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

[James Harrison]

The reason for:

   prompt 0
   timeout 0
is there is no keyboard or screen, so whats the point of having a prompt or 
delay.

If the CD is accidentally used in a machine, it will boot into the red Hat 
installer, but since there is no kickstart file specified, the automatic install 
wouldn't happen.

A label written on top of the CD explaining its purpose will stop accidental 
usage. 


James




________________________________
From: Gerald Waugh <gwaugh at frontstreetnetworks.com>
To: Discussion list about Kickstart <kickstart-list at redhat.com>
Sent: Fri, February 25, 2011 11:52:51 AM
Subject: Re: boot cd-rom network install on system with no display using vnc

/root/isolinux/isolinux.cfg file like this:

   default linux
   prompt 0
   timeout 0

The parts above allow the system to start automatically
with no operator intervention

Downside is, if anyone inadvertently puts this CD in a system
and reboots, or the system itself reboots, 
it will install! 


On Thu, 2011-02-24 at 23:18 +0000, James Harrison wrote: 
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
>
>
>
 
>
>
>
 
>
>
>

>
>_______________________________________________ Kickstart-list mailing list 
>Kickstart-list at redhat.com https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/kickstart-list 
>
-- 
Gerald Waugh
Front Street Networks
http://www.frontstreetnetworks.com
+1 318-670-8312
cell 318-401-0428


      
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