Fedora Linux

fc6 configuration. To configure the use of a Kickstart file (see the next lab), add the option -K followed by the Kickstart URL.

10.3.4. Where Can I Learn More?

? The manpages for dd , httpd , mkdosfs , rsync , wget , system-config-netboot , dhcpd , dhcpd.conf , tftpd , pxeos , and pxeboot

? The HTML documentation for system-config-netboot : file:///usr/share/doc/system-config-netboot-0.1.38/index.html

? The syslinux home page (which includes the isolinux and pxelinux bootloaders): http://syslinux.zytor.com/

? The Intel PXE specification: http://download.intel.com/design/archives/wfm/downloads/pxespec.pdf

10.4. Installing with Kickstart

In a normal Fedora Core installation, Anaconda asks a number of questions before beginning the actual installation procedure, which then runs without any user intervention (except for changing CDs, if that is the chosen installation method).

Kickstart is a Fedora installation option that uses a text file to supply basic configuration information so that Anaconda can skip all of the questions normally asked during installation.

10.4.1. How Do I Do That?

To use Kickstart, you must create a Kickstart file using any regular text editor. A Kickstart file contains a number of options, one per line, with arguments.

These options are required:

auth or authconfig

Configures the authentication system. For normal password authentication, use the arguments -- enableshadow --enablemd5 .

bootloader

The GRUB installation location and password. For an upgrade, use --upgrade ; for a new installation, use --location=mbr --md5pass= encryptedpassword (I cover how to generate encrypted passwords shortly).

lang

Selects the language to be used during installation. Possible values are listed in /usr/share/system-config-language/locale-list ; for U.S. English, use the argument en_US .

keyboard

The keyboard type to be used. Specify us for a standard North American English keyboard, or use one of the codes found in /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/rhpl/keyboard_models.py (such as cf for Canadian French).

rootpw

The root password. Use the arguments --iscrypted encryptedpassword .

timezone

The time zone for the system. The third column of /usr/share/zoneinfo/zone.tab lists possible values, such as America/Toronto or Asia/Shanghai . Add the argument --utc if the system clock is in UTC (recommended except when the system is dual-boot and you are in a time zone that has daylight savings time).

To encrypt a password for the bootloader and root access, use the openssl command:

$ openssl passwd -1 -salt ' RaNDoMjuNk ' ' MySecretPassword '
$1$RaNDoMju$OS0p7cTCbvCJ2ITUfcovM1

Replace RaNDoMjuNK with any garbage characters you want to use, and MySecretPassword with the desired password. Cut and paste the result into the Kickstart file as the encrypted password.

Here is a basic configuration using these options:

auth --enableshadow --enablemd5
bootloader --location=mbr --md5pass=$1$RaNDoMju$OS0p7cTCbvCJ2ITUfcovM1
lang en_US
keyboard us
rootpw --iscrypted $1$RaNDoMju$OS0p7cTCbvCJ2ITUfcovM1
timezone America/Toronto

Next, specify the installation source and networking:

cdrom

Installation from the first optical disk drive on the system (CD or DVD).

url

HTTP or FTP installation. Use the argument --url http: // host/directory or --url ftp:// host/directory to specify the location of the installation files.

nfs

NFS installation. Use --server= ip_address and --dir= directory to specify the server host and directory that contain the installation files.