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Network Installation
Version 5 by Baublys
on Nov 08, 2006 04:19.


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Current by Baublys
on Nov 08, 2006 04:32.

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 h2. Linux Network installation server
 For successfull network installation you will need
 # DHCP or BOOTP-Server
 # TFTP Share (Trivial File Transfer Protocol)
 # Network installation source (HTTP, FTP or NFS)
  
 So in general: you will need to configure your DHCP or BOOTP server to answer a bootp request from the openfirmware, usually this is done by adding a section with the mac-address of the machine to be installed to your server configuration.
 Next we copy our network boot image from CD to /tftpboot directory and create full distribution network installation source on NFS share (or FTP, HTTP).
  
  
 *[dhcpd.conf example|dhcpd.conf]
  
 h2. Using AIX or VIO as a network installation server
  
 Contents of */etc/bootptab*:
 {noformat}
 sles1:bf=/tftpboot/sles1:ip=192.168.10.11:ht=ethernet:sa=192.168.10.10:sm=255.255.255.0:
 sles2:bf=/tftpboot/sles2:ip=192.168.10.12:ht=ethernet:sa=192.168.10.10:sm=255.255.255.0:
 sles3:bf=/tftpboot/sles3:ip=192.168.10.13:ht=ethernet:sa=192.168.10.10:sm=255.255.255.0:
 {noformat}
  
 Contents of */tftpboot*:
 {noformat}
 # ls -al /tftpboot
 total 32168
 drwxrwxrwx 3 root system 256 Nov 03 09:30 .
 drwxr-xr-x 17 root system 4096 Nov 04 07:48 ..
 -rwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 5484730 Nov 03 11:08 sles1
 -rwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 5484730 Nov 03 11:08 sles2
 -rwxrwxrwx 1 root staff 5484730 Nov 03 11:08 sles3
 {noformat}
  
 * Edit /etc/inetd.conf and uncomment bootps and tftp lines
 * refresh -s inetd
 * Use IPL Settings, directed bootp requests from client LPARs (assign adress and server address)
  
 h2. Example: installing Red Hat over network with kickstart on Power
  
 First we need to decide either to use directed bootp request or bootp broadcast request. If you are installing from different subnet, you should use directed bootp request (providing installation server IP in the IPL or on the openfirmware command line). If you add your client mac address to the /etc/bootptab line you will not be asked for IP again. If you ommit the mac address the installation will stop and anaconda will ask for IP configuration.
  
 h3. Step 1: prepare server
 h4. Kernel
  Copy your boot kernel to servers /tftpboot directory. You will find the boot kernel on the first Red Hat CD in the directory /images/pseries. The file is called netboot.img. Here is an example from U4 CD1:
 {code}
 # ls -al images/pseries/netboot.img
 -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 6355144 Aug 3 04:24 images/pseries/netboot.img
 {code}
  
 h4. bootptab
 Add the appropriate line to your /etc/bootptab
 {code}
 p650-lpar2:bf=/tftpboot/p650-lpar2:ip=192.168.1.111:ht=ethernet:sa=192.168.1.1:sm=255.255.255.0:
 {code}
 you can also use ha:XXXXXXXXXXXX to add your mac address. Note that ha: should be after ht=ethernet
  
 h4. Start bootp and tftp
 * If not done before start your bootp and tftp server.
 ** Edit /etc/inetd.conf and uncomment bootps and tftp lines
 ** refresh -s inetd
  
 h4. Client installation
 * Activate the client LPAR and in vterm press 8 to get the OF prompt
 * Once there you need to issue ls command and determine the OpenFirmware path to the network device:
 {code}
 0 > ls
 000000c83378: /ibm,serial
 000000c84100: /chosen
 ...
 000000d191b8: /vdevice
 000000d1bc48: /vty@30000000
 000000d1cb20: /l-lan@30000002
 {code}
 * Set device alias pointing to your network card you want to use for installation:
 {code}
 0 > devalias net /vdevice/l-lan@30000002 ok
 {code}
 * Issue your boot command
 Here is an example for broadcast request (only works in the same subnet with mac address included in the bootptab)
 {code}
 0 > boot net:ks=nfs:192.168.100.133:/export/redhat/ks/u4.cfg
  0 > boot net:ks=nfs:192.168.100.133:/export/redhat/ks/u4.cfg ksdevice=eth0
 {code}
 And here is an example for directed boot request:
 {code}
 0> boot net:SERVERIP,,CLIENTIP,GW-IP ks=nfs:<server>:/<path>
  0> boot net:SERVERIP,,CLIENTIP,GW-IP ks=nfs:<server>:/<path> ksdevice=eth0
 {code}
  
 h4. Debugging
 You can check tftp is running and working properly by "tftp localhost" and "get netboot.img"
 If you suspect any bootp problems, kill the daemon and start it in foreground in debug mode:
 {code}
 # /usr/sbin/bootpd -s -d -d -d -d -d
 {code}

 
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