# How to fix your Operating System using netboot.xyz PXE LiveCD (2024-01-13)

**URL:** <https://pluralist.net/t/how-to-fix-your-operating-system-using-netboot-xyz-pxe-livecd-2024-01-13/32>\
**Category:** breadcrumbs\
**Tags:** os, livecd, boot\
**Created:** [January 13, 2024, 6:26pm UTC](https://pluralist.net/t/how-to-fix-your-operating-system-using-netboot-xyz-pxe-livecd-2024-01-13/32 "2024-01-13T18:26:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![delyan](https://pluralist.net/user_avatar/pluralist.net/delyan/32/245_2.png) [@delyan](https://pluralist.net/u/delyan)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 6:26pm UTC](https://pluralist.net/t/how-to-fix-your-operating-system-using-netboot-xyz-pxe-livecd-2024-01-13/32/1 "2024-01-13T18:26:23Z")

</div>

I’ve been a huge [Slackware](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slackware) fan since I first saw it on an [_amber_ monochrome CRT](https://www.reddit.com/r/crtgaming/comments/9osll0/beautiful_amber_monochrome/) back in 1995 at the offices of [Internet Group](http://web.archive.org/web/20000302184936/http://www.inetg.bg/) in my home town of [Stara Zagora](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stara_Zagora).

 ![image](https://pluralist.net/uploads/default/original/1X/00ae86f96774a92532185d9889734a4f93ac0350.jpeg)

But there is **one thing** that really trips me every time – after a Kernel upgrade I never remember to run

## 1. `geninitrd`

 ![geninitrd](https://pluralist.net/uploads/default/original/1X/d70a1aff16ddffaad0e0da5c5494c2eb0a8d2f02.png)

## 2. `eliloconfig`

 ![eliloconfig](https://pluralist.net/uploads/default/original/1X/71b8adb3240adbab6e62f977db29947b6fb96cd7.png)

Then I also need to make sure that `/boot/efi/EFI/Slackware/elilo.conf`

```sh
chooser=simple
delay=1
timeout=1

image=vmlinuz
        label=vmlinuz
        initrd=initrd.gz
        read-only
        append="root=/dev/nvme0n1p3 vga=normal ro i915.force_probe=4680"

```

actually has the `i915.force_probe=4680` \[1\] kernel parameter (after the `ro`).

So needless to say - last week I `slackpkg update && slackpkg upgrade-all` and it went well. But when PG&E turned off the power and machine rebooted - Slackware could no longer start.

* * *

And then I found **[NetBoot.xyz](https://netboot.xyz/)**!!! I made a bootable USB with this tool and had a selection of many operating systems (LiveCD) to boot. Sadly Slackware was not one of them. Debian worked really well in this case. (I won’t bore you with how I fixed my issue - ended up `wget http://mirrors.fcix.net/slackware/slackware-iso/slackware-15.0-iso/slackware-15.0-install-dvd.iso && dd if=slackware-15.0-install-dvd.iso of=/dev/sdd bs=1 status=progress && sync` but that’s another story.)

![netboot.xyz menu](https://pluralist.net/uploads/default/original/1X/a06db484d800ba8433d4ae8bccc5aec3e079ab67.gif)

Grab a copy, make a bootable USB, keep it in your pocket! You won’t regret it!

> **[Introduction | netboot.xyz](https://netboot.xyz/docs/)**
>
> netboot.xyz lets you PXE boot Linux installers, live CDs, and utilities over the network from a single iPXE-powered menu. No media required.

Here is mine (I think this [H8ACUOEGOBBA-36M HYNIX](https://www.kynix.com/Detail/1170550/H8ACUOEGOBBA-36M.html) stick that _came with my car_ looks better without the casing)

 ![image](https://pluralist.net/uploads/default/original/1X/56b837d681ad06872f7386e9238f1f2fd7bb4395.jpeg)

* * *

* * *

1. The parameter `i915.force_probe=4680` in the `elilo.conf` file enables support for my specific Intel graphics hardware, which turns out is not yet officially supported or recognized by default in the Linux kernel. The `i915` module is the driver for Intel GPU devices, and the `force_probe` option is a way to manually specify device IDs that the driver should attempt to manage. The value `4680` corresponds to a specific Intel graphics device ID. The point is - without this I cannot launch `startx` - no graphics!