288 lines
13 KiB
HTML
288 lines
13 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN">
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<HTML>
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<HEAD>
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<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
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<TITLE>Network Install HOWTO: SuSE Client Install</TITLE>
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<LINK HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-6.html" REL=next>
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<LINK HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-4.html" REL=previous>
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<LINK HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO.html#toc5" REL=contents>
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</HEAD>
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<BODY>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-6.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-4.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO.html#toc5">Contents</A>
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<HR>
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<H2><A NAME="s5">5. SuSE Client Install</A></H2>
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<P>
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<!--
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network install!suse client install
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-->
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You should have already decided by now using the
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-3.html#quickguide">Quick Guide</A> section
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of this HOWTO whether you are going to install your machine using the automated
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process or a manual process. The automated process under SuSE is known as
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AutoYaST and in short provides you with a configuration file for the machine
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that you are going to install so that you can perform unattended installs of
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client machines.
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<P>
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss5.1">5.1 Create AutoYaST Config Files</A>
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</H2>
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<P>You only need to read/follow this section if you are intending to use an
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automated install process, if you intend to do a manual installation over
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your network then skip this section. Here we go through the process of creating
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configuration files that the installer will read in order to create the
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configuration of our client machine we are installing during an unattended
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network installation.
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<P>
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<P>
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<H3>YaST 2 Module Installation</H3>
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<P>In order to start creating your config files you will need to install the
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AutoYaST module for YaST2 on your SuSE machine. You will need three RPMs for
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this, all of which are on your SuSE source media e.g. CDs. The three RPMs are:
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<UL>
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<LI>yast2-trans-autoinst</LI>
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<LI>yast2-config-autoinst</LI>
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<LI>yast2-module-autoinst</LI>
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</UL>
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<P>Check to see if you already have them installed with the command:
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<PRE>
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rpm -q {rpm package name}
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</PRE>
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<P>If these packages are not installed then install with the command:
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<PRE>
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rpm -Uvh {rpm package name}
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</PRE>
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<P>
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<P>
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<H3><A NAME="susebasicconfig"></A> Create A Basic Config File </H3>
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<P>Once you have confirmed that you have the AutoYaST packages installed on your
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system, you can now start to create configuration files. For most situations
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the basic configuration described here will be sufficient to perform your
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installations.
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<P>Start the YaST2 Autoinstall configuration GUI with the command:
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<PRE>
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yast2 autoyast
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</PRE>
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<P>You will now be presented with a window that allows you to configure most of
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your installation options as if you were installing a new machine or performing
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an upgrade. You can proceed through the menu system configuring your options
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for a particular system or set of similar systems that you wish to automatically
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install. Alternatively, you can create class definitions which allows you to
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save different parts of the configuration setup and then use different classes
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for different sets of machines.
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<P>The use of classes is particularly good when you have a set of systems that are
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similar but that you would like installed in slightly different ways. For
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example, you could create a class definition for the hardware setup of all your
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client machines and create a separate class for the packages you want installed
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on them, whether they are server machines, test machines, workstations, etc.
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You can then choose which classes are used by which machines when they are
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installed. In our example here, all the machines would use the same hardware
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setup, but the workstation machines could install our workstation class of
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packages, test machines the test class, etc.
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<P>Once you have progressed through each configuration screen in the config setup
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GUI from YaST2 you are ready to save out your configuration file to disk. <EM>NOTE: it is outside the boundaries of this document to take you through each
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configuration option for installation, we are just concerned with the principles
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of network installs here. Please consult your SuSE documentation or
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the
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<A HREF="http://www.suse.com">SuSE Website</A> for this information.</EM>
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<P>When you save your configuration files they will be stored locally in two
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different locations depending on what file you have created as follows:
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<UL>
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<LI>Machine configuration files are stored in <CODE>/var/lib/autoinstall/repository</CODE></LI>
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<LI>Class definition files are stored in <CODE>/var/lib/autoinstall/classes</CODE></LI>
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</UL>
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<P>
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<P>
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<H3>Advanced Config File Setup</H3>
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<P>Before attempting advanced configuration please make sure that you have first
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created a valid basic configuration file as described
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<A HREF="#susebasicconfig">above</A>.
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It is perfectly possible to create your own configuration files from scratch
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but it is far easier to use the tools provided to do the job for you!
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<P>Once you have your configuration file saved, you can open it in your favourite
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text editor. The file is in XML format so it is particularly easy to follow and
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edit manually. You can use or modify any of the existing tags in your file,
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just so long as the tags, options, and syntax you use are legal. A full guide
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to the tags and their usage can be found in the AutoYaST manual, please see
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-10.html#AppendixA">Appendix A</A> of this guide for a reference.
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<P>The best use of editing the configuration file manually is probably for adding
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your own customised packages to the installation. Back in
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the
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-4.html#susecustomrpm">SuSE Server Setup</A> section we describe how to
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add your own customised packages to your install server. Here, we describe how
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to access those packages using the configuration file so they can be
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automatically installed with the rest of the system.
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<P>You should be able to locate a <CODE><software></CODE> section in your basic
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configuration file in your editor. You can use a sub-tag inside the software
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section called the <CODE><extra_packages></CODE> tag which can be used as in
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the following example:
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<PRE>
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<software>
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<extra_packages>
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<package_location>
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custom
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</package_location>
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<packages config:type="list">
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<package>{Your package name}</package>
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<package>{Another Package}</package>
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</packages>
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<extra_packages>
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<base>Default<base>
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<software>
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</PRE>
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<P>The package location is written as <CODE>custom</CODE> which describes the directory
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under the <CODE>suse</CODE> directory of you install server where you have put your
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custom packages, in our example this would be <CODE>/install/suse/custom</CODE>,
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but you only need to write <CODE>custom</CODE> here.
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<P>You can include as many <CODE>package</CODE> tags under the <CODE>packages</CODE>
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section as you wish. Use one <CODE>package</CODE> tag for each custom package you
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want to include in your config file and install on the client machine.
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<P>The <CODE>base</CODE> tag at the bottom should be left as you configured it during
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the basic configuration.
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<P>Save your modified configuration file from your text editor and it will then be
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ready to use in your installations as described below.
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<P>
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss5.2">5.2 Boot the Machine</A>
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</H2>
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<P>There are different situations during a network installation boot of one of your
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client systems that might mean that you wish to boot in one of the ways below.
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<EM>NOTE: you only need use one of the methods described for the particular
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usage for which it has been described.</EM>
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<P>
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<P>
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<H3>Manual Installation</H3>
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<P>If you skipped over the section above about creating AutoYaST config files then
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this is the way in which you should boot your client machines.
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<OL>
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<LI>Turn on your machine, ensure the CD drive is in the boot list of your
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BIOS, insert the CD. You should be faced with the normal boot menu of the SuSE
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installation program. As an alternative to booting from CD, you can boot from
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floppy images, from the network, or using whichever method you would normally
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use to boot the installation program.</LI>
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<LI>Select the "Manual Installation" option from the boot menu</LI>
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<LI>Your client should now boot the installation program and present you with
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a new menu system for the installer</LI>
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<LI>Load any network modules you will need in order to connect to your network</LI>
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<LI>Load any other modules you might need for installation e.g. SCSI modules
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if you are installing onto a SCSI type machine.</LI>
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<LI>Select "Start Installation" from the menu</LI>
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<LI>Choose the NFS option and fill in the IP addresses when prompted for.
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These should all be familiar to you i.e. the IP address of your server, and
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perhaps your client and nameserver as well if you have not selected to use DHCP.</LI>
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<LI>The installation will now proceed to the configuration screens where you
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can select the installation options you require for your client in the normal
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way</LI>
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<LI>Once you have configured all the installation options and selected to
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start the installation process, instead of reading from the normal CD (or other)
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media, the installation program will read all the information it needs from the
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network.</LI>
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<LI>Don't forget to remove the CD (or other media) from the drive otherwise
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you could end up with a recursive installation process.</LI>
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<LI>Go grab a cup of something while you wait for your shiny new installation
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to finish, no changing of installation media needed.</LI>
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</OL>
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<P>
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<P>
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<H3>Automatic Installation</H3>
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<P>If you followed the section above about creating AutoYaST config files then this
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is the way in which you should boot your client machines.
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<OL>
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<LI>Copy your config file that you have already created as above from your
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repository directory on your hard disk to your floppy disk as a file called
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autoinst.xml. You can do this as follows:
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<PRE>
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Insert and mount a floppy disk
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cp /var/lib/autoinstall/repository/Your-File /dev/fd0/autoinst.xml
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Unmount the floppy disk
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</PRE>
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</LI>
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<LI>Put your floppy disk with the config file in your client machine</LI>
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<LI>Turn on your machine, ensure the CD drive is in the boot list of your
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BIOS, insert the CD. You should be faced with the normal boot menu of the SuSE
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installation program. As an alternative to booting from CD, you can boot from
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floppy images, from the network, or using whichever method you would normally
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use to boot the installation program.</LI>
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<LI>At the boot menu leave the default line as Linux to do the standard boot,
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but add the following parameters in order to read your configuration file from
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the floppy disk:
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<PRE>
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linux autoyast=floppy
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</PRE>
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</LI>
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<LI>Your client should now boot the installation program and it will try to
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load appropriate modules and install the system with the information that you
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have provided in the config file.</LI>
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<LI>If you are prompted to input any information for any reason then do so
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e.g. if the installer cannot connect to your network.</LI>
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<LI>Once the installation is running then you can remove the CD and the floppy
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disk and grab a cup of something while you wait for your shiny new installation
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to finish, no changing of installation media needed.</LI>
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</OL>
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<P>
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<P>
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<H3>Further Boot Options</H3>
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<P>This is an extension to the technique used to boot client machines for Automatic
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Installations as described above. You should try this method if you have tried
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and failed with the method above. This section should help you if you have had
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network connection problems during boot, for example, if you do not have a DHCP
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server on your network.
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<P>You can create what we call an "<EM>info</EM>" file to hold information about
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your clients network details. This can then be used more explicitly by the
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install process to contact your network. This is a plain text file in which
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you put certain keyword and value combinations that are recognised by the
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installer.
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<P>The list of keywords you can use is as follows:
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<UL>
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<LI>autoyast - the location of your configuration file</LI>
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<LI>gateway - the gateway your client should use (if any)</LI>
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<LI>insmod - any special kernel modules you need to be loaded</LI>
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<LI>install - a full path to your server installation directory</LI>
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<LI>ip - the address of your client machine. If this is blank then the
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installer will try BOOTP/DHCP</LI>
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<LI>nameserver - the nameserver address on your network</LI>
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<LI>netdevice - the network adaptor you want to be used</LI>
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<LI>netmask - your client's netmask</LI>
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<LI>server - the hostname or IP address of the server you have set up i.e. the
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machine you have your NFS exports from</LI>
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<LI>serverdir - the directory on your server the installation should be taken
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from</LI>
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</UL>
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<P>Using the above keywords in an example info file, you <EM>might</EM> end up with
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something looking a little bit like this:
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<PRE>
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install: nfs://10.0.0.100/install/SuSE8.0
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netdevice: eth0
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server: 10.0.0.100
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serverdir: /install/SuSE8.0
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ip: 10.0.0.200
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netmask: 255.0.0.0
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gateway: 10.0.0.1
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nameserver: 10.0.0.2
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autoyast: floppy
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</PRE>
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<P>Substitute the IP addresses above for relevant ones for your particular network
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and save this file with filename <CODE>info</CODE> in the root directory of your
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floppy disk that contains your configuration file <CODE>autoinst.xml</CODE>
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<P>
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<P>
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<P>
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<P>
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<HR>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-6.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-4.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO.html#toc5">Contents</A>
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</BODY>
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</HTML>
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