[CentOS] Re: %include command in Kickstart

[Al Sparks]

On 2/16/07, Al Sparks <data345 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Al Sparks spake the following on 2/15/2007 6:33 PM:
>>>> Al Sparks spake the following on 2/15/2007 4:44 PM:
>>>>>> One of the images (in Nahant) is to boot off the CD and install
>>>>>> from the network.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That should work BUT I've only used it to get the entire ks file
>>>>>> off the LAN. Booting from a CD is quick and easy (provided you
>>>>>> have a CD drive as in this instance).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Probably the %include will work fairly easily if the original ks file's
>>>>>> obtained via NFS; otherwise I suspect you'll need to do the mount;
>>>>>> in %pre
>>>>> How would I access the whole ks.cfg file on an nfs w/o dhcp?
>>>>>
>>>>> That would be ideal.
>>>>>    === Al
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> Assign an ip address during the boot process, and have everything
>>>> referenced by ip address, instead of names.
>>>
>>> At the boot prompt, I did the following:
>>>
>>>    linux ksdevice=eth0 ip=10.254.254.125
>>>    netmask=255.255.255.0 gateway=10.254.254.1
>>>    dns=10.1.1.21 ks=nfs:10.254.242.33:/vol/updts/staging/CentOS_4.3/ks.cfg
>>>
>>> I get a blue screen with
>>>    "Welcome to CentOS-4 i386"
>>> in the left upper corner, with the typical navigation key
>>> instructions at the bottom.  It just hangs there.
>>>
>>> I ping the IP address above, and get no pongs.
>>>
>>> Suggestions?
>>>    === Al
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> Dont you also need a
>> method=nfs:nfs:10.254.242.33:/vol/updts/staging/CentOS_4.3/ for
>> anaconda to get loaded?
>> Just a guess as I haven't done any kickstart installs, so no
>> flames if I'm talking out of my you know what!
>
> I'm coming to the conclusion that RH, and by extension, CentOS
> just won't allow you to use a kickstart file over the network w/o
> DHCP.
> 
> I can and have used NFS as long as I place the kickstart file on
> the CD itself.
> 
> That's a pain.
> 
> First look at the debugging screens ALT-F3-> ALT-F6. Is the installer
> complaining. We mostly use kickstarts via HTTP so I havent tried NFS
> in a long while.

The ALT-F2 keys didn't seem to work, and it hung up the install,
though I'm willing to try alternative suggestions.  CTL-ALT-F2 does
get me a shell prompt, if I do it during a pause.

What I've finally done is set up a vfat partition on the on the server
itself.  That way, when I do a
   clearpart --linux
in the ks.cfg it doesn't bother that vfat.

Leaving the ks.cfg on there allows me to try different kickstart
configurations with that server w/o having to make coasters each time.

Once I find kickstarts I like, I don't mind placing them on a CD.

Thanks for the help.  Even though I didn't accomplish what
I was originally looking for, I learned a lot trying everyone's
suggestions.
      === Al