Re: [Linuxcoe-devel] Mandriva support

[Lee M. <lee...@hp...>]

Bruno Cornec wrote:
> Hello Lee,
>
> As I'm maybe more concerned than you by this support, do you think you
> could put under CVS what you already have for Mandriva support ?
>
> that would allow me to look at it and give feedback.
> TIA,
> Bruno.
>   
Hi Bruno,

  Ok, here's where I'm at.  The script creates viable auto_inst.cfg 
files that follow the same convention as our others 
(preseed/kickstart/autoyast) to invoke our post-processing environment 
to install and configure yum and optionally bundles.   However, I have 
had *NO* luck creating a 'standalone' ISO to install from.  The 
following methods work:

1) Custom ISO + Floppy (containing auto_inst.cfg)
2) Custom ISO + Web vended auto_inst.cfg (if hosted in INSTALL TREE)
3) 2 floppy install (network.img with auto_inst.cfg  in it + 
network_driver.img)

Here's a sample of the config file with LinuxCOE post processing enabled:

http://mayeses.com/temp/auto_inst.cfg.txt

The installing box was pulling this file from my webserver via this in 
isolinux.cfg:

label install
  kernel alt0/vmlinuz
  append initrd=alt0/all.rdz kickstart=auto_inst.cfg 
automatic=met:http,interface:eth0,ser:192.168.1.5,dir:/LinuxCOE/Mandrake/2007.0/i586,netw:static,ip:192.168.1.181,netm:255.255.255.0,gat:192.168.1.5,dns:192.168.1.5 
vga=788 splash=silent

What I need is a way to reference auto_inst.cfg on the bootable ISO!  It 
tried creating an ISO out of network.img, but I just get 'boot error'.  
Even *before* I add the config file, I did this with:

mkdir iso
cp network.img iso
mkisfs -o test.iso -b network.img iso/

It appears that Mandriva's auto install process can only find the 
auto_inst.cfg file in 2 locations:

1) Floppy (literally, /dev/fd0).
2) On a path on your install source based on method.

AutoYast, kickstart, etc. have a little more configurability in their 
isolinux/syslinux.cfg, you can use directives like:

kickstart=file:///path/filename (look in initrd)
kickstart=cdrom:///path/filename (look in root of CD)
kickstart=http://server/url (look here, not in install tree)
etc.

If that's available on Mandriva, I'm missing it.  If you can take the 
auto_inst.cfg file referenced above and embedded it in a bootable ISO 
that references it, I'll be happy to reverse engineer what you send me 
and codify it.  For now, when I finish, I will offer the following options:

1) ISO + Floppy
2) 2 Floppy (network.img + network_driver.img)

FWIW, the current code is checked in at 
SystemDesigner/cgi-bin/nph-mandriva_image.in.  I'll work with byrang to 
create a SystemDesigner-Mandriva to house the needed data/boot/etc. stuff.

Best Regards,

Lee