automatic workstation installation
 

Hi everybody,

I work as system administrator and the network was a mess when I came in, using 3 different distro's and no centralized user management etc. So I wanted to automate stuff, especially workstation installation (all workstations run linux, but all custom installed.....). So I copied the slackware 10 CD's to the server so I can install slackware from NFS share. I added an own package serie for "patching" the workstation install. After all normal packages are installed, the "patches" are installed, to put in the rsa authorized key of the server and the known_hosts file, it set up a directory structure for the server mounts, /etc/fstab is patched to mount the NFS shares on boot, inittab is patched to start default runlevel 4 and /etc/rc.d/rc.4 is patched to use KDM as default ;)

currently I use a bash script on the server wich logs in to the workstation and compiles and installes some LDAP client packages to use LDAP authentication, it patches the /etc/ldap.conf and /etc/nsswitch.conf, and it compiles and installes a patched kdebase to show text on the KMenu button. the idea is to create precompiled packages and put them in the slackware install too...

The planning is to automate this even more: creating a boot diskette wich contains a patched slackware install script, to completely automate it: automaticly start the install, partition hard drive, mount NFS, install packages, install LILO and anwser all questions the slackware setup can think of ;) I'll keep in touch when this is finished too....

greetz,
.-=~ iluvatar ~=-.

update: all ldap client packages, and the pachted kde menu button are now precompiled packages. I just packed opera and acroread too, openoffice is next ;) the install contains a custom kernel with bootsplash support, the initrd file, and a patched liloconfig to create a lilo.conf file with initrd image too. workstation installation was never easy as now! still working on the automated installation diskette... :study:

greetz,
.-=~ iluvatar ~=-.

Sounds awesome! Package it all up and sell it to network admins :p I know back at high school our computer guy could've used a hand. They probably stil run Windows 98...

thanx! actually my idea was to create a distribution for this purpose some time, but unfortunatly I don't have the time and the resources right now. The goals where to create a automated server install, where the system admin may choose different server types (domain, DNS, DHCP, IPCop, etc. etc.) and automated workstation installation. The current workstation installation I made is completely targeted towards the company I work for, but one day I hope to create a complete server / client distribution... I'm developing a web interface to handle various administrative tasks on the server too. However the complete server installation still needs to be automated , then burned on CD... If the whole project ever finishes I'll post it right here ;)

greetz,
.-=~ iluvatar ~=-.