Create a new Kickstart Installation (for Fedora 10)

This document describes the setup of a new kickstart installation at PSI taking Fedora10 as an example.

Introduction

Some NICs include the ability to boot using a Pre-Execution Environment (PXE). It works by sending out a broadcast request for a DHCP server on the network. If the DHCP server is configured to send the client the IP address or hostname of a tftp server and the location on that tftp server of the files needed to start the Linux installation, the client can start a network installation without having to boot from local media such as a CD.

This method can also be used with kickstart to perform an automated network installation.

To perform a network installation using PXE boot, use the following steps:

Create an installation tree for the network install and make it available to the systems being installed.
Configure the tftp server.
Configure the DHCP server.
Boot the system to start the installation.

Procedure

Preparation of the PXE Boot Installation

Go to the tftp top directory:

# cd /afs/psi.ch/service/linux/tftpboot/
# cd pxelinux.cfg/
# cp -a default.testing{,-20081211}

Now edit the file default.testing. Add a new entry for Fedora10.

# vi default.testing

# cd .. # mkdir -p fedora/10 # cd fedora/10 # mkdir i386 x86_64 # cd i386/ # pwd /afs/psi.ch/service/linux/tftpboot/fedora/10/i386/ # wget ftp://sunsite.cnlab-switch.ch/mirror/fedora/linux/releases/10/Fedora/i386/os/isolinux/vmlinuz # wget ftp://sunsite.cnlab-switch.ch/mirror/fedora/linux/releases/10/Fedora/i386/os/isolinux/initrd.img

After having performed a first test installation, the kickstart file testhost:/root/anaconda-ks.cfg based on that installation was written. This kickstart file was copied to /afs/psi.ch/software/linux/kickstart/configs/fedora10-ks.cfg. Then fedora10-ks.cfg was edited.

File: fedora10-ks.cfg Version 1

Note:

For testing the kickstart installations the root password is given, see line starting with rootpw. In the final version it will be removed:

##################################
#  fedora10-ks.cfg   32-bit
##################################

install
url --url=ftp://sunsite.cnlab-switch.ch/mirror/fedora/linux/releases/10/Fedora/i386/os
lang en_US.UTF-8

network --device eth0 --bootproto dhcp
rootpw  --iscrypted $6$dzHkd6Tb5OuEd92w$1mFgHdoRA9JnIeTz7lq8tvh8Gu1DJPWQyV7LyLGGTEE27ORgF6rYLPDc5nRZRMzoX8Zpasg5UFy4T7jOYyWa50
authconfig --enableshadow --passalgo=sha512
selinux --disabled
timezone --utc Europe/Zurich
bootloader --location=mbr 

### PARTITION
# The following is the partition information you requested
# Note that any partitions you deleted are not expressed
# here so unless you clear all partitions first, this is
# not guaranteed to work
#part /boot --fstype ext3 --size=100 --asprimary
#part swap --size=500 --asprimary
#part / --fstype ext3 --size=200 --grow --asprimary

%packages
@admin-tools
@base
@core
@editors
@hardware-support
@text-internet

%end

Kickstart Pre Installation Scripts:

/afs/psi.ch/software/linux/dist/scientific/5/kickstart/pre
/afs/psi.ch/software/linux/dist/scientific/5/kickstart/pre/set_partition
/afs/psi.ch/software/linux/dist/scientific/5/kickstart/pre/pre_custom
/afs/psi.ch/software/linux/dist/scientific/5/kickstart/pre/ask_ip
/afs/psi.ch/software/linux/dist/scientific/5/kickstart/pre/pre_custom
/afs/psi.ch/software/linux/dist/scientific/5/kickstart/pre/ask_ipaddr

3.7 KiB Raw Blame History

Create a new Kickstart Installation (for Fedora 10)

Introduction

Procedure

Preparation of the PXE Boot Installation

3.7 KiB

Raw Blame History