Linux Network Install Options?

verch writes "I work at a Large Corporation that is considering Linux as a competing platform to our large Solaris and Wintel install bases. One of the biggest concerns is how easily a large number of linux machines can be installed mostly unattended. For Solaris we mostly use jumpstart which allows us after minor preparation to simply remotely attach to the console of a machine and boot and install it over the network. x86 hardware tends not to be as nice, I don't know of any linux hardware that has remote console capabalities as nice as Sun's, and network boot options are limited (PXE?). Installation procedures that involve having to lood a CD or boot floppy into every machine could potentially be dealbreakers. So, what options exist for completely remote unattended installs of linux machines?" Had a similar question a while ago; have things improved since then?

Comments

If you use RH, check kickstart

[Papineau]

Just finished installing RH 7.2, and it left a nice trail (not only a log) of what I did. So next time, I could just copy that file (kickstart) to an install floppy and it would bring it back to what I just installed. Be sure to check all the options (interactive or not, partionning, etc.).

I know RH has always been installable n network (ftp, nfs). Probably some other ones too (Debian). It's before you start that your problem lies (booting the computer to start the install). Sorry, I don't see how you could just hook a new PC to the network and start installing without being at the console.

Also, what do you use on the Wintel side? It works with your current hardware, right? Is it (or could it be made) enough OS agnostic to be used with Linux?

Re:If you use RH, check kickstart

[rtaylor]

Booting the computer off a network share if it fails booting from the harddrive (bootp, tftp) will get it to step 1 with a known good ssh key and account.

Step 2: is to dynamically (dhcp) assign it a static (internal) IP. Have ssh come up on a non-standard port.

Login using the key to the IP and do your installation probably via a local ftp or nfs server.

Step 3: is tricky. Mount the drives overtop of currently existing partitions (ie. Drop existing /usr, mount new /usr. Mount new / overtop of old /). Run daemon startup scripts for ssh (standard port, freshly installed copy).

Step 4: Login via ssh on standard port to ensure it works and you have access. Now shutdown your old ssh connection, and stop the daemon on the non-standard port.

Step 5: Configure away. Live IP (alias on card with DHCPd internal IP, or a seperate nic entirely), passwords, other basics.

Step 6: Reboot.

It'll boot from disk successfully, and go from there. You've already verified ssh works on the internal IP, so if there are problems you should be able to get in to fix them.

If you prefer, you could setup the kernel of the network booted copy to load serial console support, as well as the freshly installed copy. I'd to ssh anyway, just in case.

Did this with 5 boxes quite a while ago with early FreeBSD 3.x. May have been even earlier, so modify to suit current requirements.

I never did figure out what to do if the box couldn't get to the point of console or network connection. The bios won't start a netboot then as it's found something on the harddrive, it just fails.