-----Original Message----- From: centos-bounces@centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces@centos.org] On Behalf Of Karanbir Singh Sent: 19 June 2009 11:32 AM To: CentOS mailing list Subject: Re: [CentOS] Need to rebuild installation CD

On 06/19/2009 08:33 AM, Chadley Wilson wrote:

...

The problem we have is that the CD does not support our CDROM (it8213).

I have managed to compile the driver from the sources, and I have a boot stiffy. So I have managed to load the server, the problem is that we need to load about 10 of these server every week and the Linux guru (me) is not always able to drop his work and load servers.

...

I need to implement the driver on the installation CD so that the

kickstart file is read and run

...

Is there a way to hack around this problem?

yes, dont bother with all this stuff - just setup a network boot environment with something like cobbler ( http://cobbler.et.redhat.com/ ) and you are off. If you need cdrom support post-install, you can always use a %post stanza in your kickstart to get it into place.

You will find its a lot easier to also import multiple distro's / versions's and share kickstarts, edit them - And remember, http installs are the fastest installs if you server is on the same lan.

The _only_ time you ever need to really fiddle with the install media is when your network card drivers need tweaking :)

• KB

[CW] Hi Karanbir, thanks for the input I just ran this past my HOD, the solution is good for us to load the servers in house and we are now planning to this, but it does not work for providing the customer with a CD... :( So it looks like I am in for the long haul. Good news is that I have started but am a bit stuck. I found this post in my searching, it's about what I was after :)

http://www.centos.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=17988&forum=3...

but I can't get the last step to work... that would be coping the initrd.img back to a ro fs? So how Robert got it working is beyond me. (anyone have any ideas for me?)

I did mod his command from sudo mount -o loop .... to sudo mount -o loop -rw but still the fs is rw :(

Having followed the above, I am sure I will get through Roberts post and work it out, but then I don't know the next step and need assistance in the step to rebuild the boot.iso and then the CD itself. I would assume that I would be using makeisofs. If anyone can help me with some docs or links on this I would appreciate it.

Thanks Chadley

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well, you can always just give the cutomer a USB key :)

• KB

[CW] Nope I am afraid we don't do business that way, it would be nice though... unfortunately I don't get to decide...

Good news however I am testing my first rebuilt disc...

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Chadley,

If I remember right yum can tell you what package contains what items. It has been a long time since I used it though admittedly. I think a "man yum|less" might give us the options.

Larry Kemp U.S. Metropolitan Telecom, LLC Bonita Springs FL Email: larry.kemp@usmetrotel.com

-----Original Message----- From: centos-bounces@centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces@centos.org] On Behalf Of Chadley Wilson Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 11:01 AM To: CentOS mailing list Subject: Re: [CentOS] Need to rebuild installation CD

-----Original Message----- From: centos-bounces@centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces@centos.org] On Behalf Of Chadley Wilson Sent: 19 June 2009 03:56 PM To: CentOS mailing list Subject: Re: [CentOS] Need to rebuild installation CD

...

well, you can always just give the cutomer a USB key :)

• KB

[CW] Nope I am afraid we don't do business that way, it would be nice though... unfortunately I don't get to decide...

Good news however I am testing my first rebuilt disc...

[CW] Does anyone here know where on the install disc the initrd-2.6.18-92.1.22.el5.img is located? Is it in an rpm? which one?

I got the cdrom driver loaded at install time with my new disc :) , so it install perfectly now, but the module is not available after install. I can't find the initrd img file and need some direction.

I plan to dl the source rpm and patch it properly so not to worry.

FYI - I know this is not the fun way of doing things, and I read many responses to other posts where the outcome is "But why do it that way?" there are two reasons why I am doing it the hard way. the first is for me, I want to learn how. The second is that we often have to add drivers to Linux systems to get them to install. So it is a necessary requirement for me to know how to do this.

Your input on my above question would be greatly appreciated... TIA

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On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 11:21 AM, Tru Huynhtru@centos.org wrote:

...

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... LOL ... Tru

Oh GREAT, first we reproduce his email without his company's consent, and NOW you make fun of the disclaimer.... They're going to sue us for sure now. We should probably try to head this off by refunding the purchase price......

:-P

I do apologize for the email disclaimer, it is automatically added to the bottom of our mails by our server. I cannot avoid it so please do not worry about it.

The fact That I have sent email to a mailing group address authorizes the group to read it. So I don't understand why we always have to go down this road.

-----Original Message----- From: centos-bounces@centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces@centos.org] On Behalf Of Jim Perrin Sent: 19 June 2009 05:49 PM To: CentOS mailing list Subject: Re: [CentOS] Need to rebuild installation CD

On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 11:21 AM, Tru Huynhtru@centos.org wrote:

...

...

Pinnacle Technology Holdings E-Mail Disclaimer:

... LOL ... Tru

Oh GREAT, first we reproduce his email without his company's consent, and NOW you make fun of the disclaimer.... They're going to sue us for sure now. We should probably try to head this off by refunding the purchase price......

:-P

-- During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. George Orwell _______________________________________________ CentOS mailing list CentOS@centos.org http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos

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|-----Original Message----- |From: centos-bounces@centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces@centos.org] On Behalf |Of Kai Schaetzl |Sent: 22 June 2009 11:32 AM |To: centos@centos.org |Subject: Re: [CentOS] Need to rebuild installation CD | |Chadley Wilson wrote on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:11:54 +0200: | |> The fact That I have sent email to a mailing group address authorizes |> the group to read it. So I don't understand why we always have to |> go down this road. | |Simple: this disclaimer is useless and intrusive at the same time, dead |weight. | |Kai | [CW] Thanks for the tip. As I said, I have no control over its existence. :(

Back to my issue please :)

I have built my CD but still have an issue. The CD does not boot with CD-Rom support. ergo my it8213 driver does not load. I have to choose cancel when prompted for the location of my kickstart file, and select cdrom from the install source menu, and then choose select driver, it loads and it works. But the problem is how to get the driver to load via rc.local (there isn't one in diskboot.img) or Grub.

Remember I have a kickstart file which I need to run. But you can only select the CD-Rom driver after you choose the kickstart file location. Which forces you to say cancel at the ks prompt and load the driver...

It looks more like I have to compile vmlinuz and initrd.img for the CD! {wonder where to start for that?}

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[CW] Does anyone here know where on the install disc the initrd-2.6.18-92.1.22.el5.img is located? Is it in an rpm? which one?

the one in /boot/... it's generated at install time by the anaconda installer, from the kernel-2.6.18-92.1.22.el5.$arch.rpm and mkinitrd

So you will need the re-run a mkinitrd after the %post install with the right argument... and if you can make anaconda recognize your hardware...

[CW] Has anyone got an example ks.cfg file that I can work from please? Maybe one for a nic driver?

Wouldn't it be faster to move to 5.3 (if your cdrom is supported?).

[CW] The cd-rom is still not supported in 5.3.

Thanks for the response Tru

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...

The initrd's are created as part of the post section of the kernel RPM. If you can get your driver into the kernel rpm it should get into the initrd.

[CW] Hi Scott, thanks for the response, so you are saying that if I get the kernel source rpm, then compile the driver and build a new kernel rpm, put it on the disc and rebuild the disc this should work? [CW] I would very much appreciate some pointers to some how-to's on this if anyone knows of any good ones.

Thanks

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Chadley Wilson wrote:

[CW] Hi Karanbir, thanks for the input I just ran this past my HOD, the solution is good for us to load the servers in house and we are now planning to this, but it does not work for providing the customer with a CD... :( So it looks like I am in for the long haul. Good news is that I have started but am a bit stuck.

If you load a lot of identical systems, you might like clonezilla - even if you do need to have the iso copy and get the first system installed with all the drivers you need. With the companion drbl program you can pxe boot into image cloning..

<snip>

...

[CW] My Apologies, I forgot to mention that I am not disassembling the diskboot.img for the USB drive, but rather boot.iso which I assumed is the iso that is loaded as a ram disc when you boot from the cd.

That would be the wrong assumption.