Batch install Linux onto networked computers?

linustalman · 02-03-2014, 03:39 PM

Hi.

Would it be possible to batch install GNU/Linux onto about 20 networked computers in a room? Could a username and password be set the same for all during installation?

Thanks.

szboardstretcher · 02-03-2014, 03:45 PM

Yes.

2 ways:

1) Configure a PXE server and appropriate kickstart file.

WDS guide: http://www.ohjeah.net/2008/09/24/pxe...linux-via-wds/
Linux Fog: http://www.fogproject.org/

*(Be careful to do this on a vlan segment that is off limits to production and workstations, so upon rebooting you don't get auto installations on user computers.)

2) get copies of the installation media, create a kickstart file, and push it to a web server. boot the install media and call out the kickstart address for each computer.

jefro · 02-03-2014, 04:19 PM

Above is good advice. Other ideas might include..

http://webapp5.rrz.uni-hamburg.de/Su....autoinst.html

Might look at backula.

There are also commercial products that can push installations.

See also things like gpxe/ipxe.

To be fair one can consider using a pre-made image with some generic settings to clone it to all systems.

One could build their images at SuseSudio also and have an image with unique passwords in each image. Kind of a long way around it.

linustalman · 02-05-2014, 09:59 AM

Thanks guys.