====== Download and select an executable image ======

===== Synopsis =====

    kernel [--name <name>] [--timeout <timeout>] <uri|image> [<arguments>...]

or

    imgselect [--name <name>] [--timeout <timeout>] <uri|image> [<arguments>...]

or

    imgload [--name <name>] [--timeout <timeout>] <uri|image> [<arguments>...]

===== Examples =====

=== Download and select the iPXE demonstration image ===

    kernel http://boot.ipxe.org/demo/boot.php

=== Download and boot a Linux kernel with an initrd ===

    kernel http://192.168.0.1/vmlinuz
    initrd http://192.168.0.1/initrd.img
    boot

=== Download and boot a Multiboot kernel and modules ===

    kernel http://192.168.0.1/boot/mbkernel
    module http://192.168.0.1/modules/busybox
    module init.sh
    boot

===== Description =====

Download and select an executable image from the specified URI.  A name for the downloaded image can be specified using the ''%%--name%%'' option.  A download progress timeout can be specified (in milliseconds) using the ''%%--timeout%%'' option.  Any remaining arguments will be passed directly to the image.

The image will become the selected image to be used as the default image for the [[:cmd:boot]] command.

If this command is executed from within an iPXE [[:scripting|script]], then the URI will be interpreted as being relative to the URI of the script itself.  For example, if the script ''%%http://boot.ipxe.org/demo/boot.php%%'' contains the line

    kernel pxelinux.0

then iPXE will download and select ''%%http://boot.ipxe.org/demo/pxelinux.0%%''.

===== Command status =====

^ Success   | The image was successfully downloaded and selected     |
^ Failure   | The image was not successfully downloaded and selected |

===== See also =====

  * ''[[:cmd:imgstat]]''
  * ''[[:cmd:chain]]''
  * ''[[:cmd:imgfetch]]''
  * ''[[:cmd:imgfree]]''
  * [[:cmd|List of all iPXE commands]]

===== Notes =====

There is no difference between the commands ''kernel'', ''imgselect'', and ''imgload''.

After downloading and selecting an image using the ''kernel'' command, you can use the ''[[:cmd:imgstat]]'' command to check that the image has been autodetected as the correct image type.

===== Backwards compatibility =====

In very old versions of iPXE, you must use ''kernel'' when you want to download and select a new image from a URI, and you must use ''imgselect'' or ''imgload''  when you want to select an image that has already been downloaded.