[et-mgmt-tools] Idea for Cobbler pxe rescue mode?

[Jennifer Cranfill]

Michael DeHaan wrote:
> Michael DeHaan wrote:
>  >
>  > Could we create "rescue" profiles automatically when we do imports?
>  > It would just be a different profile ending in "-rescue" that would
>  > just have "--kopts=rescue" added.   Example "DistroName-i386-rescue". 
>  > The other thing we /might/ want to do is set up a kickstart template
>  > for that profile (and assign it) that can be used to feed the rescue
>  > image the media information, so you don't have to enter that in
>  > manually.
>  > Presumably that could all be done with modifications to action_import.py
>  >
>  >
>  > If we do something like having a rescue profile, it's just:
>  >
>  > cobbler system edit --name=server1 --profile=F-9-i386-rescue
>  > --netboot-enabled=1
>  > # fix system
>  > cobbler system edit --name=server1 --profile=originalname
>  > --netboot-enabled=0
>  >
>  > The one thing that requires is knowing the proper rescue profile for
>  > server1, so it's possible we could add a --rescueprofile= to the
>  > system and also have a --rescuemode=1/0 like --netboot-enabled if you
>  > think that's useful.   That could be interesting.
>  >
>  > That workflow might be like:
>  >
>  > cobbler system edit --name=server1 --rescuemode  (rescuemode could
>  > actually set netboot-enabled to 1 for simplicity)
>  > cobbler system edit --name =server1 --workingmode (this could set
>  > netboot enabled back)
> 
> To clarify syntax a bit more and see if we're on the same page, how
> about the following?
> 
> cobbler import --name=F9A --mirror=path
> # automatically creates F9A-i386, F9A-i386-xen, F9A-i386-rescue as both
> distros and profiles (action_import.py)
> # automatically does the equivalent of "cobbler profile edit
> --name=F9A-i386 --rescueprofile=F9A-i386-rescue"
> 
> Basically the above would allow any given profile to store the name of
> /another/ profile that is used for rescue mode.
> You may ask "why isn't rescue mode part of the distro", and the answer
> here is that if it's a profile we can take advantage
> of it also showing up in PXE menus automatically.
> 
> System syntax could also look like this:
> 
> cobbler system edit --name=F9A --rescuemode [implies --netboot-enabled=1]
> cobbler system edit --name=F9A --workingmode [--netboot-enabled=1/0]
> 
> The commands --rescuemode would toggle netboot-enabled and temporarily
> set up PXE to point to the rescue profile.
> The command --workingmode would set it back, but at no time do you have
> to remember what the proper rescue distro
> is for a given system -- because it asks the profile for that info.
> 
> This would be something that would be really easy to incorporate into
> the web interface as well -- as it would just be a couple of checkboxes.
> 
> That eventually involves also modifying files like action_sync.py and
> modules/cli_system.py and item_system.py/item_profile.py -- though
> nothing too invasive.   (And I can help on this...)

That sounds great to me! I like the idea of putting it in the profile. 
I'll start taking a look at the code. Thanks Michael!

--Jennifer