[CentOS] Merging Install DVDs on a PXE server

Mon Apr 11 01:28:34 UTC 2011
Robert Heller <heller at deepsoft.com>

At Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:10:11 -0700 CentOS mailing list <centos at centos.org> wrote:

> 
> On 04/10/11 4:01 PM, Robert Heller wrote:
> > At Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:31:43 -0400 CentOS mailing list<centos at centos.org>  wrote:
> >
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >>    Probably a simple question, but, I'd like to merge both install DVDs
> >> into one directory on my PXE server. Obviously I will need to copy all
> >> of the files, but do I need to cast a magical incantation to recreate
> >> .discinfo, .treeinfo, etc?
> > If all you want to do is create a PXE server that can be used to install
> > using NFS, you just need the DVD (or CD) .iso files in some NFS exported
> > (read-only!) directory.  Loopback mount the first DVD/CD and copy the
> > image froms from images/pxeboot to /tftpboot and put entries in
> > /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default, and the right 'magic' in /etc/dhcpd.conf
> > and you are good to go.
> >
> 
> the .iso files on the nfs ?  I thought you put all the files IN the iso

Just the ISO files themselves in an NFS exported directory, nothing
more.  Anaconda knows all about mount ... -o loop ... and does what it
needs to do. No additional fussing about (no need to install httpd or
ftpd, etc.). You just need to install tftpd and dhcpd and there you
are.

*Actually* I have also done things like 'install' the pxe boot files in
the /boot directory of the target machine and boot it with lilo (grub
would also work, but I have always used lilo).  This is how I have done
clean install upgrades (major version updates -- V3.x => 4.x, or 4.x to
5.x, etc.), with either the ISOs on a separate partition that I was not
going to reformat) (eg /home) or on another machine via NFS.

> 
> personally, when I do PXE, I use a http style install off a local copy 
> of the repository.   Its been a little while since i set it up, but 
> IIRC, there's some mojo you put in the kickstart file on the tftproot to 
> tell it what install type you want (nfs vs http vs whatever)
> 
> 
> 
> 
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>                                                                                            

-- 
Robert Heller             -- 978-544-6933 / heller at deepsoft.com
Deepwoods Software        -- http://www.deepsoft.com/
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