Hi all.... I had posted hte following on teh centos forums, and thought there might be additional people in here who do not browse those forum, so after 4 days I am posting over here as well (sorry for the double - but figured after 4 days it was safe to do so).
Hi there.... I am trying to make a custom centos server cd that will essentially do the following:
throw the disk in, boot the machine, and have it connect to a listening VNC viewer on another machine - then just do the install as per normal (nothing else automated other than the VNC connection). My goal is that since I have limited space at home I want to be able to load centos onto a machine just by plugging in an ethernet cable (no monitor/mouse/keyboard), and booting it. I know using VNC is possible and such, but in the tutorials I have read, you basically you type 'linux vnc' at the boot prompt. I was reading about using a kickstart file, but the same type of issue you need to press "enter" to start the vnc install.
Any ideas on how to get around this?
This is what I did so far (so that maybe someone can point out my error).
Now just for detail I created a SIMPLE ks.cfg file with the following:
firewall --disabled vnc --connect 192.168.0.100
And when adding directives to a kickstart file - does hte order matter? IE when addign hte vnc directive, does it have to come after the networking info, etc?
it was located on my cd at:
/isolinux/ks.cfg
I edited the file /isolinux/isolinux.cfg
<snip> default linux prompt 1 timeout 1 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 ks=cdrom:/isolinux/ks.cfg <snip>
As you can see i set the time out to happen immediately (hoping ot get it to jump right into the install). And I added the location to my KS file to the default option.
Any ideas?
On Tue, Jan 31, 2006 at 02:16:32PM -0800, lists enlightened us:
I edited the file /isolinux/isolinux.cfg
<snip> default linux prompt 1 timeout 1 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 ks=cdrom:/isolinux/ks.cfg <snip>
As you can see i set the time out to happen immediately (hoping ot get it to jump right into the install). And I added the location to my KS file to the default option.
Any ideas?
Do you need to bother with kickstart? Just pass the appropriate command line options to the isolinux bootloader by default, instead of the location of your KS file.
See http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/x8664-multi-inst...
and
http://www.arenatechniques.com/kb/index.php/Anaconda#Installation_via_VNC
Matt
On Tue, 2006-01-31 at 20:33 -0500, Matt Hyclak wrote:
On Tue, Jan 31, 2006 at 02:16:32PM -0800, lists enlightened us:
I edited the file /isolinux/isolinux.cfg
<snip> default linux prompt 1 timeout 1 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 ks=cdrom:/isolinux/ks.cfg <snip>
As you can see i set the time out to happen immediately (hoping ot get it to jump right into the install). And I added the location to my KS file to the default option.
Any ideas?
Do you need to bother with kickstart? Just pass the appropriate command line options to the isolinux bootloader by default, instead of the location of your KS file.
See http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/x8664-multi-inst...
and
http://www.arenatechniques.com/kb/index.php/Anaconda#Installation_via_VNC
Matt
Also see Karanbir's vnc install guide: http://www.karan.org/blog/index.php/2005/06/15/upgrading_to_centos4_over_a_r...
Yeah I guess I could. (I'll put the dunce cap on now).
Would this be the proper format though?
<snip> default linux prompt 0 timeout 0 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com <snip>
So I knocked the prompt and timeout to 0 (so that hopefully my cd will just pop into the install with no keyboard interaction) and then added the "vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com".
In those links They reference "linux vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com" -- what is the "linux" for? Do I need that in there as well? I had been all over these docs before, but I think I had just not clued into the syntax.
Thanks in advance!
Dustin
On 31-Jan-06, at 5:33 PM, Matt Hyclak wrote:
On Tue, Jan 31, 2006 at 02:16:32PM -0800, lists enlightened us:
I edited the file /isolinux/isolinux.cfg
<snip> default linux prompt 1 timeout 1 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 ks=cdrom:/isolinux/ks.cfg <snip>
As you can see i set the time out to happen immediately (hoping ot get it to jump right into the install). And I added the location to my KS file to the default option.
Any ideas?
Do you need to bother with kickstart? Just pass the appropriate command line options to the isolinux bootloader by default, instead of the location of your KS file.
See http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/x8664- multi-install-guide/ap-bootopts.html
and
http://www.arenatechniques.com/kb/index.php/ Anaconda#Installation_via_VNC
Matt
-- Matt Hyclak Department of Mathematics Department of Social Work Ohio University (740) 593-1263 _______________________________________________ CentOS mailing list CentOS@centos.org http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
On Wed, Feb 01, 2006 at 09:40:34AM -0800, Dustin Krysak enlightened us:
Yeah I guess I could. (I'll put the dunce cap on now).
Would this be the proper format though?
<snip> default linux prompt 0 timeout 0 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com <snip>
So I knocked the prompt and timeout to 0 (so that hopefully my cd will just pop into the install with no keyboard interaction) and then added the "vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com".
Looks correct to me, although personally, I would set a prompt/timeout of 5 or so in case I ever wanted to use the disk for something else. If you don't type anything for 5 seconds, it goes with your default. If you do type something, you can override your vnc settings, etc.
In those links They reference "linux vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com" -- what is the "linux" for? Do I need that in there as well? I had been all over these docs before, but I think I had just not clued into the syntax.
'linux' is the label. When you're typing the command in from the prompt, you have to tell isolinux which thing you want to boot. Your append syntax is correct.
Matt
Thanks much!
I'll have a go at that tonight at home.
Much appreciated.
Dustin
On 1-Feb-06, at 9:55 AM, Matt Hyclak wrote:
On Wed, Feb 01, 2006 at 09:40:34AM -0800, Dustin Krysak enlightened us:
Yeah I guess I could. (I'll put the dunce cap on now).
Would this be the proper format though?
<snip> default linux prompt 0 timeout 0 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com <snip>
So I knocked the prompt and timeout to 0 (so that hopefully my cd will just pop into the install with no keyboard interaction) and then added the "vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com".
Looks correct to me, although personally, I would set a prompt/ timeout of 5 or so in case I ever wanted to use the disk for something else. If you don't type anything for 5 seconds, it goes with your default. If you do type something, you can override your vnc settings, etc.
In those links They reference "linux vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com" -- what is the "linux" for? Do I need that in there as well? I had been all over these docs before, but I think I had just not clued into the syntax.
'linux' is the label. When you're typing the command in from the prompt, you have to tell isolinux which thing you want to boot. Your append syntax is correct.
Matt
-- Matt Hyclak Department of Mathematics Department of Social Work Ohio University (740) 593-1263 _______________________________________________ CentOS mailing list CentOS@centos.org http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
Matt Hyclak spake the following on 2/1/2006 9:55 AM:
On Wed, Feb 01, 2006 at 09:40:34AM -0800, Dustin Krysak enlightened us:
Yeah I guess I could. (I'll put the dunce cap on now).
Would this be the proper format though?
<snip> default linux prompt 0 timeout 0 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com <snip>
So I knocked the prompt and timeout to 0 (so that hopefully my cd will just pop into the install with no keyboard interaction) and then added the "vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com".
Looks correct to me, although personally, I would set a prompt/timeout of 5 or so in case I ever wanted to use the disk for something else. If you don't type anything for 5 seconds, it goes with your default. If you do type something, you can override your vnc settings, etc.
In those links They reference "linux vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com" -- what is the "linux" for? Do I need that in there as well? I had been all over these docs before, but I think I had just not clued into the syntax.
'linux' is the label. When you're typing the command in from the prompt, you have to tell isolinux which thing you want to boot. Your append syntax is correct.
Matt
Wouldn't you need something to set the ip address of the adapter? And the locale and language? These are prompted in text mode before the vnc code is started.
On 1-Feb-06, at 12:06 PM, Scott Silva wrote:
Matt Hyclak spake the following on 2/1/2006 9:55 AM:
On Wed, Feb 01, 2006 at 09:40:34AM -0800, Dustin Krysak enlightened us:
Yeah I guess I could. (I'll put the dunce cap on now).
Would this be the proper format though?
<snip> default linux prompt 0 timeout 0 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com <snip>
So I knocked the prompt and timeout to 0 (so that hopefully my cd will just pop into the install with no keyboard interaction) and then added the "vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com".
Looks correct to me, although personally, I would set a prompt/ timeout of 5 or so in case I ever wanted to use the disk for something else. If you don't type anything for 5 seconds, it goes with your default. If you do type something, you can override your vnc settings, etc.
In those links They reference "linux vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com" -- what is the "linux" for? Do I need that in there as well? I had been all over these docs before, but I think I had just not clued into the syntax.
'linux' is the label. When you're typing the command in from the prompt, you have to tell isolinux which thing you want to boot. Your append syntax is correct.
Matt
Wouldn't you need something to set the ip address of the adapter? And the locale and language? These are prompted in text mode before the vnc code is started.
That is a good point -- I was kind of wondering more about the network if anything.
On Wed, Feb 01, 2006 at 12:42:37PM -0800, Dustin Krysak enlightened us:
Wouldn't you need something to set the ip address of the adapter? And the locale and language? These are prompted in text mode before the vnc code is started.
That is a good point -- I was kind of wondering more about the network if anything.
I *believe* telling it to do vnc from the boot prompt implies dhcp is available and it will be able to configure itself. After the VNC connection is established, you'll get to click what language you want and how you want the network configured for the machine.
Matt
Matt Hyclak spake the following on 2/1/2006 1:11 PM:
On Wed, Feb 01, 2006 at 12:42:37PM -0800, Dustin Krysak enlightened us:
Wouldn't you need something to set the ip address of the adapter? And the locale and language? These are prompted in text mode before the vnc code is started.
That is a good point -- I was kind of wondering more about the network if anything.
I *believe* telling it to do vnc from the boot prompt implies dhcp is available and it will be able to configure itself. After the VNC connection is established, you'll get to click what language you want and how you want the network configured for the machine.
Matt
Just tried this in VMWare... no go. It still prompts for language, keyboard, install method, and TCP/IP settings.
So I guess a kickstart file is needed then to populate all of those settings.
Now my question with this is:
Where would the vnc kickstart directive need to be in the kickstart file? Just at the end after all of the outlined directives (language, keyboard, install method, and TCP/IP settings)?
Dustin
On 1-Feb-06, at 2:25 PM, Scott Silva wrote:
Matt Hyclak spake the following on 2/1/2006 1:11 PM:
On Wed, Feb 01, 2006 at 12:42:37PM -0800, Dustin Krysak enlightened us:
Wouldn't you need something to set the ip address of the adapter? And the locale and language? These are prompted in text mode before the vnc code is started.
That is a good point -- I was kind of wondering more about the network if anything.
I *believe* telling it to do vnc from the boot prompt implies dhcp is available and it will be able to configure itself. After the VNC connection is established, you'll get to click what language you want and how you want the network configured for the machine.
Matt
Just tried this in VMWare... no go. It still prompts for language, keyboard, install method, and TCP/IP settings.
CentOS mailing list CentOS@centos.org http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
Dustin Krysak spake the following on 2/1/2006 2:43 PM:
So I guess a kickstart file is needed then to populate all of those settings.
Now my question with this is:
Where would the vnc kickstart directive need to be in the kickstart file? Just at the end after all of the outlined directives (language, keyboard, install method, and TCP/IP settings)?
I just beat this until I got it working. Here is how I got it working with an NFS image install;
append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 upgradeany vnc vncconnect=192.168.0.20 headless ip=dhcp ksdevice=eth0 method=nfs:imail:/opt/sysop/CentOS-4 lang=en_US keymap=us
All one line... I had to search on the RFC for NFS url's. I also tried a http install using the Centos mirror, but stopped it as soon as it was starting to load the second stage install image. I didn't want to hit up their bandwidth just as a test. There are some url's farther back in the thread with a lot of details on this..
Matt Hyclak wrote:
On Wed, Feb 01, 2006 at 12:42:37PM -0800, Dustin Krysak enlightened us:
Wouldn't you need something to set the ip address of the adapter? And the locale and language? These are prompted in text mode before the vnc code is started.
That is a good point -- I was kind of wondering more about the network if anything.
I *believe* telling it to do vnc from the boot prompt implies dhcp is available and it will be able to configure itself. After the VNC connection is established, you'll get to click what language you want and how you want the network configured for the machine.
as scott already pointed out, these options need to be set in the loader / loader2, which in turn will chain to anaconda, only anaconda's session is VNC'd.
unless these options are set on the command line - someone on the local console will need to do these
Dustin Krysak wrote:
Wouldn't you need something to set the ip address of the adapter? And the locale and language? These are prompted in text mode before the vnc code is started.
That is a good point -- I was kind of wondering more about the network if anything.
if you had looked at the url's posted earlier in this thread. by both Matt and Johnny - these issues are clearly mentioned there :)
- K
Dustin Krysak Backbone Technology Inc. 604.713.8565
On 1-Feb-06, at 3:25 PM, Karanbir Singh wrote:
Dustin Krysak wrote:
Wouldn't you need something to set the ip address of the adapter? And the locale and language? These are prompted in text mode before the vnc code is started.
That is a good point -- I was kind of wondering more about the network if anything.
if you had looked at the url's posted earlier in this thread. by both Matt and Johnny - these issues are clearly mentioned there :)
- K
I have been reading them, and for example on this URL (http:// www.arenatechniques.com/kb/index.php/Anaconda#Installation_via_VNC) where it says:
" Installation via VNC, Kickstart, and yaboot"
They mention that the code example is for:
Have a Mac running yaboot, and don't want to ever visit it for a new installation? You can boot off the network, using VNC, by issuing such an entry in /etc/yaboot.conf:
Now looking at it now (after this thread has continued) I know realize it seems to be in the format that can be passed to the boot options....
So assuming that is true it would be:
<snip> default linux prompt 0 timeout 0 display boot.msg F1 boot.msg F2 options.msg F3 general.msg F4 param.msg F5 rescue.msg F7 snake.msg label linux kernel vmlinuz append initrd=initrd.img ramdisk_size=8192 vnc vncconnect=pigdog.example.com headless ip=dhcp ksdevice=eth0 method=cdrom lang=en_US keymap=us <snip>
I just did not find that example clear in the way they referenced it.
-
Dustin Krysak -
Johnny Hughes -
Karanbir Singh -
lists
-
Matt Hyclak -
Scott Silva