Create Boot CD to run Kickstart

fantasygoat · 04-21-2010, 04:52 PM

I've got a system in place to PXE boot new machines and automatically configuring them via anaconda. It works great.

However, I have a few older machines with no PXE capability that I would like to use a Flash drive or CD-ROM to boot and run the same anaconda config.

I'm running into an issue finding useful documentation on how to create this CD. I've tried mkisofs but it doesn't really give any details on the boot catalog or whatever is needed to make a CD bootable.

Anyone know a nice HOWTO on doing this?

kbp · 04-21-2010, 09:33 PM

Just grab /images/boot.iso from the media... usually only ~10MB

fantasygoat · 04-22-2010, 08:29 AM

How do I put my custom ks.cfg in that iso while maintaining it's ability to boot?

kbp · 04-22-2010, 09:07 PM

Make your kickstart file available via http then boot with 'linux ks=http://... '

I can give you the commands to generate a cd image but it's a less flexible method IMHO

cheers

fantasygoat · 04-23-2010, 02:37 PM

I don't want to have to type anything - I will be giving the CDs to data centre monkies to put in machines and turn them on, so it needs to be as automated as possible.

custangro · 04-23-2010, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fantasygoat

I don't want to have to type anything - I will be giving the CDs to data centre monkies to put in machines and turn them on, so it needs to be as automated as possible.

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/e...s-make-cd.html

Keep in mind before making the file.iso image file, copy the ks.cfg kickstart file to the isolinux/ directory.

Basically something like this...

Code:

root@host# cp -r /media/rhel5/isolinux /tmp/
root@host# cd /tmp
root@host# cp /path/to/ks.cfg isolinux/
root@host# chmod u+w isolinux/*
root@host# mkisofs -o file.iso -b isolinux.bin -c boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -R -J -v -T isolinux/

Then burn file.iso on a cd

-C

fantasygoat · 04-23-2010, 03:38 PM

That made a boot CD, but it didn't load my ks.cfg file. It just booted to the normal CentOS boot screen.

custangro · 04-23-2010, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fantasygoat

That made a boot CD, but it didn't load my ks.cfg file. It just booted to the normal CentOS boot screen.

I think you need to specify it on the boot screen

Code:

boot: linux ks=cdrom:/ks.cfg

fantasygoat · 04-23-2010, 04:13 PM

That requires typing. These guys can barely find a power button.

How do I specify that in a file or something so the CD will boot with that parameter set?

fantasygoat · 04-23-2010, 05:10 PM

Aha! Figured it out.

The file isolinux.cfg contains the boot parameters. I replaced those and re-burned the CD and it's working now.

Thanks for the tip!