[clue-tech] Fileserver at Installfests?

[David L. Anselmi]

Collins Richey wrote:
> Just a note for Dave Anselmi. I know you don't use Ubuntu to drive
> your multiple-distros box that you bring to Installfest

Actually, I do.  I have my workstation and that box to work with, so I 
set up the install server on my workstation and test it on that box. 
Since I haven't gotten Debian working yet (another post if anyone 
cares), when it's time to go to 'fest I install Ubuntu and then copy the 
config from my workstation.

> but maybe you can glean a few useful tips from this Howto. Anyone
> else wondering how PXE-boot works should enjoy this as well.

Thanks for the tip but the article isn't really that helpful.  The first 
2 pages describe setting up a PXE boot server for Ubuntu (not bad, but 
easy to figure out).  The next 7 pages are just repeats of page 2.

I found that HTTP didn't work to install FC6.  That bug may not affect 
the main FC mirrors though.

The directions for installing OpenSUSE mention selecting back when asked 
for CD 1, but they don't mention loading the NIC module, which I found 
to be necessary.

The one spot that might have helped me fell short:

"Now let's add further distributions to our PXE server (you don't want 
to run one PXE server per distribution, do you?)."

The fact is that you can't run multiple PXE servers unless you're 
configuring the server to know which distro a host will get.

I originally spent a few days trying to figure out how to get the 
initial PXE config to give you a list of other PXE configs you could 
load.  Then for each install you'd get that installer's boot screen and 
have all the options available.  But that can't be done without some 
serious hacking on PXELINUX.  In the end I used the same method 
described, one config file and a boot.txt that lists alll the distros.

So the article is a decent introduction to PXELINUX, but beyond that all 
you need is the kernel and initrd for each distro that knows how to net 
install.  As it turns out, those are included on the CDs for all the 
distros listed, except Debian.  So all of them "just work" pretty much, 
even with a local repository.

I guess I may have to write an article like that some day. :-)

Dave