[et-mgmt-tools] Cobbler & inherited profiles

[Michael DeHaan]

Aaron Lippold wrote:
> I'll take a look at it. I think the largest issue is going to be my
> lack of python skills. Where in the code should I start?

I'd check out Revisor's source and see how they build CD images, build 
something based on that.   Also 
https://hosted.fedoraproject.org/projects/pungi

This seems like it will almost certainly require a distribution that is 
pulled in via a "cobbler import" so that all of the tree data is there.  
It should also
look at the cobbler profile to determine what other repositories 
("cobbler repo add") have been added to it, and also put a copy of 
packages used in those
repositories on the CD.

You'd probably have to use something like pykickstart to parse the 
package list out of the kickstart to keep the
CD images small -- or otherwise just require DVD usage.   However 
pykickstart won't run on the templates directly.  Instead, look in
/var/lib/cobbler/kickstarts/$name and use the rendered template out of 
there for parsing/inclusion.  

I'd try this as a stand alone program using the cobbler API at first, 
and if useful, it can be integrated into Cobbler later. 

>
> This is going to be more of an issue for me soon because I just got my
> ks file as perfect as I can until some bugs are fixed on code outside
> my control.
>
> I was told to make the testing 'caveman simple' so 'plug in the cd'
> seems simple.
>

Not as simple to implement, unfortunately :)


> Aaron
>
> On 6/15/07, Michael DeHaan <mdehaan at redhat.com> wrote:
>> Aaron Lippold wrote:
>> > Hello,
>> >
>> > Is anyone working on the cobbler buildcd profile=x for 0.5.0? I know
>> > that was talked about and if I can help then I'd like to.
>> >
>> > Aaron
>>
>> Not yet that I'm aware of.    I still think this would be great and
>> you're welcome to start something.   Possibly some way to integrate with
>> Revisor (though I'm not sure Revisor will be able to deal with
>> RHEL4/5)?    See  http://revisor.fedoraunity.org/
>>
>> On a related subject -- I did know of one person looking at making a CD
>> that would allow syslinux type PXE behavior without the need for DHCP
>> blessed next-server, but that effort has apparently stalled.   I still
>> think this would be great -- just build a CD image with a hard-coded
>> value for the location of the TFTP server ("cobbler build-netboot-cd"),
>> which would have the machine go out and PXE itself  without the need for
>> PXE BIOS or a DHCP next-server entry.    For instance, if your company
>> had a PXE server on your network you didn't like, usage of this CD would
>> allow you to install baremetal (using full PXE menus) from your own
>> internal cobbler server.   If no one else picks this up, I'll take a
>> look at it somewhere down the pipe.
>>
>> I see there are existing floppy disk images that do this with the DHCP
>> portion (for NICs that can't netboot), so all that seems required is
>> hacking the DHCP parts out and allowing a config file (or equivalent) to
>> specify the /tftpboot server -- so if you're sitting in your lab and
>> office, you can network install off of an arbitrary cobbler server from
>> bare metal without having to have the Cobbler server be blessed by
>> DHCP.    This wouldn't even have to be something Cobbler specific but
>> would be insanely useful.
>>
>> The non-network install CD/DVD thing is useful too.
>>
>> --Michael
>>
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