-server-setup.md). ## HTTP Setup ### Services: Docker Compose with Kea, tftp-hpa, and NGINX The directory structure, `docker-compose.yml`, `custom.conf`, and `kea-dhcp4.conf` are the same as for EVE-OS 13.4.0 and greater. Refer to "Services: Docker Compose with Kea, tftp-hpa, and NGINX" and "DHCP: Kea configuration" in [Install EVE-OS over the Network with PXE](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/eve-os-management/pxe-server-setup.md). ### Files: netboot archive, placement, and changes 1. Change to the `artifacts` folder, then download and extract the netboot archive. ```bash theme={"dark"} cd pxe/artifacts docker run --rm lfedge/eve:11.0.12-lts-kvm-amd64 installer_net | tar -xf - ``` 2. Copy the files to the following folders. ``` Archive content Copy to ────────────────────── ───────────────────────────────────── ./ipxe.efi.cfg ───► ./tftp/tftpboot/ipxe.efi.cfg (adapted) ./ipxe.efi ───► ./tftp/tftpboot/ipxe.efi ./kernel ───► ./nginx/www/kernel ./initrd.img ───► ./nginx/www/initrd.img ./initrd.bits ───► ./nginx/www/initrd.bits ./installer.img ───► ./nginx/www/installer.img ./rootfs.img ───► ./nginx/www/rootfs.img ``` 3. In `./tftp/tftpboot/ipxe.efi.cfg`, set the following lines. Leave all other lines unchanged, in particular the `kernel` line and the four `initrd` lines that follow it. ``` set url http://192.168.104.2/ set console console=ttyS0 console=tty0 set eve_args eve_soft_serial=${mac:hexhyp} eve_reboot_after_install getty eve_install_server=zedcloud.zededa.net eve_install_disk=sda eve_persist_disk=sda set installer_args root=/initrd.image find_boot=netboot overlaytmpfs fastboot ``` Note the following about these lines. * `set url` ships commented out as `# set url https://foo.bar/`. Add the line or uncomment it. The trailing slash is required, because iPXE appends each artifact name directly to this value. * `set console` ships with a longer list that covers more serial ports: `console=ttyS0 console=ttyS1 console=ttyS2 console=ttyAMA0 console=ttyAMA1 console=tty0`. Keep the console that your hardware uses. The example narrows the list to two. * `getty` starts a login shell on the consoles during installation, which is useful for diagnosing a failed install. It is part of the shipped default. Remove it only if you do not want console login during installation. ### Start and install 1. In the `pxe` folder, start the containers. ```bash theme={"dark"} docker compose up -d docker compose ps ``` 2. Start the edge device. ### Troubleshooting | Symptom | Cause | | - | - | | The device never requests a boot file. | `next-server` or `boot-file-name` is missing from the Kea configuration, or the reservation does not match the device MAC address. | | The boot stops after `ipxe.efi.cfg` loads. | The `set url` line is missing, still commented out, or has no trailing slash. | | iPXE reports a not found error on `kernel` or one of the image files. | The files are not in the web root. Confirm all five artifacts are directly in `./nginx/www/`, not in a subfolder. | | The installer runs but the serial console shows nothing. | The `set console` value does not include the serial port your hardware uses. | For more diagnostics, refer to [Troubleshoot EVE-OS Installation](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/eve-os-installation/troubleshoot-eve-os-installation.md). ## Onboarding Onboarding is the same as for EVE-OS 13.4.0 and greater. Refer to "Onboarding" in [Install EVE-OS over the Network with PXE](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/eve-os-management/pxe-server-setup.md). ## Next Steps > [card] [Install EVE-OS over the Network with PXE](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/eve-os-management/pxe-server-setup.md) > > PXE setup for EVE-OS 13.4.0 and greater. > [card] [Onboard an Edge Node](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/nodes/onboard-nodes.md) > > Register the edge node in Edge Infrastructure Services after installation completes. > [card] [Get EVE-OS](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/eve-os-installation/get-eve-os.md) > > Download EVE-OS images and netboot archives. > [card] [Troubleshoot EVE-OS Installation](https://zededa.mintlify.site/new-ui/infrastructure-services/eve-os-installation/troubleshoot-eve-os-installation.md) > > Diagnose installation failures and common PXE boot errors.