246 lines
9.7 KiB
HTML
246 lines
9.7 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: Redhat Client Install</TITLE>
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<LINK HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-8.html" REL=next>
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<LINK HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-6.html" REL=previous>
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<LINK HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO.html#toc7" REL=contents>
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</HEAD>
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<BODY>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-8.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-6.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO.html#toc7">Contents</A>
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<HR>
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<H2><A NAME="s7">7. Redhat Client Install</A></H2>
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<P>
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<!--
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network install!redhat 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 Redhat is known as
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Kickstart 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="ss7.1">7.1 Create Kickstart 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>Kickstart Configurator 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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Kickstart Configurator on your Linux machine. You will need one of two RPMS
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for this depending on the version of Redhat you are using. These RPMS are
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available on your Redhat install CDs as follows:
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<UL>
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<LI><CODE>redhat-config-kickstart</CODE> - for versions 8.x and above</LI>
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<LI><CODE>ksconfig</CODE> - for earlier versions</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="redhatbasicconfig"></A> Create A Basic Config File </H3>
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<P>Once you have confirmed that you have the configurator packages installed,
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you can now start to create configuration files. For most situations the basic
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configuration described here will be sufficient to perform your installations.
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<P>Start the Kickstart configuration program that you have on your system. This
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will be done with the command <CODE>redhad-config-kickstart</CODE> for Redhat 8.x
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systems and above (or if you have the redhat-config-kickstart RPM installed),
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or the command <CODE>ksconfig</CODE> for other Redhat systems (or if you have the
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ksconfig RPM installed).
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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 each menu, 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.
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<P>Once you have progressed through each configuration screen, you are ready to
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save out your configuration file to disk. <EM>NOTE: it is outside the
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boundaries of this document to take you through each configuration option for
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installation, we are just concerned with the principles of network installs
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here. Please consult your Redhat documentation or
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the
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<A HREF="http://www.redhat.com">Redhat Website</A> for this
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information.</EM> Click the "<CODE>save</CODE>" button and choose a location on
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your system to store configuration files. If you are creating lots of different
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configurations then it might be worthwhile creating your own configuration
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repository - don't forget to name the files sensibly so you know which is which.
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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="#redhatbasicconfig">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.
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You can use or modify any of the existing tags in your file, just so long as
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the tags, options, and syntax you use are legal. Once you have edited the file
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manually then save it back out in text format again.
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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-6.html#redhatcustomrpm">Redhat Server Setup</A> section we describe
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how to add your own customised packages to your install server. Here, we
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describe how to access those packages using the configuration file so they can
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be automatically installed with the rest of the system.
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<P>You should be able to locate a <CODE>packages</CODE> section in your basic
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configuration file in your editor. You can add extra packages by name as you
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require to the end of this list of packages. Follow the format of the other
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packages that you have listed in the file already from the basic configuration.
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Packages that start with <CODE>@</CODE> are package group names. You can use any
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of the default Redhat package groups or you can use any custom groups you may
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have created.
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<P>You can add as many packages and groups under the <CODE>packages</CODE> section as
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you wish. Just put one package on each line and follow the format already
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provided.
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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="ss7.2">7.2 Boot the Machine</A>
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</H2>
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<P>It is simplest to use a floppy disk to boot your clients ready for installation.
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Everything you need is provided for you on the Redhat CDs as follows:
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<OL>
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<LI>If you have not already created a boot floppy then do it now (you only
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need to do this step once, when you have a boot floppy you can install as many
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machines as you like with a single floppy):
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<UL>
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<LI>Locate the floppy image that you need to use. This is on the
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first Redhat CD and is at <CODE>images/bootnet.img</CODE></LI>
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<LI>From the <CODE>images</CODE> directory on the CD copy the image to
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your floppy disk (make sure you have one inserted in the drive, but not
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mounted) using the following command:
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<PRE>
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dd if=bootnet.img of=/dev/fd0
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</PRE>
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</LI>
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</UL>
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</LI>
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<LI>If you are doing an automated install (with the config file) then you
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should follow this step (otherwise skip to next step):
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<UL>
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<LI>Mount your floppy disk
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<PRE>
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mount /mnt/floppy
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</PRE>
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</LI>
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<LI>Copy your config file to the root directory of the floppy with
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the name <CODE>ks.cfg</CODE>
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<PRE>
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cp /path/to/file /mnt/floppy
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</PRE>
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</LI>
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<LI>Umount your floppy disk
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<PRE>
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umount /mnt/floppy
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</PRE>
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</LI>
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</UL>
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</LI>
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<LI>Insert your floppy disk into the client machine that you want to install
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Redhat on. Make sure that the floppy disk is in the boot list of your BIOS and
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turn on your machine to boot from the floppy.</LI>
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<LI>At the boot prompt:
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<UL>
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<LI>If you are doing an automated install:
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<PRE>
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linux ks=floppy
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</PRE>
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</LI>
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<LI>If you're not using config files then press ENTER for the
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default installation</LI>
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</UL>
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</LI>
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<LI>Finish the installation:
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<UL>
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<LI>If you are doing an automated install then you must complete any
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parts of the configuration process that you have missed in the config
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file. If you have a complete config file then you're done so go get
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yourself a cup of something nice and wait for your install to finish.</LI>
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<LI>If you are doing a manual install then you must complete the
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installation in the normal way, going through each menu of the Redhat
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install program and selecting the options you require for your machine.
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When you finish then it's time for a cup of something nice, no need to
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swap install media here.</LI>
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</UL>
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</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
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network card supported by the floppy boot disk.
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<P>You can create a second floppy disk to use in the boot process which contains
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extra drivers for network cards. This can then be read on boot and the drivers
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loaded for your card from there instead. This is done as follows:
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<OL>
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<LI>In the <CODE>images</CODE> directory on your CD you should find a file called
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<CODE>drvnet.img</CODE>.</LI>
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<LI>From the <CODE>images</CODE> directory on your CD, copy the file to a
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<EM>different</EM> floppy disk with the command:
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<PRE>
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dd if=drvnet.img of=/dev/fd0
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</PRE>
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Again, make sure your floppy disk is not mounted when you run this command.</LI>
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<LI>Now you have a network driver floppy disk. You should return to your
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installation as described above but now add the keyword <CODE>dd</CODE> to your
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command line.
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<UL>
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<LI>So for automated intall we type:
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<PRE>
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linux dd ks=floppy
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</PRE>
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</LI>
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<LI>For manual install we type:
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<PRE>
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linux dd
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</PRE>
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</LI>
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</UL>
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</LI>
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<LI>When prompted if you have a driver disk, select <CODE>YES</CODE>. Then swap
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the boot disk for your driver disk and the extra drivers will load and detect
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your network card.</LI>
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<LI>You should now continue with the installation as described above.</LI>
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</OL>
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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-8.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO-6.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="Network-Install-HOWTO.html#toc7">Contents</A>
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</BODY>
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</HTML>
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