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Netboot.xyz

Netboot.xyz is a PXE boot server that lets you network boot operating system installers and utilities from a single point.

  • Network Services
  • Tools & Utilities
Netboot.xyz is a PXE boot server that lets you network boot operating system installers and utilities from a single point.

Platform availability

Available on 4 of 9 platforms

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

86/100 Excellent

Maintained
100last commit 15 days ago
Popular
8212,326 GitHub stars
Easy to install
654 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
No data

Based on 3 of 4 factors.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today

GitHub stars
12,326
Open issues
152
Last commit
2026-09-28
Latest release
3.0.3
License
Apache-2.0
Activity
declining

Checked 15 days ago - source: GitHub (netbootxyz/netboot.xyz)

Resources & Compatibility

ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 15 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Install Docker first for container setups Install Docker Engine before deploying Netboot.xyz in Docker. Docker Engine is the program that runs the containers, and without it Netboot.xyz cannot start. source
  • Start and keep the compose file Keep the docker-compose.yml file, which holds the Netboot.xyz container settings, nearby, then run docker compose up -d netbootxyz. If you skip that start command, nothing is running to serve Netboot.xyz. source
  • Test the ISO in QEMU first You can boot netboot.xyz.iso in QEMU, a program for running virtual machines, before using real machines. This safe test confirms the ISO works without affecting your actual network. source

Fetched 14 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (2)

  • MultiBootUSB - MultiBootUSB is a software to create multi boot live Linux on a removable media i.e USB disk.
  • Ventoy - Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO files.

Checked 15 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

How do I start the self-hosted Netboot.xyz Docker container?

Install Docker Engine first. Keep the docker-compose.yml file nearby and run docker compose up -d netbootxyz.

Which ports do I need for a Netboot.xyz reverse proxy setup?

A community-reported Traefik-style setup routes HTTP on port 3000, UDP port 69 for PXE/TFTP, and port 80 with the appropriate entrypoints and TLS settings.

Can Netboot.xyz load images over HTTPS?

Only if your iPXE build has HTTPS support compiled in. The default upstream iPXE project does not include HTTPS support by default.

How can I set a static IP address while booting Netboot.xyz?

Press the m key during boot to open the failsafe menu. Choose manual network configuration from there.

Can I test the Netboot.xyz ISO before using it on real hardware?

Yes, you can boot the ISO in QEMU first. This lets you confirm the image works without affecting your actual network.

Answers sourced from netboot.xyz, netboot.xyz, netboot.xyz, www.reddit.com

Community

Collected 9 days ago - public community threads