16.6. Using a Kickstart File for a Hands-off Fedora Linux Installation

Problem

You have created your perfect ks.cfg file, and now you want to use it to control a new Fedora Linux installation.

Solution

You have several options:

Installation server

This is the easiest way. Then, boot up the PC with a Fedora boot medium, such as a CD or USB stick, using this boot command:

	linux ks=http://server/directory/ks.cfg

You may store several different Kickstart files this way, and specify which one to use:

	linux ks=http://server.name.net/directory/devstation-ks.cfg
	linux ks=http://server.name.net/directory/fileserver-ks.cfg
3.5" diskette

It must be in the top-level directory, and it must be named ks.cfg. Boot up the PC with a Fedora boot medium, using this boot command:

	linux ks=floppy

If you want to use several different Kickstart files, such as workstation, web server, file server, and so on, you can specify the different filenames:

	linux ks=floppy:/apache-ks.cfg
	linux ks=floppy:/workstation-ks.cfg

Fedora no longer supports booting from a diskette, but you can still use them to hold Kickstart files.

USB stick

The filesystem must be vfat or ext2; I recommend vfat for the fewest hassles. Boot up the PC with a Fedora boot medium with this boot command, using your own /dev name and filepath:

	linux ks=hd:sda1:/websrv-ks.cfg

You may add a Kickstart file to your Fedora boot USB stick; first, copy the boot image, then copy your Kickstart file to the device. Use the same boot command as above.

CD-ROM

Kickstart files on a CD-ROM are booted with this command:

	linux ks=cdrom:/directory/ks.cfg

Discussion

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.

Assigning hostnames can be automated by configuring your DHCP server to assign hostnames by MAC address. In Dnsmasq, use a line like this:

	dhcp-host=11:22:33:44:55:66,arnold

If you're using the ISC DHCP server, add lines like this to dhcpd.conf:

	host mrhaney {
	     hardware ethernet 08:00:07:26:c0:a5;
	}

See Chapter 4 for some good recipes on configuring a Dnsmasq DHCP/DNS server.

See Also