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Is a PXELinux Server able to perform an Unattended Windows Installation? If it does, how to config a Windows Installation "kickstart" file?

I had deployed a PXELinux server automating Linux Distro network installs, my next goal is to use the PXELinux server to network deploy Windows servers being able to automatically config system components such as disk layout, network interface, user accounts,..etc.

Thanks in advance.

Pat
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2 Answers2

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Using the Microsoft deployment toolkit you can achieve that. Mind you, you still need to have a Windows host to prepare the answer files, the installation routine and the deployment share (which can live in any cifs share, so no Windows host necessary for that). After that you can set up a pxelinux menu to launch one of the generated iso images, so strictly speaking you can have one pxe menu to install both linux as Windows, yes. It will be a bit creative but it works (I've implemented this at a former employer, fun project which worked very well).

You can of course also use Windows deployment services, I think it comes with the standard Windows server license, so it should just cost an additional Windows server license.

natxo asenjo
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In the Microsoft world you can net install Windows assets with WDS, MDT, or SCCM. Or You can net install Windows and Linux assets with Serva.

In The Linux world you can use something like Clonezilla (capture/deploy), Fog (capture/deploy, complex), etc. Do not expect finding a simple PXElinux wrapper able to easily deal with Windows PXE assets from Linux.

Pat
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