Please note, I’m looking for a PXE client that boots and connects to a PXE server. I am not looking for a PXE server solution, I already have that.

I know this is /r/selfhosted but I can’t think of any better place to ask. This is the first group that came to mind for this question. Maybe I should try /r/homelab ?

I need to install a PXE server solution at a few dozen remote locations. Each location is a unicorn so the config will be a little different at each one. I need a PXE client that I can remotely boot at each location and verify that the PXE server, TFTP, DHCP, and so on are all working correctly.

The only bare metal boxes I have access to are Windows Server. I also can run *nix VMs but not bare metal.

I’ve been able to do this with a Gen1 non-UEFI Hyper-V VM, easy enough. But the Hyper-V UEFI VMs I’ve tried fail even at sites where a bare metal box can PXE boot via UEFI successfully. (I disabled secure boot in the VM settings) So I know the problem there is Hyper-V and not the PXE servers.

I’ve tried a BSD VM and bhyve, but I can’t get it to work, I think because it’s a VM. I’ve been able to make it work on bare metal.

Are there any Docker containers that act as PXE clients? I’m thinking of checking out the following, but not sure they match my needs. Tianocore/edk2 and netbootxyz

I’m also thinking of trying nested Proxmox or ESXi because I know that PXE booting works there on bare metal, but I’m hesitant to take the time because it will be a VM and I’m assuming I’ll have the same problems as with BSD/bhyve.

Any ideas?