Customized Remote Install

Polytropon freebsd at edvax.de
Tue Apr 21 21:51:40 UTC 2009


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.

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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