[ANN] Footprint - kickstart management tool

[Tom Callahan]

Dag Wieers wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I'm planning to create a new tool to simplify creation and management of 
>kickstart-files (as well as automate some of the tasks that come with 
>automated installation).
>
>If you know of another mailinglist that fits this subject, or you know of 
>similar projects (because I can imagine there are countless 
>implementations inside companies) please let me know. I'm just in the 
>design phase and i'm interested in what already exists and how it was 
>implemented (the structure/interface/features).
>
>Let me first explain what I aim for (and how it is currently in my head).
>
>First of all, it should be straight-forward to manage a list of systems 
>(or groups of systems) that have similar configurations. A config-file 
>could be something like:
>
>	/etc/footprint/system/proxy-servers.conf
>
>	[main]
>	boot options = panic=10 acpi=off
>	dist = rhel4as
>	#modules = e100
>	profile = proxy-servers
>
>	[proxy01]
>	ip = 10.0.0.1
>	netmask = 255.255.255.0
>	mac address = 00:01:02:03:004:05
>	...
>
>(or even more simple, only hold 1 system)
>
>There would be a collection of profiles, each specifying a set of 
>variables that influence the kickstart file. This could be 
>hardware-related or functional.
>
>And a directory-structure for different methods, like LVM setup for 
>rhel3as, rhel4as for different disk configurations, or a debug-method 
>(to ease development), or a method that sets up callback and log 
>functionality (to follow progress from remote), lots of things are 
>possible here to extend anaconda.
>
>The tool would then be able to construct a working kickstart file, 
>depending on the combination of profiles/variables it could generate a 
>custom initial ramdisk, use another kernel, create the PXE and DHCP 
>configuration, or make a floppy or ISO file used for custom hardware 
>booting.
>
>Also, it would be nice to have a script in Apache that is able to (based 
>on the IP address or mac address) to generate the correct kickstart file 
>(and automatically save/timestamp it for debug/management purposes).
>
>In the end, the command-line tool (based on the config files) would 
>automatically control DHCP/PXE, all the files that make remote booting 
>possible and the management (and revisions) of kickstart files.
>
>And that's how I got the name, what is left after a good kickstart ?
>A footprint :)
>
>The aim is to integrate it to work with Yam, so that setting this up 
>becomes very easy. And custom packages and updates are merged with the 
>default packagelist so you don't have to do customisations afterwards.
>
>Additionally, I'd like to have methods for doing extra configuration 
>tweaks (like populating hosts files, dropping SSH keys, configuring user 
>management and much much more). For all these things I can use help and 
>ideas, so let me know what additional features you have in mind.
>
>Discussions go onto the rpmforge tools mailinglist:
>
>	http://lists.rpmforge.net/mailman/listinfo/tools
>
>And I have a non-functional website at:
>
>	http://dag.wieers.com/home-made/footprint/
>
>(required for registering the freshmeat project)
>
>Kind regards,
>--   dag wieers,  dag at wieers.com,  http://dag.wieers.com/   --
>[all I want is a warm bed and a kind word and unlimited power]
>
>  
>
This kind of already exists with cfengine....

You do a base kickstart, install the cfengine client, and away she goes....

Thanks,

-- 
Tom Callahan
TESSCO Technologies
Desk: (410)-229-1361
Cell: (410)-588-7605
Email: callahant at tessco.com

A real engineer only resorts to documentation when the keyboard dents on the forehead get too noticeable.