CentOS - Jan 2024 - how to use an own ks.cfg booting from a usb-device (centos 8 & 9)

Zitat von "Christer M. Fekjan" <drift.CentOS.i02 at 3x9.no>:
> Hello Ralf,
>
> Does your kickstart file contain all obligatory settings? Like e.g.
language.
> Otherwise the installation will prompt for these, at least it did in
previous
> CentOS versions.
>
> In my kickstart file I have these settings for an old CentOS 5 version
(used
> ks a lot then):
> # use whatever fits you
> # System keyboard
> keyboard no
> # System language
> lang nb_NO
>
> From a running CentOS 7 system's kickstart files (generated from the
> installation):
> - /root/anaconda-ks.cfg and/or
> - /root/initial-setup-ks.cfg
> # Keyboard layouts
> keyboard --vckeymap=no --xlayouts='no'
> # System language
> lang en_US.UTF-8
>
> As you see, the directives for v5 and v7 differs slightly. I don't know
> whether v5 directives would work on v7 or the other way around.  
> Anyway, if you
> install a system manually, copying the necessary configuration  
> directives from
> the then generated /root/*ks.cfg-files should give you a working ks-file.
>
> Also check that the path to the ks-file is correct. If possible host it on
a
> webserver or any other way you can check, by logs or other means,  
> that the ks-
> file is requested and correctly retrieved.
>
> Good luck, hope it helps!
>
> Kind regards,
> Christer M. Fekjan
Hallo,
thanks for the hints.
In which file do you refere to the ks.cfg and which syntax are you using?
Is it isolinux.cg?

Ralf

On Thursday 04 January 2024 11:02:27 Ralf Prengel wrote:
> Zitat von "Christer M. Fekjan" <drift.CentOS.i02 at
3x9.no>:
> > Hello Ralf,
> >
> > Does your kickstart file contain all obligatory settings? Like e.g.
> > language. Otherwise the installation will prompt for these, at least
it
> > did in previous CentOS versions.
> >
> > In my kickstart file I have these settings for an old CentOS 5 version
> > (used ks a lot then):
> > # use whatever fits you
> > # System keyboard
> > keyboard no
> > # System language
> > lang nb_NO
> >
> > From a running CentOS 7 system's kickstart files (generated from
the
> > installation):
> > - /root/anaconda-ks.cfg and/or
> > - /root/initial-setup-ks.cfg
> > # Keyboard layouts
> > keyboard --vckeymap=no --xlayouts='no'
> > # System language
> > lang en_US.UTF-8
> >
> > As you see, the directives for v5 and v7 differs slightly. I don't
know
> > whether v5 directives would work on v7 or the other way around.
> > Anyway, if you
> > install a system manually, copying the necessary configuration
> > directives from
> > the then generated /root/*ks.cfg-files should give you a working
ks-file.
> >
> > Also check that the path to the ks-file is correct. If possible host
it
> > on a webserver or any other way you can check, by logs or other means,
> > that the ks-
> > file is requested and correctly retrieved.
> >
> > Good luck, hope it helps!
> >
> > Kind regards,
> > Christer M. Fekjan
> 
> Hallo,
> thanks for the hints.
> In which file do you refere to the ks.cfg and which syntax are you using?
> Is it isolinux.cg?
> 
> Ralf
Short version: I guess you can use a network (or local) install media, enter 
"Edit boot command line" (or something similar) and add something
like:
ks=http://example.local/kickstart ksdevice=eth0
I remember fiddling with a ks-file on a USB stick, but had no luck with that.

But this is (close to) what I actually did:
Back in those days I mostly used dhcp config to start my installations:
host host.local {
        hardware ethernet 01:23:45:67:89:ab;
        fixed-address 10.0.0.10;
        option host-name "host.local";
		next-server tftp-server.local;
        filename "/pxelinux.0";
}
pxelinux.0 was copied from (network) boot media and hosted on tftp-server.


/tftpboot/menu/x86_64.msg contained:
"Default choice will boot in a moment. Please wait ...

DEFAULT: Boot from local disk
      1: Install CentOS 5.4 - with USB and PCMCIA       (Laptop)
      2: Install CentOS 5.4 - with USB / without PCMCIA (Desktop/Server)
      3: Install CentOS 5.4 - without USB / with PCMCIA
      4: Install CentOS 5.4 - without USB and PCMCIA    (Server)
"
Then a dhcp config file for each host identified by its network MAC address, 
eg. 01-23-45-67-89-ab. See attached file.
The syntax in the append lines can also be used directly at the boot command 
line on the network (or any?) install media, if I remember correctly. Mark: 
These are old CentOS 5 examples, read the current kernel doc for any changes.
The attached file is from another setup than the above examples, thus there 
_might_ be some missing pieces.

Hope it helps.

Kind regards,
Christer
> 
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-------------- next part --------------
# /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/01-23-45-67-89-ab
prompt 1
default local
timeout 20
display menu/386.msg

# Default: Boot from local disk
label local
        LOCALBOOT 0

# Install CentOS 5.5 with USB and PCMCIA
label 1
        kernel CentOS/5.5/i386/vmlinuz
        append initrd=CentOS/5.5/i386/initrd.img
ks=http://example.local/kickstart?os=CentOS&osVer=5.5&arch=i386
ksdevice=eth0

# Install CentOS 5.5 with USB, without PCMCIA
label 2
        kernel CentOS/5.5/i386/vmlinuz
        append initrd=CentOS/5.5/i386/initrd.img
ks=http://example.local/kickstart?os=CentOS&osVer=5.5&arch=i386
ksdevice=eth0 nopcmcia

# Install CentOS 5.5 without USB, with PCMCIA
label 3
        kernel CentOS/5.5/i386/vmlinuz
        append initrd=CentOS/5.5/i386/initrd.img
ks=http://example.local/kickstart?os=CentOS&osVer=5.5&arch=i386
ksdevice=eth0 nousb

# Install CentOS 5.5 without USB and PCMCIA
label 4
        kernel CentOS/5.5/i386/vmlinuz
        append initrd=CentOS/5.5/i386/initrd.img
ks=http://example.local/kickstart?os=CentOS&osVer=5.5&arch=i386
ksdevice=eth0 nousb nopcmcia

# possible append parameters:
# devfs=nomount
# ramdisk_size=8192
# network