Suggestions to Alex Stragies

Awesome, : just installing the `ipxe` package, and there is a new menu on my GRUB options. But I think I requested you an expanding that was not neccesary, so your answer is too long for a question-answer site. Allow me to suggest you some more wiki-like rewording like this one: . As an example of what I think are concise-yet-complete answers:

=========================

Yes, you can add a (i)PXE Launcher to GRUB.
http://ipxe.org/

Since you seem to be using **dpkg-based** systems:
For Debian (and most likely the Debian derivatives like *buntu), it is only required:

	apt-get install ipxe

I would expect other distros to have integrated it as well fairly comfortably.

Just after installation, GRUB will show a new entry for **PXE boot**.
That is all.

# How does it work (no need to keep reading if you just want things up and running) :

The post-install hook scripts automatically adds an iPXE entry to the GRUB configuration, using the "template" file `/etc/grub.d/20_ipxe`.

The system then runs `update-grup`, and you end up with an entry like the following in `/boot/grub/grub.cfg`

    menuentry 'Linux NetBoot Environment' {
      set root='(hd0,1)'
      <More, less important options>
      linux16 /boot/ipxe.lkrn
    }

The important part is `linux16 /boot/ipxe.lkrn`.

This just means that, instead of a (linux-)kernel, GRUB gives full computer control to another "simple" program, in this case `ipxe.lkrn`. MemTestx86 is launched in basically the same way.

The PXE Stack is software normally stored somewhere on the main-board. Just in this case we load it from somewhere the drivers from GRUB can access.

To continue your Scenario:
You will want to install a basic GRUB on the drive, having the PXE entry first, and a fall-back on Position 2 to local chain-boot from (say) Partition 1.

The configuration iPXE would use will then depend on the files residing on your boot-configuration-server. There you will make the default, first menuchoice "Boot from local Partition 1", then more choices (Boot-AV, SuperGrub, Debian NetInst...).

==> Your Users normally don't touch anything until they see the Graphical Login Prompt from the local Installation.

  Boot-Sequence: GRUB --> iPXE --> OS-in-Partition-1

  (Fallback to OS-In-Partition-1, if PXE unsuccessful)

==> **Physically** present at the PC, you could choose other Boot-Options.

==> **Not physically** present at the PC, you can change the server-side PXE configuration to "one-off" boot another choice than the default.