<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue> <div class=Section1> Hello James:<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I am still confused regarding the Kickstart issue…. Do I need to use it???<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I see it referenced below, as well as a NFS server. This is just a one-time deal for me so setting up an NFS server is something I would seek to avoid, but I do have root access to a datacenter linux webserver that I can use if need be. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> My understanding is that the NFS server provides the install CD data and the Kickstart file.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> What I am envisioning is a scenario where I place the CD in the system, and reboot. Then the system boots to cd and then starts vnc server so that I can remotely login from my windows machine and then proceed with install as if I was sitting at a keyboard and monitor connected to target machine. I will specify mirrors.centos.org as the source (I will be installing centos or fedora)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> FYI – to answer the concern of another respondent, this system is a laptop with a dead screen, it belongs to me, and it is on my local home network.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Thanks<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Peter<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> From: kickstart-list-bounces@redhat.com [mailto:kickstart-list-bounces@redhat.com] On Behalf Of James Harrison Sent: Friday, February 25, 2011 9:52 AM To: gwaugh@frontstreetnetworks.com; Discussion list about Kickstart Subject: Re: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using vnc<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> The reason for:<o:p></o:p> <div> prompt 0 timeout 0 is there is no keyboard or screen, so whats the point of having a prompt or delay. If the CD is accidentally used in a machine, it will boot into the red Hat installer, but since there is no kickstart file specified, the automatic install wouldn't happen. A label written on top of the CD explaining its purpose will stop accidental usage. James<o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=1 width="100%" align=center> </div> From: Gerald Waugh <gwaugh@frontstreetnetworks.com> To: Discussion list about Kickstart <kickstart-list@redhat.com> Sent: Fri, February 25, 2011 11:52:51 AM Subject: Re: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using vnc /root/isolinux/isolinux.cfg file like this: default linux prompt 0 timeout 0 The parts above allow the system to start automatically with no operator intervention Downside is, if anyone inadvertently puts this CD in a system and reboots, or the system itself reboots, it will install! On Thu, 2011-02-24 at 23:18 +0000, James Harrison wrote: <o:p></o:p> Take boot.iso from the images directory in the RHEL DVD and mount it: mount -o loop boot.iso /mnt make a directory and copy all files from /mnt to this dir. mkdir /root/iso cd /mnt cp -pr * /root/iso cd / umount /mnt Look in /root/iso/isolinux Probably want an isolinux.cfg file like this: default linux prompt 0 timeout 0 label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ksdevice={DEV} linux ip=xx.xx.xx.xx netmask=xx.xx.xx.xx dns=xx.xx.xx.xx gateway=xx.xx.xx.xx vnc vncconnect=xx.xx.xx.xx vncpassword=abcdef method=nfs:xx.xx.xx:/{PATH TO LINUX_DISTRO EXPORTED FROM NFS SERVER} keymap=us lang=en_US.UTF-8 fill in the details. Dont forget to make an NFS server. To make the iso file use something like: mkisofs -o "/root/iso/isolinux.iso" -boot-info-table -b isolinux.bin -no-emul-boot -c boot.cat /root/iso/isolinux<o:p></o:p> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> Use this file to boot from an RSA adapter or burn a cd. Hope this helps<o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=1 width="100%" align=center> </div> From: Peter Allen <peter.allen.5000@gmail.com> To: Discussion list about Kickstart <kickstart-list@redhat.com> Sent: Thu, February 24, 2011 5:43:41 PM Subject: RE: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using vnc<o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> Ok, I will try this and report back with results J Peter<o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> From:kickstart-list-bounces@redhat.com [mailto:kickstart-list-bounces@redhat.com] On Behalf Of James Harrison Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2011 2:25 PM To: Discussion list about Kickstart Subject: Re: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using vnc <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> You have to make your own boot cd and insert the information I provided into the isolinux.cfg. James <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=1 width="100%" align=center> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> From: Peter Allen <peter.allen.5000@gmail.com> To: Discussion list about Kickstart <kickstart-list@redhat.com> Sent: Thu, February 24, 2011 5:07:43 PM Subject: RE: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using vnc<o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> What if the OS destination machine has no keyboard or monitor?? Peter <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> From:kickstart-list-bounces@redhat.com [mailto:kickstart-list-bounces@redhat.com] On Behalf Of James Harrison Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2011 11:52 AM To: Discussion list about Kickstart Subject: Re: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using vnc <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> Hi, Start by running a vncviewer in listen mode (I use realvnc: vncviewer --listen from a command line ). Boot the machine to install linux with the cd-rom and you type: linux ip=xx.xx.xx.xx netmask=xx.xx.xx.xx dns=xx.xx.xx.xx gateway=xx.xx.xx.xx vnc vncconnect=xx.xx.xx.xx vncpassword=abcdef method=cdrom keymap=us lang=en_US.UTF-8 You need to specify IP, method, keymap and lang information otherwise it will ask you for this before vnc is running. the ip address is the address you want to give to the machine your installing linux on. Can also be ip=dhcp vncconnect is the IP address you ran the vncviewer on vncpassword is the password. Not sure if it should be encrypted or mot method=cdrom specify your install media By booting from a cd-rom you unfortunately have to perform a media check. This requires output to a screen and a few key presses and I don't know if this can be disabled. The way I got round this was to use an NFS server, so the boot line is: linux ip=xx.xx.xx.xx netmask=xx.xx.xx.xx dns=xx.xx.xx.xx gateway=xx.xx.xx.xx vnc vncconnect=xx.xx.xx.xx vncpassword=abcdef \ method=nfs:xx.xx.xx:/{PATH TO LINUX_DISTRO EXPORTED FROM NFS SERVER} keymap=us lang=en_US.UTF-8 eg, method=nfs:10.2.34.123:/export/RHEL5.4/i386 /export/RHEL5.4/i386 is the path on the NFS server to the DVD distribution on disk. You have to copy the contents of the DVD to disk. Heres a useful web page: <a href="http://www.redhat.com/magazine/024oct06/features/kickstart/" target="_blank">http://www.redhat.com/magazine/024oct06/features/kickstart/</a> Hope this is of some help. James<o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> <hr size=1 width="100%" align=center> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> From: Peter Allen <peter.allen.5000@gmail.com> To: kickstart-list@redhat.com Sent: Thu, February 24, 2011 1:00:18 PM Subject: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using vnc<o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> Does anyone know how to do this? Thanks Peter <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <o:p></o:p> </blockquote> <blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt' type=CITE> <o:p> </o:p> <pre>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Kickstart-list mailing list<o:p></o:p></pre><pre><a href="mailto:Kickstart-list@redhat.com" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:Kickstart-list@redhat.com">Kickstart-list@redhat.com</a><o:p></o:p></pre><pre><a href="https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/kickstart-list" target="_blank">https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/kickstart-list</a><o:p></o:p></pre></blockquote> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'> <tr> <td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><pre>-- Gerald Waugh Front Street Networks <a href="http://www.frontstreetnetworks.com" target="_blank">http://www.frontstreetnetworks.com</a> +1 318-670-8312 cell 318-401-0428<o:p></o:p></pre></td> </tr> </table> </div> </div> </div> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>