 |
READ ONLY FORUM: m23 :: makes software distribution easy
The m23 discussion forum
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Guest
Guest
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 8:41 Post subject: Ready for the next step, automation standard? |
 |
|
Hi!
The last DWN issue had a note about automated installation and pointed to thread on debian-boot.
http://lists.debian.org/debian-boot/2004/06/msg01459.html
Recently there was some more talk, see also exerpt below. Please join in to coordinate efforts between m23, fai and d-i.
----
> Another idea I'd like to throw in is to also keep an eye on m23 and coordinate
> ideas.
> m23 offers a complete software distribution system for debian.
>
> If the remote job fetching could be made compatible, that would be really
> great allowing standard d-i images to be distributed, installed and
> maintained remotely from a central install server. That server allready
> exists and works, it just needs modified install images for now.
>
Notice that neither m23 nor FAI, both projects that where suggested
here, seems to be based on d-i, nor are there really plans to move them
to it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Hauke
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Posts: 1072
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 9:15 Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | Please join in to coordinate efforts between m23, fai and d-i. |
This wouldn't be easy because FAI and m23 use very different ways to install the clients.
And there are two different intentions of these two projects:
FAI: fully automatic installation: define all settings before the installation
m23: make the installation interactive: get hardware infromation, partition and format the system, select Linux distribution and install additional software.
The only common idea is: install clients over the network.
Of course there are some similarities (e.g. installing the base system with debootstrap) but the differences are much bigger than the common things.
If there are good ideas for software distribution in gerneral, feel free to post them.
And what's d-i (disk imaging)?
_________________
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 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Guest
Guest
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2004 19:01 Post subject: |
|
|
I'm sorry, by d-i I was referring to the debian-installer (used for sarge).
The debian-installer is probably going to get support for automating and remote installation soon. (Ideas for it are thrown around)
So if d-i is going to allow fetching settings or "jobs" for the installation I thought it might be of interest for m23. Possibly there are even some recommendations.
A goal may be that it might not be necessary to make special install images for m23 in the future if regular d-i netboot images will have the right hooks.
On the other hand any automated or remote mangaged d-i install will need an install server, and m23 or fai are already there.
Custom Debian Distributions or new d-i test releases etc. could be installed centrally on different hardware for testing out of the box. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Hauke
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Posts: 1072
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2004 12:03 Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | So if d-i is going to allow fetching settings or "jobs" for the installation I thought it might be of interest for m23. |
Sounds like a good idea. May be you should have a look at the "kickstart" installation tool for Red Hat. It would be really good to have compatible syntax to kickstart.
| Quote: | | A goal may be that it might not be necessary to make special install images for m23 in the future if regular d-i netboot images will have the right hooks. |
This will be a problem, because m23 needs special tools in the bootimages. E.g. hardware and partition information gathered and transferred to the server. These necessary tools wouldn't be in a standard d-i bootimage.
| Quote: | | On the other hand any automated or remote mangaged d-i install will need an install server, and m23 or fai are already there. |
If there are well defined interfaces it would be possible. It would be easier if d-i is a normal tool, that can be copied on the m23 bootimage and executed as a normal programm with given parameters. E.g. a d-i installation script that does the partitioning and formating, installing the base system and additional packages.
Is there a forum where the d-i automated installation interface is discussed?
_________________
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 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Guest
|
| Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2004 19:46 Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Quote: | | A goal may be that it might not be necessary to make special install images for m23 in the future if regular d-i netboot images will have the right hooks. |
This will be a problem, because m23 needs special tools in the bootimages. E.g. hardware and partition information gathered and transferred to the server. These necessary tools wouldn't be in a standard d-i bootimage.
|
Hmm, maybe the first "job" supplied to the client by m23 could then be to fetch those tools. Alternatively d-i could do the hardware detection (uses discover).
| Quote: |
| Quote: | | On the other hand any automated or remote mangaged d-i install will need an install server, and m23 or fai are already there. |
If there are well defined interfaces it would be possible. It would be easier if d-i is a normal tool, that can be copied on the m23 bootimage and executed as a normal programm with given parameters. E.g. a d-i installation script that does the partitioning and formating, installing the base system and additional packages.
|
Yes that is quite what it is I guess.
| Quote: |
Is there a forum where the d-i automated installation interface is discussed? |
Yes it's the debian-boot@lists.debian.org list where the initial ideas have been thrown around. (The subject was quite similar) You can follow the link given in the first post above. I might add that I think your input would be quite helpful, for example as you'd need d-i to be able to fetch and execute scripts and not only non-interactive setting templates or such.
Cheers
Christian |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Guest
Guest
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:00 Post subject: |
|
|
FYI on the status, future enhancements to be discussed.
Note that automated and remote (interactive) installs have the "job feeding" in common.
To: debian-boot@lists.debian.org
Subject: Re: Scripting/automated install support
On Mon, Jul 12, 2004 at 08:37:12PM +0200, Petter Reinholdtsen wrote:
> [Frans Pop]
> > Currently automated install is not really supported. It's a subject
> > that has come up several times over the last weeks/months.
>
> I think it is more an issue with it not being documented. I am pretty
> sure Steinar Gunderson (Sesse on IRC) do this with d-i using a
> handmade boot floppy containing autopartkit and the wanted
> configuration preset in cdebconf.
>
> > Please check the list archives for more info.
>
> I think he wrote some thing about his configuration a year or so ago.
It is at http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/manual/en.powerpc/ch04s06.html#id2512026
the chapter "Automatic Installation" of the D-I manual.
The source file is automatic-install.xml in the directory
debian-installer/installer/doc/manual/en/install-methods
It contains information I got from Sesse that is only visible
in the XML source. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You can post new topics in this forum
You can reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
