| legogris_ | Hello! I am trying to setup an automated install on 12.04 using preseeding and it just won't not crash on me right before installing the bootloader | 22:42 |
|---|---|---|
| CarlFK | legogris_: what kind of crash? | 22:46 |
| legogris_ | CarlFK: syslog: http://pastebin.com/4STvrjjR | 22:47 |
| legogris_ | CarlFK: It tells me that the installer crashed and the it proceeds with crafting an error report to submit | 22:47 |
| legogris_ | I have no prior experience here, but looking at the end of the syslog I think it looks like something's up with installation of language packs | 22:48 |
| CarlFK | oh.. is this installing from the live cd? | 22:48 |
| legogris_ | I am using Black lab imager if you are familiar with it... It's what became of remastersys | 22:50 |
| CarlFK | sorry, no help. I have been doing preseeded net installs | 22:53 |
| legogris_ | Ah, thanks anyway! | 22:54 |
| === superm1__ is now known as superm1 | ||
| legogris_ | CarlFK: I went with this way because it seemed like a good idea.. But do you have any ideas of better approaches of automating desktop installs? | 22:54 |
| legogris_ | Going to have identical edubuntu installs on a couple of hundred computers that need shredding beforehand and custom packages :P | 22:55 |
| CarlFK | https://github.com/CarlFK/veyepar/blob/master/setup/nodes/pxe/README.txt | 22:56 |
| legogris_ | CarlFK: Thanks, but sadly network does not seem lika an option for us | 22:58 |
| CarlFK | do exactly that first. it is easy. boot a box, at post hit F12 or whatever to get it to pxe boot. let it do the install (about 30 min) make sure it actually works as is | 22:58 |
| CarlFK | oh. | 22:58 |
| CarlFK | why not? | 22:58 |
| legogris_ | Because we only have a 100/100 switch and we figured it will just take way too much time compared to using USB sticks | 23:01 |
| CarlFK | I seem to remember 100 being faster than installing from a CD | 23:03 |
| CarlFK | and I suspect most of the time is decompressing and configuring (or whatever is going on after the .deb has landed ) | 23:04 |
| legogris_ | Hmm, maybe it's worth a try. So what tool should I use to prepare the installation? | 23:04 |
| CarlFK | 1. start with a vanallia Ubuntu box. | 23:05 |
| CarlFK | any flavor from the last 5 years. | 23:05 |
| CarlFK | that just hosts the dhcp and pxe server | 23:05 |
| CarlFK | er.. pxe server = tftp and squid | 23:05 |
| CarlFK | I only run that script once a year, maybe twice | 23:06 |
| CarlFK | You should have the first full install in 30 - 45 min, and most of that time will be watching the "installing packages" progress bar | 23:08 |
| legogris_ | Oh, so it will make clones of the system running the server? | 23:08 |
| CarlFK | no. | 23:10 |
| CarlFK | https://github.com/CarlFK/veyepar/blob/master/setup/nodes/pxe/shaz/var/www/d-i/oneiric/preseed_local.cfg | 23:11 |
| CarlFK | that should look familiar ;) | 23:11 |
| legogris_ | indeed! | 23:11 |
| CarlFK | btw, setup the server on a throw away box. | 23:13 |
| CarlFK | not your current production server | 23:13 |
| legogris_ | of course :) | 23:13 |
| CarlFK | sudo ./install.sh | 23:15 |
| CarlFK | that will install/config the server. | 23:15 |
| CarlFK | hmm | 23:16 |
| CarlFK | hows your networking skills? | 23:16 |
| legogris_ | I guess it's a similar approach to this but with a different setup and using puppet here? http://www.colinmcnamara.com/setting-up-cobbler-pxe-auto-deployment-for-ubuntu-server-12-04-precise/ | 23:17 |
| CarlFK | 6. disconnect from primary lan ... that's not completely true. it needs to be a gateway/router to the internet | 23:17 |
| legogris_ | Ah, we don't have internet | 23:17 |
| legogris_ | Which makes it a bit of a hassle because no packages can be fetched from internet | 23:18 |
| CarlFK | bummer | 23:18 |
| CarlFK | so.. something I have done a total of 2 times: setup the server where you do have net, install one node (target box) and then drop this in squid.conf: | 23:20 |
| CarlFK | "offline_mode" : http://www.squid-cache.org/Doc/config/offline_mode/ | 23:20 |
| CarlFK | hmm | 23:20 |
| CarlFK | er, offline_mode=on I guess | 23:21 |
| CarlFK | anyway, it won't call out looking to see if there are updates, it will just use what is in the cache | 23:21 |
| CarlFK | but we are getting kinda thin now | 23:22 |
| legogris_ | so i setup one node where i have net access and then the server will cache the stuff needed? Sounds doable ^^ | 23:24 |
| CarlFK | that's the plan | 23:24 |
| CarlFK | but.. | 23:24 |
| CarlFK | you are going to want to do a few test installs | 23:25 |
| CarlFK | like I am guessing you want saucy or trusty | 23:25 |
| legogris_ | Nah, we'll go for LTS | 23:25 |
| CarlFK | isn't trusty lts? | 23:25 |
| legogris_ | Oh, you're right :) | 23:26 |
| legogris_ | But anyway, 12.04 is what we've been rolling with so far so I think that's what will happen | 23:27 |
| legogris_ | Most of them won't see internet for years, if ever, anyway | 23:27 |
| CarlFK | is that presice ? | 23:27 |
| legogris_ | Yes | 23:27 |
| CarlFK | good. you get that out of the box :D | 23:28 |
| CarlFK | https://github.com/CarlFK/veyepar/blob/master/setup/nodes/pxe/install.sh#L95 | 23:28 |
| CarlFK | shaz/root/bin/getu.sh precise amd64 | 23:28 |
| CarlFK | that gets the precise installer | 23:29 |
| CarlFK | when you pxe boot a node, you will get a menu, very much like grub's | 23:30 |
| CarlFK | this drives that menu: | 23:30 |
| CarlFK | https://github.com/CarlFK/veyepar/blob/master/setup/nodes/pxe/shaz/var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default#L16 | 23:30 |
| CarlFK | default ubuntu-oneiric-amd64-handsoff | 23:30 |
| CarlFK | append initrd=ubuntu/precise/amd64/initrd.gz root=/dev/rd/0 rw auto=true netcfg/wireless_wep= interface=auto hostname= DEBCONF_DEBUG=5 url=shaz -- | 23:31 |
| legogris_ | Ah | 23:31 |
| legogris_ | So I basically clone the repo and replace the preseed file with what I want? | 23:31 |
| CarlFK | url=shaz is what tells the installer to go look for https://github.com/CarlFK/veyepar/blob/master/setup/nodes/pxe/shaz/var/www/d-i/oneiric/preseed.cfg | 23:32 |
| CarlFK | no - shaz/root/bin/getu.sh precise amd64 just wgets these 2 files: | 23:32 |
| CarlFK | http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/precise/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/ubuntu-installer/amd64/ | 23:34 |
| CarlFK | linux and initrd.gz | 23:34 |
| CarlFK | pxe boot a node, those two files get served over tftp to the node, and the kernel gets booted with the above parameters | 23:36 |
| legogris_ | I'm actually still quite not sure how I should customize my installation. I've never even successfully remastered an iso yet | 23:37 |
| CarlFK | lol | 23:38 |
| legogris_ | That was my problem when I joined the channel, remember :D | 23:38 |
| CarlFK | I tried to do an iso. I am not sure I ever got something close to working | 23:38 |
| legogris_ | So much outdated an contraducting info everywhere online.. If I ever get this working, first thing I'm doing is a blog post about it :P | 23:39 |
| CarlFK | for a long time I would extract the .deb files from the iso onto the file server and use it like a repo | 23:39 |
| CarlFK | well.. long time .. make that a long time ago when I first got started with automated installs | 23:39 |
| CarlFK | I love what I have now. the pxe/preseed is pretty standard and supported | 23:40 |
| CarlFK | and the late_command hook that calls a honken shell script that can do whatever is needed (assuming I can figure out how to script it) | 23:41 |
| CarlFK | lucky for you I advise throwing out my late.sh script. write your own from scratch if you need to. | 23:41 |
| legogris_ | hehe :) | 23:42 |
| legogris_ | Thanks for all the advice! I hope I can wrap my head around it and get it working | 23:42 |
| CarlFK | let me give you a quick run though: | 23:43 |
| CarlFK | oh yeah.. getting a node to pxe boot can be a task | 23:43 |
| CarlFK | often you need to go into the bios to enable the network card (chips) boot rom | 23:43 |
| CarlFK | which means figuring out how to get into bios. on random boxes... that can take 10 min of boot/hit random keys | 23:44 |
| CarlFK | anyway... one you get it to say "pxe... waiting for dhcp.. " | 23:44 |
| CarlFK | that is the nic's boot rom which has a full dhcp client and IP stack. it sends a dhcp request to the lan, the dhcp server responds with an IP/netmask/gatewy (nothing new) and "server=1.2.3.4, filename=something" | 23:46 |
| CarlFK | bootrom code has a tftp client (t=trivial=small = fits in a little rom I guess) | 23:47 |
| CarlFK | it does a connect 1.2.3.4 GET someting; and executes it. | 23:47 |
| CarlFK | that is kinda like "bios loads boot sector from first hard disk and executes it" | 23:47 |
| legogris_ | with you so far :) | 23:48 |
| CarlFK | something can be about anything you would expect to boot from boot media. like grub, or memtest.. | 23:48 |
| CarlFK | or something that turns around a gets a menu of more boot options | 23:48 |
| CarlFK | also, if you have a dhcp server, here is all you need to do to it: | 23:49 |
| CarlFK | https://github.com/CarlFK/veyepar/blob/master/setup/nodes/pxe/shaz/etc/dhcp/dhcpd-pxe.conf | 23:49 |
| CarlFK | filename "pxelinux.0" ; | 23:49 |
| CarlFK | next-server pc8 ; | 23:50 |
| CarlFK | where pc8 is where the boot rom will ftp to, and everything else can be on that box, so you don't need to clutter up your production dhcp server | 23:50 |
| CarlFK | and everyting can be on one lan. | 23:50 |
| CarlFK | anyway... | 23:50 |
| CarlFK | https://github.com/CarlFK/veyepar/blob/master/setup/nodes/pxe/install.sh#L33 | 23:51 |
| CarlFK | apt-get --force-yes --assume-yes install ... syslinux | 23:52 |
| CarlFK | that installs /usr/lib/syslinux/pxelinux.0 | 23:52 |
| CarlFK | and hhttps://github.com/CarlFK/veyepar/blob/master/setup/nodes/pxe/install.sh#L77 moves it into place so the tftp server can serve it up | 23:53 |
| CarlFK | hmm.. I am making a guess now.. I guess it is hardcoded to go back to the server and get | 23:55 |
| CarlFK | https://github.com/CarlFK/veyepar/blob/master/setup/nodes/pxe/shaz/var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default | 23:55 |
| CarlFK | reading the comments, I guess the normal behavior is to sit at a boot: prompt | 23:56 |
| CarlFK | but I tell it to time out after 1.5 seconds and... | 23:56 |
| CarlFK | # label to use if the user hits Enter ... UI menu | 23:57 |
| CarlFK | label menukernel syslinux/menu.c32 | 23:58 |
| CarlFK | wow, I thought I cleaned out all those boot options :p | 23:58 |
| legogris_ | hehe | 23:58 |
| CarlFK | syslinux/menu.c32 gets loaded, which makes a nice menu out of all the options .. so you can arrow up and down and hit Tab to edit kernel params | 23:59 |
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