Kickstart files for Red Hat Enterprise Linux

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A kickstart file is a simple text file that contains configuration information for a Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation. The system reads this configuration information at boot time and carries out the installation process without any further input from you. You can also use a kickstart file to upgrade your system to a new release.

You can create a kickstart file using the Kickstart Configurator available from Red Hat, copy a kickstart configuration another system, or write your own kickstart file. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation process automatically creates a kickstart file that contains the settings for the installed system. You can use this file to repeat the installation with identical settings or modify the file to contain specific configuration instructions for a different system installation.

To use a kickstart file to install Red Hat Enterprise Linux, you must:

  1. Create a kickstart file.
  2. Create boot media for the kickstart file.
  3. Ensure that the installation tree for the distribution is available.
  4. Start the kickstart installation.

Elements in a kickstart file need to be in a specific order. Items that are required cannot be omitted or the installation program will prompt for a response. After the a response is given, the installation will continue.

For information about the options available for kickstart files, see the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Installation guide for your release at https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/docs/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/.

For kickstart upgrades, the following items are required:

  • Language
  • Installation method
  • Device specification (if device is needed to perform the installation)
  • Keyboard setup
  • The upgrade keyword
  • Boot loader configuration

You can run a kickstart installation from any of these sources:

  • DVD drive: ks=cdrom:/directory/ks.cfg
  • Hard Drive: ks=hd:/device/directory/ks.cfg
  • Other Device: ks=file:/device/directory/ks.cfg
  • HTTP Server: ks=http://server.mydomain.com/directory/ks.cfg
  • HTTPS Server: ks=https://server.mydomain.com/directory/ks.cfg
  • FTP Server: ks=ftp://server.mydomain.com/directory/ks.cfg
  • NFS Server: ks=nfs:server.mydomain.com:/directory/ks.cfg