[CentOS] Duplicating My CentOS Install For Other Other Systems

Tue Oct 2 22:56:33 UTC 2007
Antonio Dupont <antonio at moosefactory.com>


Hello,

I have a CentOS install that has updated packages, and different users with
certain privileges and modified GNOME menus.  When a user logs in they are
very limited to what they can do. i.e. browse the internet, run some php
scripts on the local MySQL database I have set and that's about it.

I would like to take the stuff I setup and make it extremely easy for someone
to duplicate the install with the same customizations on their own hardware
with out having to answer any install questions and keeping the same security
I have set up.

My idea is to some how make a hybrid LiveCD/kickstart install.  One where a
non-technical user could put in the CD/DVD boot their system and have CentOS
automatically installed with a predetermined partitioning scheme, security,
users automatically created, packages, and etc.

Essentially I want to take an image of my configured system and have it
installed on another system with minimal input.

I've done cloning and remimaging in the past to handle this, but now I won't
have control of the hardware that CentOS will be installed on, so I want
anaconda to take care of that.  The only thing I can say to the user is that
the computer has to be on the Red Hat Hardware compatibility list.

I've searched the Internet for some suggestions, but have come up short.  If
you have any input or direction that you could help with, I am very appreciative.

Thanks in advance.

Antonio