READ ONLY FORUM: m23 :: makes software distribution easy

moxx · Guest

Hi,
I'm a newbe with m23 and i'm trying to create some virtual machines.
My m23 server is a virtual machine in virtual box.
I'd like to create another virtual machine and then install an OS (linuxmint)
I've created my virtual machine, bridge connection, network boot.
When i add a new client, i enter all the requested informations, MAC adress of the virtual machine, an IP, etc.
But nothing works...
In the user documentation, things are not very clear regarding the way to create an VM.
I've seen something like VirtualboxOSE but i really don't know how and where use it.
thanks for all the future help,
best regards

Maren · Guest

Hi moxx,

welcome to m23 Smile

Okay, so let's see if we can help you:

Did you switch the virtual machine (client) on?
(it will not start by itself, this is not supported by VirtualBox)
You should do this after you 'Add'ed the client in m23.

When it is switched on: press F12 to enter boot menu, or, if a dialog that asks you to choose a hard disk to boot from pops up, click on Cancel.

After this, you should see a rotating cursor, and something about searching for a DHCP server on the future client's display.

If this doesn't work, to be able to help you, we need a little more info:

- which m23 version do you use? Which file did you download?
- is Network boot at the top of the boot order of the client VM you created?
- what is 'nothing works'? What exactly happens?
- Did you check (and re-check) the MAC address and other network parameters?
- Is there another DHCP server in your network?

Regards,
Maren

Guest · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 11:40 Post subject:

Hi dear contributor !
Thanks for your help, it partly works for me now.
My m23 server version is : 15.1 rock (100760) and i've downloaded the Pre-installed Virtual Machine.
I've created my Debian VM in virtualbox. (put the LAN booting on top of the list)
I create the client in M23 then start my VM.
Everything works fine, LAN boot, and I get a message a message like "welcome in m23..." or something.
I go back to m23, see my new host. Configure it, make it ready for the installation (partioning and formating)
My problems comes then, to choose the image.
Let me present you my configuration first.
As there is a DHCP server at my job that can't stop, i've created my VMs in Host private Network (réseau privé hôte in french) in VirtualBox.
So i've put my linux images (1 debian and 1 linuxmint) in the folder /m23/data+scripts/clientImages.
So, after that, I select "imaging" as package source but my 2 images don't seems to be recognized.
In the client overview, the client is green but no image is spread !!!
The client realtime status shows that there is a ssh error ("
Connection timed out during banner exchange")
But I'm not suppose to install ssh on my VM, no?!
Don't know what happens, but I'm quit happy to see some green ! thanks to you !

Hauke · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 1072

Hi,

it is not really the intention of m23 to deploy images that were not created with m23 itself Wink

But it may work, if you create a partition or disk image with dd and compress it with gzip. The filename must be in the format myimage.0.dd.gz. Here you can choose a name for "myimage", the 0 can be replaced by the size of the uncompressed image in bytes. Place the file in /m23/data+scripts/clientImages.

Are the images then listed in the m23 webinterface (Serveur -> Configurations du serveur -> Administrer les fichiers image) ?

In addition, I have uploaded a VM that acts as virtual router with two network cards: http://sourceforge.net/projects/dodger-tools/files/vms/IPCop.ova/download

The first network card runs a DHCP client and has access to your local network via NAT. The second card builds a VirtualBox internal network called "WSNetz".

Please import the VM and put your m23 server and client in the same internal network. The IP of the virtual router (gateway and DNS) is 192.168.1.4. You could change the settings of the router (root /
testtest) or the IP settings of your m23 server and client.

Does it work this way?
_________________
Hauke Goos-Habermann
- project leader m23 (http://m23.sf.net) -
Jabber: dodgerm23@jabber.org

Schulung, Entwicklung und Support zu m23 und anderen OpenSource-Produkten: www.goos-habermann.de

Auch DU kannst etwas gegen Softwarepatente tun! www.patentfrei.de

moxxbiales · Joined: 29 Jun 2015 Posts: 2 Location: Bordeaux

Hi,
Thanks for your help.
The thing is that my VM's are empty ! So i can't create an image from these partitions...
What I'd like to do is create an image from the ISO i've downloaded and put in /m23/data+scripts/clientImages.
All this is a test for the building of a class room this autumn.
In this classroom, we'll have an access to the Internet so it will be easier to download images from the Inernet ; if I understand the aim of M23.

Hauke · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 1072

Hi,

you cannot deploy an ISO file to a client directly. But it is possible, to clone an previously installed m23 client via the m23 webinterface to a new empty machine. You could e.g. install a client where you have internet and use it as cloning base.

But cloning is not very efficient and will cause more problems than normal package based installations with m23. You should use cloning only, if you have very good reason.

For your situation you need a complete or partial mirror of the packages of the wanted distribution.

Take your m23 server (or a new installed virtual m23 server) to home or wherever you have intenet access and use the pool builder (Paquets -> Architecte de sources de paquets) to build a partial mirror.

Then copy the files from this m23 server under /m23/data+scripts/pool/<poolname> to your m23 server in the school. Copy the sources list (Sources de paquets) from the pool too and create a new sources list (Paquets -> Sources de paquets) on the school's m23 server. Use the settings (architecture, distribution, desktops, etc.) that match the downloaded packages.

With this packages you should be able to install m23 clients.
_________________
Hauke Goos-Habermann
- project leader m23 (http://m23.sf.net) -
Jabber: dodgerm23@jabber.org

Schulung, Entwicklung und Support zu m23 und anderen OpenSource-Produkten: www.goos-habermann.de

Auch DU kannst etwas gegen Softwarepatente tun! www.patentfrei.de