Fedora Linux

raid pv.03 --device md3 --level=RAID1 raid.04 raid.10
raid pv.04 --device md4 --level=RAID1 raid.05 raid.11
raid pv.05 --device md5 --level=RAID1 raid.06 raid.12
# Volume Group 'main'
volgroup main pv.01 pv.02 pv.03 pv.04 pv.05
# LVs for root (10GB), /home (35GB), /var (35GB), and swap (1GB),
# leaving about 20 GB available for snapshots and future expansion
# of the LVs
logvol swap --vgname=main --size=1024 --name=swap
logvol / --vgname=main --size=10000 --name=root --fstype=ext3
logvol /home --vgname=main --size=35000 --name=home --fstype=ext3
logvol /var --vgname=main --size=35000 --name=var --fstype=ext3
text
xconfig --startxonboot --depth=24 --resolution=1024x768
firewall --enabled --port=5900:tcp --ssh --http --smtp
firstboot --reconfig
poweroff
%packages
@gnome-desktop
@office
@smb-server
@printing
@russian-support
gimp
tomboy

10.4.1.1. Using a Kickstart file

To use a Kickstart file, make it accessible to the installation target system by placing it on an HTTP, FTP, or NFS server, or put it on a floppy disk.

To use a Kickstart file on floppy disk, add ks=floppy to the boot string encountered when booting from a USB key or optical disc:

: linux ks=floppy

It is assumed that the Kickstart file is named ks.cfg , that it is in the root directory of the floppy disk, and that the floppy disk is formatted with an MS-DOS ( VFAT) or ext2 filesystem.

To make the Kickstart file available through the web server on a Fedora Core system, use these commands (assuming that the file is named ks.cfg and is in the current directory):

# mkdir -p /var/www/ kickstart
# cp ks.cfg /var/www/ kickstart

You can then access the Kickstart file by URL at the installation boot prompt:

: linux ks=http:// 192.168.1.2 /kickstart/ks.cfg

(Replace 192.168.1.2 with the actual address of your server.) However, when booting from a PXE boot server, no boot prompt is provided. Instead, you must configure the Kickstart file by entering the URL into the system-config-netboot window for a particular IP address or range ( Figure 10-20 ) or using the -K argument to the pxeboot command:

# pxeboot -a -O fc6 192.168.1 -K http://192.168.1.2/kickstart/ks.cfg

10.4.2. How Does It Work?

Fedora's Anaconda installer is written in Python and uses a library called the Red Hat Python Library, or rhpl . Before commencing the installation process, Anaconda must load the data structures that control the installation. These data structures can be filled with data from user input or from the Kickstart file.

10.4.3. What About...

10.4.3.1. ...creating a Kickstart file using a graphical tool?

Fedora Core provides the system-config-kickstart utility for graphically editing a Kickstart file. Unfortunately, the version of system-config-kickstart shipped with Fedora Core 6 has some show-stopping bugs that cause it to create defective Kickstart files, and it is not able to configure LVM systems. However, you can use it to create a rough Kickstart file to use as a starting point for further customization.

10.4.3.2. ...creating a Kickstart file that dynamically adjusts according to properties of the installation target?

Kickstart files can include a script that is run before installation, and the output of that script can be included into the Kickstart configuration.

For example, to configure swapspace to be double the memory size, you can add this script to the Kickstart file:

%pre