pfSense http service to serve an ISO

[stuartbh]

pfSense users, developers, et alia:

I use PXE to boot netboot.xyz.efi which is inclusive of iPXE. iPXE has the ability to boot ISOs (some anyway) using its sanboot command that requires an HTTP service to serve up the ISO. In as much as pfSense already runs a web server for the GUI, has anyone configured it at all to provide such a functionality to serve up an ISO via HTTP or HTTPS? Naturally, such a configuration would need to survive any upgrades that got applied over time to pfSense as well.

Thanks in advance to everyone here regarding your thoughts on the instant matter before us.

Stuart

[Gertjan]

@stuartbh

That would work if the router was mostly ROMable, like the many low-bud router firewall devices you can find in the food store down the road.
pfSense is more a complete OS like Windows x, but it doesn't do 'Office', but fire-walling and routing.

Booting over a network from an ISO is more for typical 'very thin' client device and a centralized server. Added to that : the server should work even when the local gateway is down, as it has to boot from the server.

All IMHO of course.

[stephenw10]

Basically; don't do that, even if you can!

You can put files in the web root folder and pfSense will server them but it will be via https and you would need to login.

You might be able to do it via the lighttpd service that pfBlocker uses to server ad- replacements.

Neither of those would likely survive an upgrade though.

There is also a tftp server package which works well for things like PXE booting with small files. I have used it to boot larger images too.

Steve

[stuartbh]

@stephenw10,

Well I am using the TFTP server and PXE to boot iPXE. Once iPXE takes over I want to use it to "sanboot" an ISO, but that requires the ISO to be made available via HTTP.

It seems like the best thing is going to be for me to just install an HTTP server on a VM or in a container for that purpose, I was trying to avoid that and let pfSense do it, but I see it probably just cannot be. I was hoping pfSense could serve it up, but no problem I'll just setup a container to do it.

Stuart