Custom Installation for multiple machines

[Ryan Golhar]

Here's something interesting I found:

I changed the location of the ks.cfg file on the NFS server to a
different share, and the kickstart install was able to mount the
location and read the kickstart file.  So I suspect its something about
the original share that I put the ks.cfg file in.  I couldn't get past
this point before.


The kickstark file then proceeds to mount the installation tree but
fails and gives a dialog for the server and location.  I just press
enter to accept what is already there (the values that just failed) and
it works.


1.  The original location of the ks.cfg file (myserver:/kickstart) was
changed to (myserver:/products) and the mount worked.

2.  Mounting myserver:/kickstart to get to /kickstart/RedHat initally
fails, but then works the second time.

For the first problem, I suspect a problem with the /kickstart share.
I'll have to see what is different about it from /products.  

For the second problem, I suspect something in the code that incorrectly
formats the url for mounting.  After the dialog is displayed the url is
modfied slightly and it works.  I'm not convinced it's a timing issue
anymore...

-----
Ryan Golhar
Computational Scientist
The Informatics Institute at
The University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ

Phone: 973-972-5034
Fax: 973-972-7412
Email: golharam at umdnj.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: redhat-list-admin at redhat.com [mailto:redhat-list-admin at redhat.com]
On Behalf Of Stuart Sears
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 9:03 AM
To: redhat-list at redhat.com
Subject: Re: Custom Installation for multiple machines


On Wednesday 25 Feb 2004 09:12, Chiu, PCM (Peter) wrote:
> Hi, Stuart,
>
> Have you also worked out how to clone a working system?
>
> I have tried kickstart before, but then found quite a few repetitive 
> post installation tasks needed such as setting up user accounts, print

> queues, applying updates and other non RedHat software.
there is a %post section in your kickstart file that can do most of
these 
things. It runs as a bash script, chrooted into your new / filesystem,
before 
your sytem is rebooted.
eg
%post
useradd bob
echo "insecure" | passwd --stdin bob

rpm -Fvh ftp://server/pub/updates/*.rpm

rhnreg_ks --activationkey=....

you could conceivably set up the print queues in a similar way

> Peter
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: redhat-list-admin at redhat.com 
> [mailto:redhat-list-admin at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Stuart Sears
> Sent: 25 February 2004 08:56
> To: redhat-list at redhat.com
> Subject: Re: Custom Installation for multiple machines
>
> On Wednesday 25 Feb 2004 04:49, Ryan Golhar wrote:
> > Does anyone know of, or has anyone ever performed an installation of

> > linux that needs to be identical to multiple machines?
> >
> > We are setting up a linux lab and I would like to have the same 
> > configuration and installation options for all the machines.  The 
> > only difference would be their IP address and host names.  Is there 
> > an easy way of doing this?
> >
> > Ryan
>
> kickstart from a central install server
> usually done by:
> 1) set up your install server
> copy the RedHat dir from all the CDs to /var/ftp/pub (for example) 
> share /var/ftp/pub to the subnet you wish to install via NFS
> 2) create a kickstart file...
> you could do this the easy way (for beginners): install one machine 
> the way you want them all to be. (a network install is probably the 
> best bet) - boot with disk1, type linux askmethod at the prompt, 
> choose NFS (or FTP, or HTTP, depending on how you shared your install 
> tree) and then give the IP address and directory in which you put your

> 'RedHat' directory When it's finished you will find an 
> 'anaconda-ks.cfg' file in /root this will contain all the instructions

> needed to duplicate your install on another machine. _except_ the 
> partitioning, which will be commented out by default. You will need to

> uncomment and possibly edit this.
> 3) kickstart your other machines...
> either
> a) cp anaconda-ks.cfg  to a floppy and call it 'ks.cfg' (the name 
> matters), boot from disk1 and type linux ks=floppy, with the floppy in

> the machine you're installling, OR
> b) stick the file on your install server and access it by http or 
> ftp... e.g stick it on your installserver in /var/www/html (or 
> whatever your DocumentRoot is set to) and make sure apache is running.

> then boot your client machine from disk one and type linux 
> ks=http://your.servers.ip.address/yourkickstartfilename (here the name
>
> is entirely up to you...
> and all should function...
>
>
> HTH
>
> Stuart
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Stuart Sears RHCE/RHCX
>
>
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-- 
Stuart Sears RHCE/RHCX


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