Jeremy Katz wrote:
Why can't we consider adding another input parameter to the
anaconda-runtime suite to package a default kickstart into an image.
Most people won't use this and they will still enjoy the status quo.
This is something entirely different, and I would be all for having a
script available to embed a ks.cfg into a boot image. Those are the
sorts of things that do provide benefit for the user who has a better
idea of what they're doing. One downside, though, is discoverability.
and that is precisely the question my suggestion addresses.
Another way is by use of zeroconf: mDNSclient code in Anaconda could
seek out information about the environment.
I've been thinking some time about ways to reduce the configuration
sysadmins must do in order to install. kickstart is good, way better
than I thought when it was first introduced. Using PXE is good (though
my experience until recently was with faulty boot roms).
Network installs of CD is good; a slight improvement would be for
Anaconda to spit out the CD when it's not required (maybe optionally,
%post could require it). Booting off a CD has the advantage that, once
the CD is removed, the next boot will be off the installed system.
However, using kickstart off a CD requires a customised CD, a point I
think can be overcome if my susggestion is adopted.
I've not yet tried installing off a USB device, but I expect it's pretty
like using a boot CD.
Hopefully, starting to have a more concrete location for people to start
looking for information as well as adding their own tips and tricks will
help[1]
Those of who would like this feature would love to contribute the code
even - if only we could ...
Patches accepted[2] and I'd love to get more of them.
P.S. I too very strongly support URLGrabber into anaconda!!!
urlgrabber being used for the second stage only helps with a subset of
things. Mostly it makes things easier for us as we get to deal with a
consistent API instead of the inconsistency of urllib2. To be able to
really take advantage of some of the nicer things like proxy support,
some code will also need to be written for the loader.
There are two ways one can use a proxy right now. You may recall I had
problems with Taroon beta because Aanconda was inserting a broken host:
header. I overcame it (after reporting the problem) by using an iptables
rule to force relevant traffic into another box, and using Apache
configured as a proxy. Transparent proxy worked fine, using Apache and
not Squid.
Since then, I've had a better idea (I've had more time to think on it)
and I did a network install of Fedora Core 2 using fedora.test.lan as my
install server, and again, configured Apache as a proxy, getting stuff
from a site Over East.
--
Cheers
John
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