Greetings.  We're trying to do a kickstart installation of SL 3.0.1 via
PXE, and we seem to be having trouble getting the installer to find the
ks.cfg file.  The basic DHCP/TFTP stuff seems to be working, but when
the installer starts, it stops to ask what language to use, etc., rather
than just cruising through the installation.

Here's the file that's supposed to trigger the kickstart process:

[root@ucd-host pxelinux.cfg]# cat netboot-ks.SL.3.0.1
default linux
label linux
   kernel vmlinuz-SL-3.0.1
    append ksdevice=eth0 load_ramdisk=1 initrd=initrd-SL-3.0.1.img
network ks=nfs:169.237.mm.nn:/SL/3.0.1/

The crucial point is that we've stuck the ks.cfg file in with the rest
of the SL distribution, and that directory is certainly exported via NFS
(otherwise we wouldn't get to the point where the installer runs, ask
for language, etc.).

We've had similar problems in the past with some versions of Redhat
linux.  The workaround that we found was to do a loopback mount of the
initrd file, stuff the ks.cfg file in the appropriate directory, then
umount.  I.e., we stuffed the ks.cfg file into the initrd.

This isn't terribly taxing once one has stumbled onto the technique, but
it's pretty ugly.  I was hoping that there would be a saner method.

Do you folks have any words of wisdom about this?  Thanks.

                                        - Mike
--
Michael Hannon            mailto:[log in to unmask]
Dept. of Physics          530.752.4966
University of California  530.752.4717 FAX
Davis, CA 95616-8677