CentOS docs - Jun 2009 - Request for Wiki edit permission - booting into kickstart from all-in-one USB flash drive

I'm currently testing a process very similar to that found here:

http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey

And would like to update that doc with my observations once confirmed.

Preliminary notes (not all relevant to that specific WikiPage - suggestions
for where to put the non-kickstart info?

  First boot partition on USB is FAT32 and uses GRUB to chainload to the
second ext2 partition, which contains the LiveCD image. Choice to boot into
a CentOS 5.3 LiveUSB environment or launch a kickstart install. The ext2
partition also contains a customized version of the installation DVD -
slipstream-updated via novi, custom repodata.xml from OrangeJEOS for minimal
install. Kickstart file resides in first FAT partition so can tweak from any
OS.

  So far so good, much faster than DVD - total time from menu to reboot is <
3 minutes, and don't have to burn a disc every time I update the custom ISO.
LiveCD environment a bonus - too bad no persistence.  No data corruption
problems so far - using a 32GB SanDisk Cruzer Contour - very fast and seems
solid.

Sidenote - I find it very odd that I have to even build an ISO - why can't
Anaconda/Kickstart just let me boot the DVD install image via USB and see
the repo as it does when from disk - rename "cdrom" method to
"local" (=same
medium as booted from), or alternatively let the harddrive method see the
raw repo rather than only being able to unpack an ISO.

  Will be checking out GRUB4DOS to allow booting directly into ISO images so
can easily add options to launch GParted/Parted Magic, Clonezilla,
SystemRescueCD, maybe even UBCD, Hiren's, custom BartPE's? Could just
add
new partitions, but launching directly into the ISO seems easier to maintain
and cleaner from a filesystem POV.
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hansbkk at gmail.com wrote:
> I'm currently testing a process very similar to that found here:
> 
> http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
> 
> And would like to update that doc with my observations once confirmed.
Would be glad to work with you on the USB install procedure[s].  Sounds 
like what you are proposing goes considerably beyond the original 
approach (which I have not yet found time to test).  Might be best to 
have multiple articles or sub-pages to avoid trying to cover too many 
variations in one page.

Here's a possible structure.  Limit the current page to basic install 
from USB without kickstart or other variations, create subpages for 
kickstart options, other customizations such as your slipstream-updated 
install (news to me - will have to look at that - might rate an 
independent page), and possibly other variants.

Regards,
Phil

>
> From: Phil Schaffner <Philip.R.Schaffner at NASA.gov>
>
> hansbkk at gmail.com wrote:
> > I'm currently testing a process very similar to that found here:
> > http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
>
> Would be glad to work with you on the USB install procedure[s].  Sounds
> like what you are proposing goes considerably beyond the original approach
> (which I have not yet found time to test).  Might be best to have multiple
> articles or sub-pages to avoid trying to cover too many variations in one
> page.
>
> Here's a possible structure.<snip>

Thanks for the offer Phil. Sorry I'm a noob to the process, specifically how
do you suggest we work together on this documentation? Are you proposing we
email back and forth, and if so, do you mean here within the list or
privately?

If the CentOS wiki works like others, I'd think the most efficient way would
be to just give me edit access and then you can feel free to
edit/re-organize my contributions as you see fit. I'd be happy to start off
with the structure you've suggested, but I'm sure you/we'll want to
tweak it
as we move forward and I've no problem with that.

Do you like the idea of suggesting the LiveCD image rather than the net
install? Lots of advantages and no disadvantages that I can think of. . .

Re testing, I've just been keeping a log as I actually try things out.

Re slipstreaming, search on NOVI + repository, there's a good set of
articles hosted on ORA. My notes on maintaining a local repository and
building custom/slipstreamed installation ISOs are pretty well fleshed-out
now if you could suggest a location for them I'd be happy to post them.
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