===========================================================================

= CLASSROOM SETUP MEDIA PREPARATION GUIDE =

= for foundation-based RED HAT ENTERPRISE LINUX 8 =
= as used with the Red Hat Academy materials provided =
= Version: 8.x-7 17-Mar-2019 (ChangeLog at end of document.) =
===========================================================================

Questions and reports of problems with this document should be sent to the
curriculum team at <curriculum-support@redhat.com>.

These instructions describe how to prepare classroom setup installation

media for use with Red Hat Training courses. Classroom setup installation
media should be prepared well in advance of your arrival at the training
facility. This is to ensure that you have all your materials ready and to
save time on the first morning before class.

The difference between this and the regular ClassPrep.txt is that the
regular file identifies a download system where instructors individually
download course materials and update a single larger USB device. In this
document we describe working with the pre-created USB disk images that
are exclusively available to the RHA community.

SECTION 1: INITIAL RESOURCES YOU NEED

=====================================

To begin to prepare classroom setup installation media, you will need:

* A Gilmore account which allows you to download RHA materials.

* A CD-ROM/DVD-ROM burner
* Blank CD-ROM/DVD-ROM media
* A USB2/3 memory stick or hard drive at least 16 GB or larger in size
required.
* A cache directory on separate storage media with at least 64 GB
of free space available (additional space needed for each course
being delivered). This cache directory should travel with you as
a backup resource should something happen to the USB2/3 device.
* A Linux system or VM from which to write the USB and CD media.

If you do not have access to the download sites, please contact your
normal RHA support people (the Curriculum Team regrets that it is
unable to assist in these matters).

SECTION 2: DOWNLOADING MATERIALS FROM GILMORE

=============================================

To use the foundation-based classroom, you need to obtain the files

associated with the course (and supporting files) that you wish to
teach.

******* NOTE ************************************************************

* *
* Files ending in .img tend to be larger and take longer to retrieve. *
* *
*************************************************************************

The current list of files available:

* ClassRHAPrep-8.x-*.txt (this document)
 * ClassroomSetup-8.x-*.txt (first day instructions)
* ClassroomTroubleshooting-8.x-*.txt (extra tips/hints)
* rhci-foundation-8.0-*.iso (RHCI CD-ROM ISO)
* usb-8.0-20G-rhce8-*.img (RH124, 134, and 294)

The first four files are support files that are needed regardless of
course being taught. The usb-*.img files represent image copies of USB
media of the specified size (20G) that can be used for the list of
courses identified above.

For clarity, the reference to 8.0 identifies that the media will be
using RHEL 8.0 to physically install the classroom referred to as
RHCIfoundation. The version of RHEL used in the courses will likely
vary from the physical layer but is isolated to the virtual layer that
all instructor demonstrations and student activities are performed.

SECTION 3: PREPARING CLASSROOM SETUP INSTALLATION MEDIA

=======================================================

This section is divided into two steps:

* Preparing the rhci-foundation CD-ROM media
* Preparing the classroom setup installation media USB device

The steps included here identify Linux commands that can be used to write
the media. If you are using another platform to create the media, you
will need to appropriately translate and test. We officially support doing
this on Linux only (but do know people have made it work elsewhere).

PREPARING THE RHCI-foundation CD-ROM MEDIA

Use your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM burner to write the RHCI ISO image to a disc.
The following command should work on a RHEL or Fedora system:

# wodim -v -eject [dev=DEVICE] rhci-foundation-*.iso

The dev= argument is only needed if you have multiple burners, and
should point to the DEVICE which is the CD-ROM/DVD-ROM device which
you are using; /dev/cdrw for example.

You may wish to prepare extra copies in case one is damaged when
traveling to the training site.

PREPARING THE CLASSROOM SETUP INSTALLATION MEDIA USB DEVICE

This step will create your USB memory stick or hard drive as a classroom
setup installation media source. The .img file represents a mirror image
of that size USB device and can be placed on USB media that is at least
the size specified.

****** WARNING **********************************************************

* *
* This procedure is expected to erase all data on the USB memory *
* stick/hard drive intended for use as classroom installation media! *
* *
* Be VERY careful with all instructions in this step. *
* *
*************************************************************************
 Insert your USB memory stick or external hard drive into the system which
has the cache directory containing the materials you downloaded from
Gilmore. (Reminder---that cache directory MUST NOT be on the same USB
memory stick or external hard drive)

Note very carefully the device name used by the file system on the
external USB device. This may be something like "/dev/sdc". You must
specify the device name that refers to the whole device, not some
pre-existing partition.

Make sure the device is not currently mounted before running (replacing
/dev/sdc with the device name of your USB device):

# dd if=usb...img of=/dev/sdc bs=1M

The USB device has been rendered "bootable" should the BIOS of the
system being installed to support USB/MBR booting....

SECTION 4: FINAL NOTES

======================

Prepare your classroom setup installation media well in advance of travel

to the classroom facility. This will save time on Monday morning. We also
advise that you practice classroom setup prior to doing it under time
pressure for an actual class.

We strongly recommend that you keep a backup set of classroom materials

on alternative media in case your USB2/3 classroom setup installation
media is damaged.

It is also wise to create additional backups containing the materials

downloaded so that you can recreate classroom setup installation media
on-site if necessary.

Congratulations, and have a good class!

CHANGELOG
=========
* Sun Mar 17 2019 Robert Locke <rlocke@redhat.com> 8.x-7
- update to RHEL 8
* Tue Jul 25 2017 Robert Locke <rlocke@redhat.com> 7.x-5
- change references to 7.3 and add/differentiate CL110 v8 and v10
* Sat Dec 17 2016 Robert Locke <rlocke@redhat.com> 7.x-5
- Initial release.