On 26 Jun 2003, Eric Doutreleau wrote: > Le jeu 26/06/2003 à 17:39, John a écrit : > > On 26 Jun 2003, Eric Doutreleau wrote: > > > > > Le jeu 26/06/2003 à 16:29, John a écrit : > > > > On 26 Jun 2003, Eric Doutreleau wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hi > > > > > > > > > > I'm wondering if it s possible when doing a network base kickstart > > > > > installation ( throug dhcp ) to set up the vendor class identifier in > > > > > the dhcp request in order to get different parameter. > > > > > > > > > > We have multi boot system here and we install all of our machine > > > > > through network. > > > > > Therefore there s some kind of competition among diffrent os for the > > > > > value of > > > > > next server > > > > > boot_filename > > > > > in the dhcpd.conf. > > > > > > > > > > if we could set up the vci to a particuliar value for kickstart we would > > > > > solved our problem at least for kickstart. > > > > > > > > > > Thanks in advance for any help > > > > > > > > Can't you each have your own LAN segment for installation purposes? > > > > That's what I prefer > > > > > > Well i just can't > > > and even if i could i would prefer not to :) > > > > Trust me. life is easier if you own the LAN! > > i don't own the lan because i don't own the machine :) > I have to install linux on a multi boot machine. And you can't add a NIC to the machine you use? > > > > > . > > > > > > > > If not, it shouldn't be hard to modify pump in the installer to add > > > > additional information... AHhhhhhhhhh > > > > > > Hmm > > > It s what i would like to do > > > do you have any information about doing that? > > > > > > > > This is before the installer? > > > > > > Well i really don't know. > > > > Think... You turn on the machine, the BOOT ROM in the NIC talks to your > > DHCP server and fetches the file the server says from the server it > > says. > > > > No i boot from CD. > But i want to get my kickstart file from the dhcp server. > and the windows sysadmin want to go to their RIS server after booting > pxe. > and perhaps the freebsd admin want something else :) The purpose of the filename and next-server information supplied by the DHCP server is to tell your not-very-intelligent computer where to get its operating system. I don't believe that kickstart supports any other use for this information, though you might be able to fudge it in the %pre section of the kickstart file. > > > > Then Anaconda starts, if you were lucky enough to get _your_ reply. > > > > > > > > > > > > > You can probably use etherboot (www.etherboot.org) to load and run the > > > > installer: it doesn't do PXE, but it shouldn't be hard to make NBI > > > > images, and from then on it's all the same. > > > > > > > > It means you either burn your own ROMs, or boot the "ROM" from floppy - > > > > intended for testing, but handy when your NIC doesn't have ROM. > > > > > > > > > > > > Here's my etherboot segment from dhcpd.conf: > > > > # Filched from http://clic.mandrakesoft.com/documentation/pxe/ch04.html > > > > class "Etherboot" > > > > { > > > > match if substring (option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 13) = "Etherboot-5.0"; > > > > option vendor-encapsulated-options 3c:09:45:74:68:65:72:62:6f:6f:74:ff; > > > > option vendor-class-identifier "Etherboot-5.0"; > > > > vendor-option-space PXE; > > > > option PXE.mtftp-ip 0.0.0.0; > > > > filename "/tftpboot.ser"; > > > > } > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Presumably you can change the Etherboot string in the ROM and config > > > > file to something else if several of you want to do it on the same LAN. > > > > > > > I would prefer not to use etherboot as i have a lot of different > > > hardware. Grub also can be built to load off the network. The only problem I've had is it doesn't work with my 3COM NIC(s). The advantage of GRUB is that one floppy can support many NICs. > > > with kickstart i boot with only one CD for all my machine. > > > i would love not lose this fact. > > > > So what filename do you need from the DHCP server? If you're booting > > from CD then you don't need boot info from the DHCP server because > > you've already booted. > > > > i need my kickstart file for the machine i just boot > Every machine has its own kickstart file. > > i have about 300 kickstart file. > this kickstart file is on a nfs server > i just want to have dhcp give > > the ip of NFS server > the directory where it is. > > i would have love to use PXE but the windows admin "control" the DHCP > server. > Therefore they have put on network a ris server i can't use. > > then i have to find a way not to distrub them. This is one way to not disturb them: Add a NIC to your machine. Install a switch or hub in your office Attach the NIC to that switch or hub Attach the machines that you want to install to to your switch or hub. If you go to where the machines are, take a laptop, a switch and a few spare cables. The other day I saw an eight-port switch that would fit my shirt pocket. A laptop makes a fine mobile server. Probably your freebsd and Windows admins will support you (because they want to have the same toys!). One thing I did the other day that might have some application for you.... A friend wants to use some aged Compaqs as xterms, and he couldn't get the things to boot off the LAN. The onboard NIC in these machines is a Thunderlan, and neither Etherboot nor GRUB supports it (the code's there, but doesn't build). I built a kernel that configures eth0 using DHCP and mounts its root filesystem via NFS. I stripped out all the crud, and including support for only hardware I knew was needed, and not using modules. The kernel built quickly and - oh Joy! - was quite small. What this does that might be useful to you is get access to the NFS server. You must have the driver for the NIC built in to the kernel. What none of this does is differentiate your requests from others'. I would think that if you can establish the rule that your server's IP address or hostname is known, then you can get the ks file from it using http and standard ks procedures, and generate the ks file using CGI as we've discussed here recently. > > Life is so hard sometimes :) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Nevertheless thanks for your answer. > > > > > > > > > > -- Please, reply only to the list. Join the "Linux Support by Small Businesses" list at http://mail.computerdatasafe.com.au/mailman/listinfo/lssb
