boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using vnc

Gerald Waugh gwaugh at frontstreetnetworks.com
Fri Feb 25 17:15:38 UTC 2011


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On Thu, 2011-02-24 at 16:01 -0800, Peter Allen wrote:
> Thanks James:
> 
>  
> 
> Two questions:
> 
>  
> 
>      1. I am creating boot disk on windows machine, which means I will
>         be editing isolinux.cfg file in windows.  When I open it in
>         notepad I notice that there are no line returns.  Will this be
>         a problem?
>      2. I now plan to install from http without Kickstart.  So I
>         should just remove “img ksdevice={DEV} linux”  I suppose.
>         Also, I can specify DHCP for networking, right? 
> 
>  
> 
> Peter
> 
>  
> 
>                                    
> ______________________________________________________________________
> From:kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com
> [mailto:kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of James Harrison
> Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2011 3:19 PM
> To: Discussion list about Kickstart
> Subject: Re: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display
> using vnc
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Take boot.iso from the images directory in the RHEL DVD and mount it:
> mount -o loop boot.iso /mnt
> 
> make a directory and copy all files from /mnt to this dir.
> mkdir /root/iso
> cd /mnt
> cp -pr * /root/iso
> cd /
> umount /mnt
> 
> Look in /root/iso/isolinux
> 
> Probably want an isolinux.cfg file like this:
> 
> default linux
> prompt 0
> timeout 0
> 
> label linux
>     kernel vmlinuz
>     append initrd=initrd.img ksdevice={DEV} linux  ip=xx.xx.xx.xx
> netmask=xx.xx.xx.xx dns=xx.xx.xx.xx gateway=xx.xx.xx.xx vnc
> vncconnect=xx.xx.xx.xx vncpassword=abcdef  method=nfs:xx.xx.xx:/{PATH
> TO LINUX_DISTRO EXPORTED FROM NFS SERVER} keymap=us lang=en_US.UTF-8
> 
> fill in the details. Dont forget to make an NFS server.
> 
> To make the iso file use something like:
> mkisofs -o "/root/iso/isolinux.iso" -boot-info-table -b isolinux.bin
> -no-emul-boot -c boot.cat /root/iso/isolinux
> 
> 
> 
> Use this file to boot from an RSA adapter or burn a cd.
> 
> Hope this helps
> 
>                                    
> ______________________________________________________________________
> From: Peter Allen <peter.allen.5000 at gmail.com>
> To: Discussion list about Kickstart <kickstart-list at redhat.com>
> Sent: Thu, February 24, 2011 5:43:41 PM
> Subject: RE: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display
> using vnc
> 
> Ok, I will try this and report back with results  J
> 
>  
> 
> Peter
> 
>                                    
> ______________________________________________________________________
> From:kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com
> [mailto:kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of James Harrison
> Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2011 2:25 PM
> To: Discussion list about Kickstart
> Subject: Re: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display
> using vnc
> 
> 
>  
> 
> You have to make your own boot cd and insert the information I
> provided into the isolinux.cfg.
> 
> James
> 
> 
>  
> 
>                                    
> ______________________________________________________________________
> From: Peter Allen <peter.allen.5000 at gmail.com>
> To: Discussion list about Kickstart <kickstart-list at redhat.com>
> Sent: Thu, February 24, 2011 5:07:43 PM
> Subject: RE: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display
> using vnc
> 
> What if the OS destination machine has no keyboard or monitor??
> 
>  
> 
> Peter
> 
>  
> 
>                                    
> ______________________________________________________________________
> From: kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com
> [mailto:kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of James Harrison
> Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2011 11:52 AM
> To: Discussion list about Kickstart
> Subject: Re: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display
> using vnc
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> Hi,
> Start by running a vncviewer in listen mode (I use realvnc: vncviewer
> --listen from a command line ). Boot the machine to install linux with
> the cd-rom and you type:
> 
> linux  ip=xx.xx.xx.xx netmask=xx.xx.xx.xx dns=xx.xx.xx.xx
> gateway=xx.xx.xx.xx vnc vncconnect=xx.xx.xx.xx vncpassword=abcdef
> method=cdrom keymap=us lang=en_US.UTF-8
> 
> You need to specify IP, method, keymap and lang information otherwise
> it will ask you for this before vnc is running.
> 
> the ip address is the address you want to give to the machine your
> installing linux on. Can also be ip=dhcp
> vncconnect is the IP address you ran the vncviewer on
> vncpassword is the password. Not sure if it should be encrypted or mot
> method=cdrom specify your install media
> 
> By booting from a cd-rom you unfortunately have to perform a media
> check. This requires output to a screen and a few key presses and I
> don't know if this can be disabled. The way I got round this was to
> use an NFS server, so the boot line is:
> 
> linux  ip=xx.xx.xx.xx netmask=xx.xx.xx.xx dns=xx.xx.xx.xx
> gateway=xx.xx.xx.xx vnc vncconnect=xx.xx.xx.xx vncpassword=abcdef
> \     
>     method=nfs:xx.xx.xx:/{PATH TO LINUX_DISTRO EXPORTED FROM NFS
> SERVER} keymap=us lang=en_US.UTF-8
> 
> eg,
> method=nfs:10.2.34.123:/export/RHEL5.4/i386
> 
> /export/RHEL5.4/i386 is the path on the NFS server to the DVD
> distribution on disk. You have to copy the contents of the DVD to
> disk.
> 
> Heres a useful web page:
> http://www.redhat.com/magazine/024oct06/features/kickstart/
> 
> Hope this is of some help.
> 
> James
> 
>                                    
> ______________________________________________________________________
> From: Peter Allen <peter.allen.5000 at gmail.com>
> To: kickstart-list at redhat.com
> Sent: Thu, February 24, 2011 1:00:18 PM
> Subject: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using
> vnc
> 
> Does anyone know how to do this?
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks
> 
>  
> 
> Peter
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Gerald Waugh
Front Street Networks
http://www.frontstreetnetworks.com
+1 318-670-8312
cell 318-401-0428




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