[CentOS] Annoying license at install

david

david at daku.org
Fri Oct 9 15:17:09 UTC 2015


Folks

I have several remotely-located servers, donated by folks not all of 
whom are computer geeks, let-alone Linux aware.  In earlier versions 
of Centos, I directed them to perform a minimal NetInstall (not too 
difficult to direct over the phone), and then issue two commands 
after the first boot.  One was a 'curl' to download a script of mine, 
and the second was a dot-command to run it.  A few reboots followed 
in close succession, and I directed them to logon as root, and issue 
a simple dot-command.  The personal intervention ended usually within 
an hour, since I had ssh access to the system and root, and could 
complete the installation and tailoring completely remotely.  I would 
only need their intervention in the case of problems.  In many cases, 
I've not needed to invoke that help for a year or more.

This scheme worked well until I decided to add support of graphical 
desktops on the systems in Centos 7, as I had in Centos 6.  Once 
those packages were installed, further non-intuitive on-site 
intervention was required at next reboot to approve licenses.  Remote 
ssh logins didn't work until that was done.

These licenses needed to be approved on the local console.  This is 
quite annoying and places more demands upon my remote friend.  In 
some cases, the console and keyboard had been removed and the box had 
been placed in the closet.

I am seeking a way to reduce or eliminate this annoyance.  The best 
would be to find some way to 'pre-approve' the license agreement in 
my customizing scripts.  Failing that, it would be nice to be able to 
approve these scripts from a remote ssh logon.  I am reluctant to 
deploy Centos 7 without GUI support (I use x2go sometimes), and am 
thus reluctant to deploy centos 7 at this point.

Advice and comments welcome

David
San Francisco




More information about the CentOS mailing list