Welcome to:

Unit 1
Advanced Linux Installation

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2006

Course materials may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of IBM. 3.3.3
Unit Objectives
After completing this unit, you should be able to:
• Perform a network installation
• Discuss network install servers
• Discuss RHEL/Fedora Kickstart installations
• Discuss SLES AutoYaST installations

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2006

Installing Linux - Review
• Documentation
• Hardware requirements
• System resources
• Installation resources
• Check for updated information

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Disk Partitioning – Review
hda: The first sector of the disk contains the
MBR and partition table

Master Boot Record (MBR)

Partition table
hda1: First primary partition holds a
MS Windows Microsoft Windows filesystem

hda5: First logical partition holds a Linux

filesystem that will be mounted as /
Linux /
hda6: Second logical partition holds a Linux
Linux /home filesystem that will be mounted as /home

hda7: Third logical partition holds a Linux

Linux swap swap space

hda2: Second primary partition is an extended

partition and holds 3 logical partitions
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Network Installations
• Installations where packages to install are downloaded from
the network
• Network protocols supported depends on distribution
– NFS
– FTP
– HTTP
– SMB
• Requires a network install server
• Usually requires special network-enabled boot media

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Network Install Server - Overview
• Should be a Linux/UNIX server
• Content of all relevant CDs copied to disk
– Use a naming scheme that allows multiple
versions/distributions to be exported
• For example: /export/rhel4U3, /export/fedora5,
/export/suse10, ...
• Method
– NFS
– (anonymous) FTP
– HTTP
– SMB

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Network Install Server - Configuration
• Server fileset configuration
– Red Hat: copy at least .discinfo, RedHat/ and images/
– Fedora: copy at least .discinfo, Fedora/ and images/
– SUSE Linux: copy CD 1 completely, from all other CDs
copy SUSE/ and media*
• Server configuration
– Red Hat/Fedora
• manual
– SUSE Linux
• /sbin/yast2 instserver

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RHEL/Fedora Kickstart Installations
• Fedora/RHEL method of automating installations
• File “ks.cfg” file with three sections:
– Install commands
– %packages section
– %pre, %post section
• File creation
– Manually
– system-config-kickstart,
– /root/anaconda-ks.cfg (created during installation)
• Location
– boot floppy or NFS server
•NFS also requires a DHCP server
• Initiation:
– linux ks=ks.cfg URL at syslinux boot: prompt
•Edit syslinux.cfg for automation

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RHEL/Fedora Kickstart Example
# cat anaconda-ks.cfg
# Kickstart file automatically generated by anaconda.

install
cdrom
lang en_US.UTF-8
langsupport --default=en_US.UTF-8 en_US.UTF-8
keyboard us
xconfig --card "Intel 815" --videoram 16384 --hsync 30-94 --vsync 48-120
--resolution 800x600 --depth 16 --startxonboot --defaultdesktop gnome
network --device eth0 --bootproto static --ip 10.0.0.3
--netmask 255.255.255.0 --gateway 10.0.0.100 --hostname sys2
rootpw --iscrypted $1$Q1EsuwfB$aowfCXdJRUcpW/8h4JlOc.
firewall --disabled
selinux --enforcing
authconfig --enableshadow --enablemd5
timezone America/Los_Angeles
bootloader --location=mbr --append="rhgb quiet"
# The following is the partition information you requested
# Note that any partitions you deleted are not expressed
# here so unless you clear all partitions first, this is
# not guaranteed to work
#clearpart --all --drives=had
. . .

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SLES AutoYaST Installations
• SUSE Linux method of automating installs
• File “ay.xml” containing all installation information:
– General settings for keyboard and so forth
– Partition settings
– Packages
– Pre- and post-install scripts
• File creation:
– yast autoyast
• Location:
– Store file on network server
• Initiation:
– install=nfs://10.0.0.1/export/suse10 \
autoyast=nfs://10.0.0.1/autoyast/myprofile.xml

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2006

 AutoYaST Example
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE profile SYSTEM "/usr/share/autoinstall/dtd/profile.dtd">
<profile xmlns="http://www.suse.com/1.0/yast2ns" xmlns:config="http://www.suse.c
om/1.0/configns">
<bootloader>
<activate config:type="boolean">false</activate>
<global>
<embed_stage1.5 config:type="boolean">true</embed_stage1.5>
<gfxmenu>/boot/message</gfxmenu>
<lines_cache_id>0</lines_cache_id>
<prompt>1</prompt>
<stage1_dev>/dev/hda7,/dev/hda</stage1_dev>
<timeout config:type="integer">8</timeout>
</global>
<initrd_modules config:type="list">
<initrd_module>
<module>piix</module>
</initrd_module>
<initrd_module>
<module>processor</module>
</initrd_module>
<initrd_module>
<module>thermal</module>
. . .

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SLES mkzimage Tool
• Provides a means to create a customized boot image that:
– Can be customized to a particular system or used as a
template for all installs
– Can store up to 512 characters of options to pass to the
installer
# mkzimage_cmdline custom_sys
cmd_line size:512
cmd_line:
active: 0
# mkzimage_cmdline -a 1 -s 'insmod=e100 dhcp=1 vnc=1 \
vncpassword=suseinst install=http/10.0.0.1/export/suse10' \
custom_sys
# mkzimage_cmdline custom_sys
cmd_line size:512
cmd_line: insmod=e100 dhcp=1 vnc=1 vncpassword=suseinst
active: 1

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Checkpoint
1. True / False: A network install server needs to be a Linux
system.
2. Which of the following install methods does not require a
network server?
a. NFS
b. SMB
c. FTP
d. CD-ROM
3. What are some possible locations where a RHEL/Fedora
Kickstart or SLES Linux AutoYaST file can be stored?

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2006

Checkpoint Solutions
1. True / False: A network install server needs to be a Linux
system. It is possible to use UNIX, or Windows NT
2. Which of the following install methods does not require a
network server?
a. NFS
b. SMB
c. FTP
d. CD-ROM
3. What are some possible locations where a RHEL/Fedora
Kickstart or SLES AutoYaST file can be stored?
Floppy disk
Network server (http, nfs)

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Exercise 1: Advanced Linux Installation

What you will do in this exercise:

• Install a Linux distribution onto your
classroom system

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Unit Summary

• Network install servers are convenient means of software

distribution, both for doing upgrades and installs.
• A network install server typically exports multiple versions
of multiple distributions via NFS, FTP or HTTP.
• To perform a network install you typically need a special
boot diskette, and sometimes additional module disks as
well.
• RHEL/Fedora "Kickstart" and SLES "AutoYaST" install
methods allow you to automate installations.

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2006