Booting From USB For Install?

carlosinfl · 09-10-2007, 08:52 AM

Lets say my PC / Server supports booting from a USB thumb drive and I have an HTTP install server on the LAN, what files are needed on the USB drive to get the machine to boot to the RHEL4 install utility and allow me to select HTTP install and enter the path info? Has anyone done this before? I have already set up the server and virtual hosts for apache, just need to know what files need to be saved on the USB drive.

Thanks!

RHAPOLLO · 09-10-2007, 04:14 PM

Hi Carwill,

I am having the same question and was trying to do the USB boot for a RHEL4 system .. I still need to give it a little search .. By the way,
have you checked this link: http://www.debuntu.org/book/export/html/160

Please let us keep in touch ... in case I got any info I will post them here ..

Thanks,

carlosinfl · 09-10-2007, 04:59 PM

I found this article in "kbase" however I don't understand what they mean. Can someone please explain it to me or if there is an easier way, please let me know.

Quote:

perform a pen-based flash memory kickstart installation, the kickstart file must be named ks.cfg and must be located in the flash memory's top-level directory. Create the boot image first, and then copy the ks.cfg file.

For example, the following transfers a boot image to the pen drive (/dev/sda) using the dd command:

dd if=diskboot.img of=/dev/sda bs=1M

Joust · 09-13-2007, 07:44 AM

I have just accomplished this very thing. although I went further and put the entire RHEL4 distro on the USB "thumb" drive.
There is a diskimage on the RHEL4 disk one. simply write that to the USB flash drive.
this worked fine for a 1gig drive but when i tried a 4gig drive of the same brand it did not boot. strange.
anyway to get around that I installed syslinux on my PC and simply ran syslinux on the 4gig-er and that worked fine.
I have custom kickstart files on the drive that I can invoke for each Application Server I'm installing and also now have it working with custom RPMs.