Syslinux - Feb 2006 - RE: Can multiple kickstart files be added to cdrom

On Mon, 13 Feb 2006, Omer Faruk Sen wrote:
> Is it possible to embed more than one kickstart  that will match the
> installation interface's MAC address. What I want is to use boot system
> using virtual CD (using iLO) to install multiple systems but matching
> kickstart conf file will be used with the matching MAC address.
I would look at creating special programs for syslinux (isolinux in your 
case). I'm very interested to have something like this as well. With the 
following features:

 + based on a config-file with different mac-addresses + configuration. 
   eg.:

	[00:0a:0b:0c:0d:0e]
	kickstart = ks-proxy.cfg
	ip-address = 10.1.2.3
	netmask = 255.255.255.0
	gateway = 10.1.2.1
	nameserver = 10.2.3.4
	interface = eth1
	boot-options = hda=noide panic=30

	[default]
	kickstart = ks-dhcp.cfg
	boot-options = panic=30

 + the syslinux program would then parse this file, use the correct 
   section (based on any or all mac-addresses) and convert variables in 
   this kickstart-file by its values.

   eg. ks-proxy.cfg

	### Kickstart
	network --bootproto=static --ip=%(ip-address)s --netmask=%(netmask)s
--gateway=%(gateway)s --nameserver=%(nameser)s --device=%(interface)s

 + the syslinux program should also use (add?) the boot-options to the 
   kernel command line.

This would effectively allow us to create a single ISO image that would 
work for all systems and only requires us to update the config-file in 
case we have new hardware and create new kickstart files if we have a 
different profile.

I'm currently designing a tool to do exactly this in python, but instead 
of letting the bootloader take decisions, I'm letting the http-server make 
decisions after a PXE boot and write the custom kickstart file on-the-fly.

Kind regards,
--   dag wieers,  dag at wieers.com,  http://dag.wieers.com/   --
[all I want is a warm bed and a kind word and unlimited power]

On Mon, Feb 13, 2006 at 08:33:31AM +0100, Dag Wieers
wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Feb 2006, Omer Faruk Sen wrote:
> 
  <snip/>
>
>  + the syslinux program would then parse this file, use the correct 
>    section (based on any or all mac-addresses) and convert variables in 
>    this kickstart-file by its values.
Have a look at 'ethersel.c32' (some where in the syslinux source tree )
It scans the PCI-bus for ethernet cards and returns a driver name.
Use it as starting point for your quest.

> Kind regards,
> --   dag wieers,  dag at wieers.com,  http://dag.wieers.com/   --
HtH
Geert Stappers