Re: initiating kickstart install from fc9 media

[Michael DeHaan <mdehaan redhat com>]

Richard wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am probably missing something very obvious. But I cannot see how I 
> initiate the kickstart install from the fc9 media (neither the 
> Fedora-9-i386-disc1.iso nor the Fedora-9-i386-netinst.iso).
>
> I have performed the following successfully ....
>     1. downloaded and extracted the full fc9 DVD.iso to a local 
> "kickstart server"
>     2. downloaded and created CD's from the images ....
>             * Fedora-9-i386-disc1.iso
>             * Fedora-9-i386-netinst.iso
>     3. successfully performed a network install from the extracted fc9 
> media (via http)
>             * booted from Fedora-9-i386-netinst.iso
>             * via menu's, pointed installation process at the fc9 
> media on my "kickstart server"
>             * entered data for configuration and package selection 
> manually
>             * ended up with a fully functional server!
>     4. copied the kickstart file created during the manual install
>             * placed it in the media directory (i.e. ./fc9/i386/os/) 
> as ks.cfg
>             * using a browser from another machine confirmed ks.cfg is 
> readable via http
>
> Now I want to initiate my kickstart installation to "repeat" the 
> install I have performed interactively on other machines.  Bit I 
> cannot work out how using the fc9 media I can access the boot: command 
> line.
>
> The OLDER Fedora install media had a selection menu at boot time that 
> enabled you to select the command line and simply enter "boot: linux 
> ks=http://192.168.3.204/fcx/ks.cfg";.
>
> The fc9 kickstart documentation still advises to enter a boot command 
> at the boot prompt. "linux ks=..." etc.
>
> But the fc9 media that I have just runs straight past the point where 
> you can enter a command at the boot prompt.  I can see this stage of 
> the install process "flashing by" on the display but it does not pause 
> for me to make a selection.  I assume this is because there are now 
> separate .iso images / CD's for the network install and the "CD install".
>
> Any suggestions gratefully received.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> Richard
>
>
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>
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If you are primarily interested in doing netinstall like activity, 
cobbler can set this up for you pretty simply.

yum install cobbler
vi /etc/cobbler/settings
cobbler check
cobbler import --name=F9 --mirror=/mnt/cdrom
cobbler profile edit --name=F9-i386 
--kickstart=/etc/cobbler/mykickstart.template
# let's verify that looks like what we want
cobbler profile getks --name=F9
# repeat as desired or add more distributions, or further customize your 
profiles
cobbler buildiso

This will create a net install ISO that points back to your cobbler 
server, which is perhaps more useful if you do have a datacenter 
environment as then you're also doing the mirroring and doing have large 
ISOs to truck around ... the ISO contains no packages, just 
kernel+initrds and references to kickstart files hostetd on the cobbler 
server.

--Michael