Remotely install Linux on Windows xp using TeamViewer [closed] - linux

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Our customer has about 800+ computers running Windows XP distributed across the country. Each computer can be accessed using TeamViewer. The goal is to replace XP by a Linux distribution remotely.
Does anybody know if this is possible, and where to start?
Thanks!

Answer 1

PXE is your only realistic hope:
Some on-site assistance is needed to press F12 at Bios before Windows XP boot:
A) On PC-A, setup DHCP server that refer DHCP-client to PXE server that download Linux ISO from a web server (of course all three can be a Windows machine in the same LAN segment onsite)
B) reboot PC-B onsite to reboot machine and press F10-F12 to choose Boot-options
C) then choose network-boot (PXE-Boot)
further reading : https://www.vercot.com/~serva/
guide: https://youtu.be/nnxgFpUr1Og?t=39
Note: Make sure you have enabled proxyDHCP and not DHCP Server

Answer 2

I would try with something like these:
Clonezilla, which works by replicating a previously prepared disk image to one or more computers booted inside a network segment
Cobbler, which works like a provisioning server for Linux based machines
Of those options, I have used Clonezilla with success. As long as the prepared base image doesn't change too frequently, the main time consuming tasks would be related with configuring the Clonezilla server and building that seed image.
I did a basic test of Cobbler and it worked fine in my environment, being this a way that would be more apt to deal with requirement changes.
Please also note that both options require some network configuration, like DHCP server settings that work with the PXE protocol.
Also, for your requirement, someone, a human being, would be needed to execute one or more of these tasks:
Properly enable network booting in the BIOS of each of the 800+ machines, unless it has already be done before
Boot the machines to install the new operating system
The network booting option, based on the PXE specification, should be supported by the motherboard of those machines and have higher booting priority than other devices, like CD drives, hard drives, etc.
Another thing to consider for the couple of options I'm suggesting, is how are those 800+ distributed across the country. The more disperse they are, the more cumbersome this task will be. Quite contrary, if there are few places were those machines are located, the more feasible this task will be; for example, by preparing and testing a server, computer or laptop that you then carry to each of those few places and installing the new operating system.
Regarding the option to boot using the public Internet to reach a remote deployment server, I don't know about how that could be done; in fact, for me that would be something quite interesting to learn about. If something like this is possible, another variable to note is the hardware compatibility of the destination machines, because as far as I know, protocols like PXE do some kind of multicast or broadcast in the local network segment and I presume those 800+ machines don't have recent motherboards with advanced firmware that could support more modern boot protocols.
That's all for now.