A quick summary of Linux's automated install process called 'Kickstart':
-'live cd' allows you to run the os without actually installing it on a local disk.
-it runs in memory within another host os.
-interactive installation on local system has its limits--it is error prone and tedious.
-network installation helps answer some of the limitations of interactive installation.
-in network installation:
. dhcp (or tftp) is used to boot local system (though it doesnt have install media)
. then installation files from a network server are retrieved using http, ftp or nfs.
-network installation is appropriate for sites with more than 10 systems.
-network installation is possible because of the abilities of network card to bypass os to go to the network.
-this uses the 'Preboot eXecution Env' (PXE) standard of Intel platform.
-kickstart is Redhats tool for automated installation.
-it is really just a scripting interface to the redhat installator - Anaconda.
-kickstarts behavior is controlled by a single config file, generally called ks.cfg.
-this file can be edited in a text editor or via the gui tool system-config-kickstart.
-kickstart config file has three main parts:
. the command section - specifies location of install files, language, keyboard, timezone etc.
. the package section - specifies pkgs to install; starts with %packages directive.
. the custom section - specifies shell scripts to run pre or post install (if your site has any)
-kickstart expects its installation files to be laid out as they are on the distrib cd.
-this means packages to be in the dir RedHat/RPMS.
-once ready, you boot with an install disk and type 'linux ks' at 'boot:' prompt to specify the ks.cfg file.
-your system then figures out n/w addr using dhcp and tries to mount the boot files using nfs.
-alternatively you specify the ks.cfg on a n/w server.
-eg: boot: linux ks=http:server:/path
-this tells kickstart to download boot files using http instead of nfs.
-'live cd' allows you to run the os without actually installing it on a local disk.
-it runs in memory within another host os.
-interactive installation on local system has its limits--it is error prone and tedious.
-network installation helps answer some of the limitations of interactive installation.
-in network installation:
. dhcp (or tftp) is used to boot local system (though it doesnt have install media)
. then installation files from a network server are retrieved using http, ftp or nfs.
-network installation is appropriate for sites with more than 10 systems.
-network installation is possible because of the abilities of network card to bypass os to go to the network.
-this uses the 'Preboot eXecution Env' (PXE) standard of Intel platform.
-kickstart is Redhats tool for automated installation.
-it is really just a scripting interface to the redhat installator - Anaconda.
-kickstarts behavior is controlled by a single config file, generally called ks.cfg.
-this file can be edited in a text editor or via the gui tool system-config-kickstart.
-kickstart config file has three main parts:
. the command section - specifies location of install files, language, keyboard, timezone etc.
. the package section - specifies pkgs to install; starts with %packages directive.
. the custom section - specifies shell scripts to run pre or post install (if your site has any)
-kickstart expects its installation files to be laid out as they are on the distrib cd.
-this means packages to be in the dir RedHat/RPMS.
-once ready, you boot with an install disk and type 'linux ks' at 'boot:' prompt to specify the ks.cfg file.
-your system then figures out n/w addr using dhcp and tries to mount the boot files using nfs.
-alternatively you specify the ks.cfg on a n/w server.
-eg: boot: linux ks=http:server:/path
-this tells kickstart to download boot files using http instead of nfs.
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