Dear Experts,

Greeting for the Day !!

I want to install RHEL 4.4 Workstation version in 45 PCs at a time. I've choosen network installation through NFS instead of doing CD installation in each pc.
For this purpose, I select a faster pc among those pcs, which have P4 2.4 GHz cpu, 2 GB RAM, 80 GB HDD etc to use it as a server.
Other PCs configuration : P4 2.0 GHz cpu, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB HDD.
With the above configuration, I've 15 IBM PCs, 15 HCL PCs and 15 CMS PCs. RHEL 4 ES has been installed in the system which I've choosen as a network server.

I've created a /rhel dir in the server's root dir and shared it through the /etc/exports file. The file consists the below line...

/rhel *(ro,sync)

After sharing the above dir, I copied the complete 1st CD, then copied the contents of Redhat/RPMS of next 3 CDs to the already created dir after copying the first CD. (RHEL 4.4 WS contains 4 CDs).
After restarting the nfs service, server shows the shared dir by running the below command (showmount -e).

After booting from 1st CD in any client, I can install RHEL 4.4 WS by the below command on boot prompt..

boot: linux text askmethod

Its working fine and I've installed OS successfully in 7-8 PCs successfully. But, yesterday, I came to know that we can use a kickstart configuration file to minimize the installation time by using this. Somebody says that just copy the automatic generated kickstart file from the /root (i.e. anaconda-kickstart.cfg) dir of the PC which already installed and copy it to /rhel/kickstart dir (I've create the kickstart dir in /rhel). Then suggest me to run the below command ...

boot: linux ks=nfs:10.49.xx.xx:/rhel/kickstart/hcl-ks.cfg text askmethod

I tried this but during installation it doesn't pick the KS file and go as usually.

Pls suggest, whether it is neccessary to install the system-config-kickstart.rpm in the server ?
What I'm missing there ?
Whether I've to create a new kickstart config file using " system-config-kickstart" command or the existing KS file will work (anaconda-kickstart.cfg). Actually, I've picked the anaconda-kickstart.cfg from IBM, HCL and CMS PC each. I thought that these PCs are from different make and configurations, may be a single KS file won't work, so, I copied anaconda-kickstart.cfg file and rename it by ibm-ks.cfg, hcl-ks.cfg and cms-ks.cfg respectively.

Whether it'll work or not, I don't know.
Pls suggest me, what I'm doing is wrong or I've missed something ??

cycle between the virtual consoles for error messages (ctrl+F3/F4).
specifying an nfs based kickstart file instructs anaconda to use dhcp
for networking (to startup installation).
if its not picking up the ks file, chances are networking is "not working".

hth.

Thanks for your reply.

Can you pls expain it a little bit. I'm not getting what you want to say.

Seems pretty clear....

You have a problem with your networking setup. Either you're not getting a DHCP address, your interface isn't coming up, you have a bad cable, whatever. You have a networking problem.

Dear,

Thats not the problem. Network is working fine. Even, NFS installation is also working fine. As I've mentioned in my post, its not picking up the KS file when I'm using the same.

Though I'm using different name of KS file because I've systems with 3 different configuration. That why I've created, 3 different KS files with name cms-ks.cfg, ibm-ks.cfg & hcl-ks.cfg. I dont know whether it will work or not ? Is it must to use KS file with name ks.cfg ??

Well, since you didn't like the answer from either of us who replied, and you're using RedHat Enterprise Linux, why don't you call RedHat support and ask them?

Isn't it obvious what the problem is?

You said you're doing:

But that should look like this to work:

Notice the second : from the end of the server address or IP? It's not needed to my knowledge and is what's probably causing the kickstart config from getting picked up.

TS's original boot parameter is correct for an nfs hosted ks configuration file.
the problem, unless TS verifies via the console logs, is most probably the ks client's
pc not getting connected to the nfs server. (ie no dhcp server).

[QUOTE=arunabh_biswas;3265992]
boot: linux ks=nfs:10.49.xx.xx:/rhel/kickstart/hcl-ks.cfg text askmethod
QUOTE]


you say askmethod but in ask method you will let know that from where to install means nfs, http, or ftp but when already you have told that you will install from nfs then command should look like this


linux ks=nfs:ip address:/rhel/ks.cfg

it worked for me already, and hope that will work for you also .


thanks
shahz

I'm sorry to say but if you're unable to resolve anybody's problem then don't blame them. If somebody asking, there must be problem there. If u dont have solution then let it be.

[QUOTE=shahz;3285415]
Thanks shahz for u'r reply..

the systax you suggest is working but let me explain it little more specific...

1) Can I use a name other than ks.cfg ?
2) As I've systems with 3 differnt type of configuration in my network with differnt hardware specifications, thus I've created 3 different kickstart files, with name "hcl-ks.cfg , ibm-ks.cfg & cms-ks.cfg". Can I use with the exact name what I've choosen or I've to stick to the "ks.cfg" name ??

I didn't blame you, but rather said that his post was very clear; he said you had a network problem, wrote it out clearly, but you didn't understand what he wrote. And just so you're clear, I didn't offer any advice on your problem at all, merely agreed with someone who did.

And at the end of it all, it turns out that Shahz had the solution, which was that you didn't specify things correctly, leading to an error which looked to be network-related.

You can them them micky.mouse if you want, as long as you specify the path to the kickstart configuration to use, it doesn't care what the name is.

And yeah, I missed the askmethod, only noticed the nfs= string. According to the kickstart documentation, it gives an example without the second : before the path. I never use NFS for kickstarts and try to avoid it altogether even after the OS is installed, etc.

Thanks for your suggestion..

the askmethod parameter is discarded if anaconda finds your kickstart file
with a valid installation source.