1. A method of operating a computer system in communications, via a communication network, with a server comprising an image of a kernel of a minimal operating system and an image of an associated file system for the computer system, the method comprising: loading, via the communication network, the kernel image from the server to the computer system in accordance with a network transfer protocol; and loading, via the communication network, the file system image from the server to the computer system in accordance with the same network transfer protocol used to load the kernel image, performing transfer of PXE extension and directive files from a second server different than the server comprising the image of a kernel and the image of the file system before the loading of the kernel image and the file system; wherein the loading of the kernel image from the server to the computer system is launched before the loading of the file system image from the server to the computer system is completed, and wherein the loading of the file system image from the server to the computer system is launched before the loading of the kernel image from the server to the computer system is completed.