John Summerfield wrote:
> Mark Stodola wrote:
>> Hey everyone,
>>
>> I know most of you use nfs or http for kickstart, but I'm trying to 
>> do a CD based one.  Basically, I have a backup cd I make of certain 
>> software and system configuration.  I'd like to make this CD bootable 
>> with a somewhat dynamic kickstart.
>>
>> I've got a bootable CD working, the problem comes in when I try to 
>> work with any other files on the CD in conjunction with ks.cfg.
>> I've found that the %pre doesn't get parsed/evaluated until the 
>> actual SL DVD is inserted and mounted. Proven by:
>
> You mastered your own CD images?
>
> The details on how to this properly depend on the release: Tony Nugent 
> had the 'net's best guide up to RHL 7.3, and if it still exists, would 
> apply, with minor adaptations up to RHEL 4; after that, Anaconda 
> switched to using YUM and then the rulebook got chucked out the window.
>
> Your disk-swapping suggests to me you're using EL4 or earlier, and 
> that you've mastered it badly. Creating a DVD would not have the 
> problem (though it might seek lots).
I've mastered my own CDs, but probably not what you have in mind.  What 
I do is install SL 4.1 on a system, put some of our software on it, and 
then once it is all working, generate a configuration/backup CD for the 
machine.  I'm trying to use the boot.iso povided in the images directory 
of the SL DVD.  This lets me use the stock SL DVD, along with the 
configuration CD I'm making.  I have the CD booting and pointed to the 
correct kickstart file just fine.  The problem is that the kickstart 
isn't parsed until after the SL DVD is requested, so I can't use %pre to 
gather some information from the configuration CD that I booted from.  I 
want to get some partitioning information and such from it.

I'm wondering if there is some known way to prompt the user to swap in 
the configuration CD while the %pre is being processed or perhaps a way 
to get anaconda to run the kickstart on the configuration CD (perhaps by 
faking the .discinfo) and prompt for the DVD once it notices the 
packages aren't on the current media.  I'm not opposed to duplicating 
more of the installer on the configuration CD, as there is plenty of 
room for it.  I just thought the boot.iso was a good place to start, as 
the documentation covers using a kickstart with this method, just not 
anything else.

Cheers,
Mark

-- 
Mr. Mark V. Stodola
Digital Systems Engineer

National Electrostatics Corp.
P.O. Box 620310
Middleton, WI 53562-0310 USA
Phone: (608) 831-7600
Fax: (608) 831-9591