kickstart on Linux on zSeries?

[Mike McLean]

Cameron, Thomas wrote:
> Howdy all -
> 
> I am working with 64-bit RHEL 3 for zSeries.  We are currently thinking that we will be using a mainframe tool (ddr, similar to the dd command under *nix) to copy a single "golden image" to multiple production servers.  I want to explore using kickstart to build servers instead, but I don't know if it is possible.
> 
> For those of you not familiar with Linux on the mainframe, it doesn't boot with the Syslinux boot screen or even a floppy or compact disk.  Instead you load the kernel and the initrd.img into a virtual punchcard reader and then load it into the mainframe CPU/memory.
> 
> I have read that there is a RUNKS ("run kickstart") option listed for the mainframe parm (configuration) file, but I do not know how to actually specify the kickstart file.  I know how to copy the ks.cfg into the initrd.img file, but does it go into the root of the initrd, or in /tmp, or somewhere else?  Are there additional parm file options I need which are not discussed at https://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-3-Manual/s390-multi-install-guide/s1-s390-steps-vm.html?
> 
> Anyone who has any pointers, I am all ears!

you need to specify a ks=<url> option on the kernel command line (i.e. 
the parm file).  The installer can pull ks.cfg from many different 
places.  Look at the kickstart docs in the sysadmin guide.

https://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-3-Manual/sysadmin-guide/s1-kickstart2-startinginstall.html