You want to create a customized version of Fedora Linux for multiple local installations. You want to select a standard set of packages, and then have an easy way to install it for new users.
Kickstart (Fedora's customization tool) and your own local installation server are just what you need. A Kickstart file is created automatically at installation, so you can see one at /root/anaconda-ks.cfg on any Fedora system. This file answers all the questions asked by the installer, so all you do is point the installer to the Kickstart file and let it do the rest.
One way to create a Kickstart file is to perform a custom installation: select exactly the packages you want, set up partitioning and filesystems, and then use the automatically generated Kickstart file for new installations. This is also a great way to create an example file for reference.
Another way to is install the Kickstart configurator:
# yum install system-config-kickstartThis gives you a nice, easy-to-use graphical configurator, as Figure 16-2 shows.
Just go through the tabs in order, and when you're finished, you'll have a ks.cfg file. You may use it as-is, or edit it manually to add further refinements.
The Kickstart configurator has some limitations. You may select only package groups, not individual packages. You cannot configure Linux Volume Manager (LVM) with it. However, because it is a plaintext file, you can easily edit it to add any missing bits.
It has four sections: the command section and the %packages section, which are required and
must be in that order, and the %pre
and %post sections, which are not
required, and do not have to be in any order.
Individual packages are listed under the %packages section of
ks.cfg, like this:
%packages @gnome-desktop @graphical-internet gimp firefox openoffice.org-writer
Package groups are prefaced with the ampersand; individual packages are not.
%post options are more common
than %pre options. Both enable you
to run any kind of script or command. After installation, I like to
make sure that certain services are turned off for good, and that
yum update runs to bring the system
up-to-date:
%post chkconfig isdn off chkconfig pcmcia off chkconfig bluetooth off chkconfig portmap off chkconfig apmd off yum update
If you have ever installed Fedora, the Kickstart configurator will be familiar territory. There are a few potentially tricky bits, though:
On the Partition Information screen, you have the option to specify the type of drive, either sda or hda. This could be useful on systems that have both. Or, if you have sda and sdb, for another example, you could put the root filesystem on one, and /home on the other. If you don't specify a particular drive or partition, the installer will select the first drive in the BIOS order.
Video configuration may need to be tweaked after installation because you have to select a color depth and resolution, such as 16 X 1024 X 768. However, the installer will probe the graphics adapter and monitor, and install the drivers automatically.
All kinds of ingenious admins have tried to figure out how to use Kickstart to assign ordinary user accounts. In my opinion, the easiest way is to add them manually after installation.
Complete Kickstart options are described in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Installation Manual.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux manuals:
https://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/