Bundling anaconda/redhat-install-packages in installer?

[Toralf Lund <toralf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In an attempt to simplify the install process of some of our software, 
which typically requires the installation of multiple, inter-dependent 
packages, I'm setting up a self-extracting installer that will contain 
several RPM files, and run various commands to help picking the correct 
packages and pass them to the appropriate installer. Now, the "makeself" 
tool found at http://www.megastep.org/makeself/ does a rather good job 
when it comes to packaging everything, managing the data at install 
time, and providing hooks for custom install commands. I've also written 
a small script that will pick the appropriate RPMs and pass them on to 
redhat-install-packages or similar. I've been thinking, however, that it 
might be good to include the actual installer, too, in order to provide 
a consistent GUI between different platforms (I need to install on 
different Red Hat versions at least) and relax the installer's 
requirements in terms of the target system setup. Also, maybe a somewhat 
more guided process with documents displayed etc. in the manner of 
Anaconda might be good.

Does anyone have any idea what it would take to change 
redhat-config-packages into a reliable "standalone" version that might 
work on various different platforms, and be packaged with the installer? 
How about (a fuller version of) anaconda? If this isn't easily done with 
the Red Hat tools, does anyone know of other options?

Note: I've already assessed and rejected alternative methods like yum- 
or apt-based installation, partly because we have no guarantee that the 
target machine is connected (directly) to the Internet, partly because a 
method that requires elaborate setup steps before the installation can 
take place just isn't an alternative (even if these steps would simplify 
all future installs.) I've also tested InstallShield Multiplatform and 
InstallAnywhere, but they don't quite seem to be up to the job, at least 
not yet, since I *really* want to continue using rpm at the bottom 
(these applications do offer rpm integration, but it doesn't work well 
in the current versions.)

- Toralf