cdist/doc/dev/logs/2011-06-13.installation-via-cdist

Provisioning Server ideas

   - bootup kernel on target host via TFTP/PXE
   - start our code that
      - enables networking (dhcp)
      - enables sshd

Requires:
   - Program that creates our blob that needs to be started
      - for Linux: initrd
      - Including ssh keys -> known!
      - startup sshd

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Setup for installation server:

   - have dhcpd available
   - install tftpd server
   - configure dhcp to tell clients to boot from tftp server
   - have a kernel
   
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Ideas on how to create "blob"

   - Use tools from system?
      -> requires same arch on destination!
   - Use debian|...| base?
      -> works with cuni!
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tftp via cuni:
debian  pxelinux.0  pxelinux.cfg

[19:44] kr:tftp% ln -s /usr/lib/syslinux/

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How to create the initrd?
   Base from ...
      arch?
      debian?

- needs many hardware support / in kernel?
   - fit to kernel?

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Based on Debian
[21:33] kr:tftp% sudo debootstrap --arch=i386 squeeze debian-squeeze 

sudo chroot debian-squeeze /bin/bash
 apt-get install openssh-server


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Based on Archlinux

Edit / create pacman.conf
Server = ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/archlinux/$repo/os/i686

[21:40] kr:~% grep -v ^# pacman.conf | grep -v '^$'
[options]
HoldPkg     = pacman glibc
SyncFirst   = pacman
Architecture = auto
[core]
Include = Server = ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/archlinux/$repo/os/i686
[extra]
Include = Server = ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/archlinux/$repo/os/i686
[community]
Include = Server = ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/archlinux/$repo/os/i686
[archlinuxfr] 
Server = http://repo.archlinux.fr/$arch

[21:40] kr:tftp% sudo mkarchroot -C ~/pacman.conf archlinuxroot

[21:42] kr:tftp% sudo mkarchroot -C ~/pacman.conf archlinuxroot base

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Initramfs general:

   - need /init

Test in Debian:
   root@kr:/# ln -s /sbin/init init

Create initramfs:
   [22:47] kr:debian-squeeze% sudo find . -print0 | sudo cpio --null -ov --format=newc | gzip -9  > ../pre-os/initrd.gz



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Gentoo: http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Initramfs

It is possible to specify multiple initramfs to be extracted during boot. This can be useful if you want to create a generic initramfs (for example one that does mdadm) and then add modifications in separate files (for example a custom /etc/mdadm.conf for every machine). 

http://syslinux.zytor.com/wiki/index.php/SYSLINUX#INITRD_initrd_file
   It supports multiple filenames separated by commas. This is mostly useful for initramfs, which can be composed of multiple separate cpio or cpio.gz archives. Note: all files except the last one are zero-padded to a 4K page boundary. This should not affect initramfs.
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Multiple initrds, #1:

LABEL preos
   MENU LABEL Pre OS (Debian Squeeze)
   KERNEL debian-squeeze/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686
   INITRD debian-squeeze/boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-686,pre-os/initrd.gz

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Debug in rootfs:
root@kr:/# passwd 
Enter new UNIX password: 
Retype new UNIX password: 
passwd: password updated successfully
test
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Multiple nics in Debian...