Create Custom Install CD

[m0nsterz]

Hi all

I am trying to create a custome install cd for FC4. I have loaded a machine with FC4 and other software that I need on the machine. I am in the process of upgrading MySQL to ver5. I want to then create a custom install CD from this machine so that I can load another 50 machines with the exact same configrations and software. Is this possible and how do I do it. Thanks

[woppa30]

Once you have the machine the way you want it I think you will need to look at kickstart configurations. Its in system tools. Never used it myself though but hopes this pushes you in the right direction.

[m0nsterz]

but does kickstart not only create an answer file for the installation of the FC4 disks. I need to create a custom CD for the installation.

[drunkahol]

Kickstart is definitely the way forward. I've used it to create custom network installations several times.

There should be no obstacle to burning a CD with your customised install.

Once you've decided which RPM's you are installing, delete the others (being VERY carefull of course not to screw up any dependancies). We didn't remove any RPM's from the network install as we had acres of space - unlike a CD. If you burn a DVD however, the space issue is pretty much removed. I'd do a custom DVD rather than a CD if I were you.

Kickstart also allows you to run a pre-install and post-install script. The post install script was important to us as we installed several applications after the base install, and dumped default file structures into /var/www/html. Several config files were dropped into place (rather than trying to edit them), /etc/passwd and /etc/group files dropped in as well.

The end result was a network install that would complete in less time than it took to make a cup of coffee. Multiple machines could be installed simultaneously.

If you're carefull, there's no reason that this couldn't be done with a CD or DVD install.

I can't remember where the kickstart.cfg file has to go for a CD install - hopefully you can stick it on your CD somewhere. Otherwise it looks for the file on a floppy - if I remember right.

Word of warning though - if you're trying to change some of the packages installed, such as putting newer versions of RPM's on your custom install, you'd be better installing the base RPM and then upgrading to your newer RPM version in the post install script section. We didn't bother looking to hard, but I don't think you can just replace the base RPMs without editing some config files somewhere (comps.rpm perhaps?).

Hope this helps

Cheers

Duncan

[m0nsterz]

Ok..I can see how this would work then. Using the Post install scripts to upgrade and add our custom apps to the insallations would do what i want. I will give this a try. How would I get the installation to work across the network??

[m0nsterz]

On a standard install of Fedora anaconda looks for certain disks (1,2,3,4) where certain rpm files are located. How do I then tell it that all the RPM's are on the same cd. I will be doing a very basic installation of fedora to run a Point of Sale program. No gnome or kde only xfce. Only the very basic apps, mysql etc. I am sure it will fi onto one CD.

[drunkahol]

Doing installations across the network requires PXE boot stuff to be available on the destination machine. It's pretty simple to set everything up, but you need a DHCP server that points to a tftpboot server. This machine then provides the network booting machine with an option of boots to try.

Setting up the network install of FC4 is pretty simple if you follow the instructions on the DVD. It requires a bit of thought, but you can have your kickstart.cfg and rpms all on the network - I know we did exactly that. All the destination machine needed to do was boot via PXE, then select the right menu option on the screen (although a default can kick in after a set time period). This is also how diskless workstations boot by the way - PXE, then grab the kernel etc off the tftpboot server.

If you are creating a custom CD to install, I'd try to cut things down from the DVD ISO first. The CD install is built to ask for different disks during installation. Taking one of these disks and then adding/removing stuff might prove too difficult. With the DVD install disk, everything comes off the one disk already, so just keep hacking out stuff you don't need until you get it down to the right size.

I suppose the easiest thing to do is to get a network or DVD install built with everything included, then do an:

rpm -qa | sort

To see exactly which rpm's were installed at the end of the day. Then cut out everything that doesn't get installed.

Cheers

Duncan