Auto Install for Mandrake Linux | ||
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DrakX has an exciting capability, Replay Auto Install, which can be used to assist installation on multiple computers with slightly different hardware configurations. This replay ability allows you to select one or more specific steps where you want to manually re-enter configuration selections.
Generation of a Replay Auto Install Disk and can be accomplished:
* at the end of a Manual install where you select Advanced, Generate an auto install floppy, then Reply or,
* on an installed system by running the drakconf program or,
* manually creating the disk and files on it.
Currently, the first two approaches generate an auto_inst.cfg file which contains only the options that were selected at the time the initial install was done. If you are using the drakconf program, you will have to manually update the auto_inst.cfg file to reflect the latest changes on the computer and make adjustments to the default options.
The only difference that you will notice in the auto_inst.cfg file between an Automated Install and a Replay Install is the absence or presence of either the following $o option:
'interactiveSteps' => [ |
'doPartitionDisks', |
'formatPartitions' |
], |
Or, if you created the Replay diskette using the drakconf program, then you will see a perl code fragment similar to the following:
$graphical = 1; |
$msteps = [ |
'doPartitionDisks', |
'formatPartitions' |
]; |
push @graphical_steps, @$msteps; |
The array values for $msteps define the steps that you want to manually redo.
The following are a list of the steps available to you and short description of what each does:
Step |
drakconf Label |
Description |
---|---|---|
selectLanguage |
Choose your language |
Select language(s) support to be installed. |
selectInstallClass |
Select installation class |
Select type of install to be performed; recommended or expert |
setupSCSI |
Hard drive detection |
Check for any SCSI devices |
selectMouse |
Configure mouse |
Select the desired mouse |
selectKeyboard |
Choose your keyboard |
Select the desired keyboard |
miscellaneous |
Security |
Select the security level desired |
doPartitionDisks |
(not selectable, always added) |
Set up disk drives, their partitions, mount points and options. MUST be used if you are installing software RAID or LVM. |
formatPartitions |
(not selectable, always added) |
Select which partitions are to be formatted. |
choosePackages |
Choose packages to install |
The package selection (both groups and individual packages) |
installPackages |
Install system |
Install selected packages. |
setRootPassword |
Set root password |
Select root's password and select the type of authentication to be used. |
addUser |
Add a user |
Add users |
configureNetwork |
Configure networking |
Set up networking options |
summary |
Summary |
Select the time zone, GMT/Local hardware clock and if you want NTP installed |
configureServices |
Configure services |
Allows you select which services are to be automatically started at boot time |
setupBootloader |
Install bootloader |
Select boot loader type and options to be installed |
createBootdisk |
Create a bootdisk |
Create a boot disk. |
configureX |
Configure X |
Select and setup your X configuration. Absolutely need when performing Multi-Head X configuration. |
installUpdates |
Install system updates |
Obtain and install updated system packages. |
exitInstall |
Exit install |
Prompt for exit, and offer's the option of creating an automated install disk. |
Does any of this look familiar, it should. These are the main steps that you went through while doing a Manual install. drakconf uses the notation Replay (to use the contents of the auto_inst.cfg file) or Manual (to cause DrakX to prompt you for input).
Which steps, if any, should you use? MandrakeSoft recommends that as a minimum, the doPartitionDisks and formatPartitions steps should be included. This may only necessary if you are trying to preserve existing data on some partitions or on other drives. However, it is necessary if you are trying to install the software versions of the RAID and LVM file systems.
You really need to evaluate this on a machine by machine basis. What is different about this new machine that could cause you trouble?
By the way, you just might want to check out the Advanced Features discussion regarding the use of the 'display=' parameter.
What affect does each of the Steps, selected for Manual (included in the list), have on the various selections and setting that were preset with the $o = {...} declaration? For the most part, your presets become the defaults when DrakX prompts you for input. DO NOT expect the doPartitionDisks and formatPartitions steps to use your settings as defaults.
Which $o options are associated with which step? The following table provides a bit of information:
Step |
Option |
Notes |
---|---|---|
selectLanguage |
lang |
If the option is present, its value is used as the default when the GUI display is presented. |
selectInstallClass |
- |
There is no option for this step. |
setupSCSI |
- |
There is no option for this step. |
selectMouse |
mouse, wacom |
If either or both options are present, then they are used as the default when the GUI display is presented. |
selectKeyboard |
keyboard |
If the option is present, its value is used as the default when the GUI display is presented. |
miscellaneous |
security |
If the option is present, its value is used as the default when the GUI display is presented. |
doPartitionDisks |
manualFstab, useSupermount, partitioning, partitions |
The option manualFstab, if present, will have its contents added to the /etc/fstab file. The option useSupermount, if present, sets the default state of the 'More' button's radio-button selection for 'Removable media automounting'. The options partitioning and partitions are ignored. |
formatPartitions |
|
This step should ALWAYS be used in conjunction with doPartitionDisks. |
choosePackages |
compssListLevel compssUsersChoice default_packages |
If these options are present, the STEP is IGNORED. |
installPackages |
default_packages |
If this option is present, the STEP is IGNORED. |
setRootPassword |
superuser, authentication |
The option superuser is ignored. The option authentication, if present, is used as the default when the GUI display is presented. |
adduser |
user, autologin |
If the option user is present, its contents are added and you will be prompted for addition one. NOTE, you can not edit any predefined users. If the autologin options is present, it is used directly and you are NOT prompted to change its settings. |
configureNetwork |
intf, misc, netc |
The contents of these options, if present, are used as the defaults when the GUI displays are presented. |
summary |
keyboard, mouse, printer, timezone |
The contents of these options, if present, are used as the defaults when the GUI displays are presented. |
configureServices |
services |
If the option is present, its value is ignored. |
setupBootloader |
bootloader, misc |
The contents of these options, if present, are used as the defaults when the GUI displays are presented. NOTE: If you have set the password in bootloader, you MUST have the security level set to at least 4. Otherwise the GUI display will complain that the passwords do not match, but you will not be able to do anything since the password fields are not displayed below level 4. |
createBootdisk |
mkbootdisk |
If the option is present, its value is used as the default when the GUI display is presented. |
configureX |
X |
If the option is present, its value is used as the default when the GUI display is presented. |
installUpdates |
- |
There is no option for this step. |
exitInstall |
autoExitInstall |
If the option is present, its value is used as the default when the GUI display is presented. |
The safest policy when mixing Replay Steps and predefined options is to delete the predefined options from the $o structure. This ensures that there are no hidden or adverse interactions that will produce undesired results. On the other hand, a bit of experimenting to confirm expectations will result in a very flexible and powerful tool.
Special Notes:
Just so you know, DrakX creates the file replay_install.img in /root/drakx, along with the auto_inst.cfg.pl file. The replay_install.img file is actually a modified version of the boot image file that corresponds to your method of installation (basic image file is found in the images directory on the CD).
What's different? The syslinux.cfg file is modified: to add the 'kickstart=' parameter, the 'automatic=' parameter is adjusted to reflect the method and network parameters used for the computer when it was first installed. The auto_inst.cfg, which was added at install time, is the same as the auto_inst.cfg.pl file except for the 'auto_allocate' and 'autoExitInstall' options, it also has the perl code fragment added.
When you use drakconf to create an auto install disk, it copies the image to the floppy diskette, then adjusts the auto_inst.cfg file, on the floppy diskette, with your manual selections (the push @graphical_steps part) .
Use: mount replay_install.img /mnt/disk -t vfat -o loop to check it out.
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