kickstart install using NFS

Henderson, TL Todd Todd_Henderson at ISL-3Com.com
Wed Oct 9 12:15:15 PDT 2002


I'm preparing to install a large number of new nodes using redhat and have
planned on using the kickstart option.  I have gotten a kickstart file setup
just the way I want it with one exception and I can not get it to work.  I
ultimately want to boot from a floppy and in the kickstart file tell it to
get the rpm's from a nfs mount.

So far I have:

1.)  Booted from a cd and issued the command:
linux ks=floppy
This is how I built and debugged my ks file.  This gives me what I want,
except I get to swap CD's during the install.  No nfs option at this point.

2.)  I added the line
nfs --server=my.local.server.com --dir=/redhat
and tried the 'linux ks=floppy' again booting from the CD.  It continues to
get the rpms from the CD.

3.)  I built a floppy from mkbootdisk, with the ks.cfg file and at the boot:
prompt typed linux ks=floppy.  This time it went directly to the resuce boot
from the HD.

4.)  I then got a recommendation from someone to modify the syslinux.cfg
file on the floppy.  I tried that and got errors like the following:

mount: error 22 mounting ext2
pviotroot: .{stuff deleted} failed: 2
...
Kernel panic: No init found.  Try passing init= ...

5.)  I've built the system with the CD and my kickstart and made sure I
could mount my nfs box and directory once everything was up and I could.
I've given just about everyone premission to the directory and the export.

I've looked through all the kickstart how-to's, the redhat references and
can't find anything wrong.

Here is the relevant part of the ks file:

install
lang en_US
langsupport --default en_US.iso885915 en_US.iso885915
keyboard us
mouse generic3ps/2 --device psaux
skipx
rootpw --iscrypted blahblahblah
firewall --disabled
authconfig --enableshadow --enablemd5
timezone America/Chicago
network --bootproto dhcp
nfs --server=myserver.name.com --dir=/redhat/RedHat
bootloader --location=mbr
clearpart --all
zerombr yes
part / --fstype ext3 --size 5120
part /home --fstype ext3 --size 1024
part swap --size 1024
part /scratch --fstype ext3 --size 1024 --grow

The directory tree on the remote machine is:

/redhat
'-- RedHat
    |-- RPMS
    '-- base

Are the ks commands echo'd to a file so I can see what is happening, or if
there are any errors?  I've looked at the anaconda-ks.cfg file and it is a
very close replica of my ks.cfg file, with the glaring exception of the nfs
command, and some post install stuff.

Thanks in advance for any and all help or suggestions.
Todd



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