Customized Remote Install
Jerry McAllister
jerrymc at msu.edu
Tue Apr 21 22:47:19 UTC 2009
On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 11:51:32PM +0200, Polytropon wrote:
> On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:42:32 -0600, Scott Seekamp <sseekamp at risei.net> wrote:
> > My hope was that I could make an automated install CD/DVD that
> > configured all the options I want AND change some base config files so
> > I can actually get to the box (or install an SSH key).
> > [...]
> > I'm open to other options if someone has gone down this road before!
>
> I'd like to advertize a method that I think is very comfortable
> in such a setting. It's worth mentioning that this method
> usually requires (a) modern enough PCs or (b) you to know what
> is the hardware profile of the PC.
>
> The method works as follows:
>
> First create a FreeBSD as you want it to be on the clients.
> Install and configure everything as you intend.
>
> Then dump the created partitions onto a CD or DVD and create
> a simple script that:
> 1. initializes the client's hard disk
> 2. slices the disk and newfses the partitions
> 3. dumps the partition images onto the disks
> 4. reboots the machine into operating state.
>
> After this, you should be able to SSH into the client and
> change settings that need to be changed.
This works very well. I have done essentially the same many times.
The one thing missing is that you need to have something to set the
network information -- hostname, IP address, gateway, netmask
and name-server. These will be different for each machine.
So, your script will have to accomodate this - read console
input for these items and plug them in to the proper places
before rebooting.
////jerry
>
> You always have your "reference machine" at hand, because it's
> exactly installed and configured as the clients.
>
> Under controlled conditions, it's even possible to build the
> needed system in a virtualized environment.
>
>
>
>
> --
> Polytropon
> >From Magdeburg, Germany
> Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
> Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...
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