Re: Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
Please take a look on this: https://wiki.freebsd.org/SummerOfCode2014/FreeBSD_PXE_preseed This is extension for bsdinstall script, you can configure for example local mirror, root password, zfs options etc. The most straightforward solution: - save configured template to www server ( http://svnweb.freebsd.org/socsvn/soc2014/kczekirda/pxe-fai-head/others/template.input?view=markup ) - add option bootfile-name "http://example.com/configs/"; to your DHCP server - run mfsfai from iso file (for example: http://svnweb.freebsd.org/socsvn/soc2014/kczekirda/pxe-fai-head/tools/mfsbsd-10.0-RELEASE-fai-amd64.iso?view=co ) Fai will download configuration file called as mac address from network card, if not exist file called default and do installation with this configuration. You can also boot this iso file by PXE using for example iPXE or PXELINUX and MEMDISK module. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need assistant or questions. Regards, Kamil 2015-01-13 22:10 GMT+01:00 Craig Rodrigues : > On Mon, Jan 12, 2015 at 12:12 PM, John Nielsen wrote: > > > > > I'd be happy to provide more specific suggestions if needed. It really > > depends on how fully automated you want things to be and how much > > customization you want to include, as well as what you have available in > > the install environment. If you're installing on live VMs then you first > > have to get them booted. A custom ISO or MFS image is probably the > simplest > > for that, though PXE is also an option. (Actually, serving an mfsBSD > image > > via PXE is pretty straightforward.) > > > > > Thanks! You provided some excellent concrete examples for how to do > unattended FreeBSD installs. > > In the past 6 months, I have had two different people ask me how to: > -> create a PXE boot server > -> take the ISO image for FreeBSD 9.2, FreeBSD 10.1, etc. > -> create a kickstart environment where it is possible to PXE boot a > cluster of machines, and > have an unattended "kickstart" install take place of the various > FreeBSD versions > > I have coded this kind of stuff up myself in the past and written my own > scripts. > However, it would be really nice if we had more straightforward > documentation and example scripts for doing this. > That way, the average devops engineer experienced with Linux and kickstart > can set this up with no problem, instead of having to struggle and figure > things out. > > It looks like all this stuff is possible under FreeBSD. The main problem I > see is that the > access to the documentation for doing this is not straightforward at all. > > If I do a web search for "Linux kickstart", the search results I get lead > me to documentation > that is actually quite good. I am not a Linux expert, but I can read that > stuff and figure out how to set it > up reasonably quickly. > > If I do a web search for "FreeBSD kickstart", the top search results I get > lead to a few broken > web links, and some private notes from different people on the Internet. > The notes are not bad, > but not as straightforward to follow as the Linux documentation links. > > Since you have some good experience with this, can we create a thread on > https://forums.freebsd.org > with the title "FreeBSD kickstart" with some step-by-step examples for > creating a "kickstart" environment? > > That way over time, a web search for "FreeBSD kickstart" will show the > forum post with top-notch examples. > > Thanks. > -- > Craig > ___ > freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" > ___ freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
Jamie Landeg-Jones wrote: > Craig Rodrigues wrote: > > > I had a devops person who is familiar with setting up hundreds of > > Linux nodes in cloud environment ask me what is the best way > > to do unattended installs in a cloud environment. > > Linux has kickstart installs, which are quite useful and popular. > > > > What is the equivalent in FreeBSD? > > vultr.com has an option to automatically install a freebsd instance > (it's an automated install, not simply a binary image etc.) > > You can even vnc to the console and watch it progress. > > Though I'm not sure if the free trial requires credit card authoration - They do. Vultr is also picky about which credit cards are accepted (mine weren't, no additional explanation given). Fabian pgpRWG4Jkfelg.pgp Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
Craig Rodrigues wrote: > I had a devops person who is familiar with setting up hundreds of > Linux nodes in cloud environment ask me what is the best way > to do unattended installs in a cloud environment. > Linux has kickstart installs, which are quite useful and popular. > > What is the equivalent in FreeBSD? vultr.com has an option to automatically install a freebsd instance (it's an automated install, not simply a binary image etc.) You can even vnc to the console and watch it progress. Though I'm not sure if the free trial requires credit card authoration - they are trying to make sure they aren't exploited by spammers etc. cheers, Jamie ___ freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
On 2015-01-13 16:10, Craig Rodrigues wrote: > On Mon, Jan 12, 2015 at 12:12 PM, John Nielsen wrote: > >> >> I'd be happy to provide more specific suggestions if needed. It really >> depends on how fully automated you want things to be and how much >> customization you want to include, as well as what you have available in >> the install environment. If you're installing on live VMs then you first >> have to get them booted. A custom ISO or MFS image is probably the simplest >> for that, though PXE is also an option. (Actually, serving an mfsBSD image >> via PXE is pretty straightforward.) >> >> > Thanks! You provided some excellent concrete examples for how to do > unattended FreeBSD installs. > > In the past 6 months, I have had two different people ask me how to: > -> create a PXE boot server > -> take the ISO image for FreeBSD 9.2, FreeBSD 10.1, etc. > -> create a kickstart environment where it is possible to PXE boot a > cluster of machines, and > have an unattended "kickstart" install take place of the various > FreeBSD versions > > I have coded this kind of stuff up myself in the past and written my own > scripts. > However, it would be really nice if we had more straightforward > documentation and example scripts for doing this. > That way, the average devops engineer experienced with Linux and kickstart > can set this up with no problem, instead of having to struggle and figure > things out. > > It looks like all this stuff is possible under FreeBSD. The main problem I > see is that the > access to the documentation for doing this is not straightforward at all. > > If I do a web search for "Linux kickstart", the search results I get lead > me to documentation > that is actually quite good. I am not a Linux expert, but I can read that > stuff and figure out how to set it > up reasonably quickly. > > If I do a web search for "FreeBSD kickstart", the top search results I get > lead to a few broken > web links, and some private notes from different people on the Internet. > The notes are not bad, > but not as straightforward to follow as the Linux documentation links. > > Since you have some good experience with this, can we create a thread on > https://forums.freebsd.org > with the title "FreeBSD kickstart" with some step-by-step examples for > creating a "kickstart" environment? > > That way over time, a web search for "FreeBSD kickstart" will show the > forum post with top-notch examples. > > Thanks. > -- > Craig > ___ > freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" > Martin Matuška gave a talk at AsiaBSDCon 2014 about using 'Foreman' in addition to Puppet to manage FreeBSD instances. Slides: http://blog.vx.sk/pdf/foreman-asiabsdcon2014.pdf Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb8jB5x0OX4 So foreman does the inventory management (for physical hosts etc), and manages network booting mfsBSD and running the scripted installation, and boot strapping puppet, which then takes over the config management side of things. My self, I've looked at using zfs send|receive to deploy new hosts, since I am deploying servers in remote data centers where I don't have another host to PXE Boot off of. -- Allan Jude signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
On Mon, Jan 12, 2015 at 12:12 PM, John Nielsen wrote: > > I'd be happy to provide more specific suggestions if needed. It really > depends on how fully automated you want things to be and how much > customization you want to include, as well as what you have available in > the install environment. If you're installing on live VMs then you first > have to get them booted. A custom ISO or MFS image is probably the simplest > for that, though PXE is also an option. (Actually, serving an mfsBSD image > via PXE is pretty straightforward.) > > Thanks! You provided some excellent concrete examples for how to do unattended FreeBSD installs. In the past 6 months, I have had two different people ask me how to: -> create a PXE boot server -> take the ISO image for FreeBSD 9.2, FreeBSD 10.1, etc. -> create a kickstart environment where it is possible to PXE boot a cluster of machines, and have an unattended "kickstart" install take place of the various FreeBSD versions I have coded this kind of stuff up myself in the past and written my own scripts. However, it would be really nice if we had more straightforward documentation and example scripts for doing this. That way, the average devops engineer experienced with Linux and kickstart can set this up with no problem, instead of having to struggle and figure things out. It looks like all this stuff is possible under FreeBSD. The main problem I see is that the access to the documentation for doing this is not straightforward at all. If I do a web search for "Linux kickstart", the search results I get lead me to documentation that is actually quite good. I am not a Linux expert, but I can read that stuff and figure out how to set it up reasonably quickly. If I do a web search for "FreeBSD kickstart", the top search results I get lead to a few broken web links, and some private notes from different people on the Internet. The notes are not bad, but not as straightforward to follow as the Linux documentation links. Since you have some good experience with this, can we create a thread on https://forums.freebsd.org with the title "FreeBSD kickstart" with some step-by-step examples for creating a "kickstart" environment? That way over time, a web search for "FreeBSD kickstart" will show the forum post with top-notch examples. Thanks. -- Craig ___ freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
Where moving to using a medium sized(~100 boxes) freebsd install base to
pc-sysinstall and a very simple deployment script. We were on a custom
sysinstall derivative so maybe that what making it feel so magical but I
really like pc-sysinstall. We are relatively early in the process of
deployment so there still may be some tweaking but pc-sysinstall seemed
really simple and easily adaptable. Now this is for physical hardware not
the cloud so I don¹t know if there is any difference there that may effect
you.
Hope that helps,
‹Nick
On 1/12/15, 3:12 PM, "John Nielsen" wrote:
>On Jan 12, 2015, at 12:24 PM, Craig Rodrigues wrote:
>
>> I had a devops person who is familiar with setting up hundreds of
>> Linux nodes in cloud environment ask me what is the best way
>> to do unattended installs in a cloud environment.
>> Linux has kickstart installs, which are quite useful and popular.
>>
>> What is the equivalent in FreeBSD?
>>
>> In the sysinstall days, the sysinstall.cfg config file could be created
>> which drove large parts of the installer. Now that sysinstall is gone,
>> what is the alternative? Searching the web, I found two answers:
>>
>> (1) Write your own script
>> (2) Use pc-sysinstall from the PC-BSD project
>>
>>http://wiki.pcbsd.org/index.php/Creating_an_Automated_Installation_with_p
>>c-sysinstall/10.0/en
>
>bsdinstall(8) does support scripted installations, see the man page.
>Writing your own script is also viable, or a combination of the two. I
>don't have experience with scripting bsdinstall as I tend to script my
>own.
>
>Vultr.com has a script that does a full installation when you first bring
>up a FreeBSD VM. At $work, I maintain a script which creates FreeBSD
>template disk images which are then cloned for new VMs. There are also
>now make targets in the base system to build VM-suitable disk images (but
>I don't recall what they are off the top of my head).
>
>> I am trying to work with a devops team who is very experienced
>> with setting up Linux environments in the cloud. Based on the available
>> docs,
>> it is not clear to non-FreeBSD experts how to accomplish similar things
>> with FreeBSD.
>
>I'd be happy to provide more specific suggestions if needed. It really
>depends on how fully automated you want things to be and how much
>customization you want to include, as well as what you have available in
>the install environment. If you're installing on live VMs then you first
>have to get them booted. A custom ISO or MFS image is probably the
>simplest for that, though PXE is also an option. (Actually, serving an
>mfsBSD image via PXE is pretty straightforward.)
>
>Then:
>
>Set up the network if it will be needed for the install and is not
>already done.
>Set up the disk(s), partition(s), filesystem(s), etc
>Mount
>Install distribution sets. Here's what I use for that:
>#!/bin/sh
>#...
>DISTS="base kernel lib32 doc games"
>for dist in ${DISTS}; do
> fetch -o - "${BASEURL}/${dist}.txz" | tar -xJ --exclude
>kernel/\*.symbols -C ${MOUNTPOINT} -f -
>done
>#...
>
>Run freebsd-update
>Populate /etc/fstab
>Set a root password
>Make sure you can log in to the new system (if SSH is needed then either
>create a non-root user or enable root login in sshd_config (not ideal))
>Populate /etc/rc.conf
>Run tzsetup or similar
>Install 3rd-party packages
>Configure bootcode
>
>> By the way, I would be very interested in hearing from people who have
>> experience
>> in installing, configuring, and upgrading hundreds or even thousands of
>> FreeBSD
>> nodes in devops and cloud environments. For people who are not FreeBSD
>> experts,
>> but who are Linux devops experts, is it easy to do, or is there a lot of
>> custom scripts which need to be written?
>
>A few tools translate over more or less directly, such as Ansible and
>SaltStack. Having a uniform and automated installation procedure (like it
>sounds like you're going for) and front-loading a lot of your
>customization in to that is a good starting point. Building your own
>packages to distribute/update configuration files or run scripts where
>needed is also helpful. Install that package as part of the initial
>system setup then have it update itself (or push out a cron job, or do
>mass updates when needed via Salt, etc).
>
>Just some ideas. I don't think it's any harder/easier than running lots
>of Linux servers, just different in some ways. If you want custom
>functionality then you'll probably need some custom scripts. :)
>
>JN
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Re: Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
On 01/12/15 11:24, Craig Rodrigues wrote: Hi, I had a devops person who is familiar with setting up hundreds of Linux nodes in cloud environment ask me what is the best way to do unattended installs in a cloud environment. Linux has kickstart installs, which are quite useful and popular. What is the equivalent in FreeBSD? In the sysinstall days, the sysinstall.cfg config file could be created which drove large parts of the installer. Now that sysinstall is gone, what is the alternative? Searching the web, I found two answers: (1) Write your own script (2) Use pc-sysinstall from the PC-BSD project http://wiki.pcbsd.org/index.php/Creating_an_Automated_Installation_with_pc-sysinstall/10.0/en (3) Please see "SCRIPTING" in bsdinstall(8). Let me know if you have any trouble with it. -Nathan I am trying to work with a devops team who is very experienced with setting up Linux environments in the cloud. Based on the available docs, it is not clear to non-FreeBSD experts how to accomplish similar things with FreeBSD. By the way, I would be very interested in hearing from people who have experience in installing, configuring, and upgrading hundreds or even thousands of FreeBSD nodes in devops and cloud environments. For people who are not FreeBSD experts, but who are Linux devops experts, is it easy to do, or is there a lot of custom scripts which need to be written? Thanks. -- Craig ___ freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscr...@freebsd.org" ___ freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Re: Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
On Jan 12, 2015, at 12:24 PM, Craig Rodrigues wrote:
> I had a devops person who is familiar with setting up hundreds of
> Linux nodes in cloud environment ask me what is the best way
> to do unattended installs in a cloud environment.
> Linux has kickstart installs, which are quite useful and popular.
>
> What is the equivalent in FreeBSD?
>
> In the sysinstall days, the sysinstall.cfg config file could be created
> which drove large parts of the installer. Now that sysinstall is gone,
> what is the alternative? Searching the web, I found two answers:
>
> (1) Write your own script
> (2) Use pc-sysinstall from the PC-BSD project
> http://wiki.pcbsd.org/index.php/Creating_an_Automated_Installation_with_pc-sysinstall/10.0/en
bsdinstall(8) does support scripted installations, see the man page. Writing
your own script is also viable, or a combination of the two. I don't have
experience with scripting bsdinstall as I tend to script my own.
Vultr.com has a script that does a full installation when you first bring up a
FreeBSD VM. At $work, I maintain a script which creates FreeBSD template disk
images which are then cloned for new VMs. There are also now make targets in
the base system to build VM-suitable disk images (but I don't recall what they
are off the top of my head).
> I am trying to work with a devops team who is very experienced
> with setting up Linux environments in the cloud. Based on the available
> docs,
> it is not clear to non-FreeBSD experts how to accomplish similar things
> with FreeBSD.
I'd be happy to provide more specific suggestions if needed. It really depends
on how fully automated you want things to be and how much customization you
want to include, as well as what you have available in the install environment.
If you're installing on live VMs then you first have to get them booted. A
custom ISO or MFS image is probably the simplest for that, though PXE is also
an option. (Actually, serving an mfsBSD image via PXE is pretty
straightforward.)
Then:
Set up the network if it will be needed for the install and is not already done.
Set up the disk(s), partition(s), filesystem(s), etc
Mount
Install distribution sets. Here's what I use for that:
#!/bin/sh
#...
DISTS="base kernel lib32 doc games"
for dist in ${DISTS}; do
fetch -o - "${BASEURL}/${dist}.txz" | tar -xJ --exclude kernel/\*.symbols -C
${MOUNTPOINT} -f -
done
#...
Run freebsd-update
Populate /etc/fstab
Set a root password
Make sure you can log in to the new system (if SSH is needed then either create
a non-root user or enable root login in sshd_config (not ideal))
Populate /etc/rc.conf
Run tzsetup or similar
Install 3rd-party packages
Configure bootcode
> By the way, I would be very interested in hearing from people who have
> experience
> in installing, configuring, and upgrading hundreds or even thousands of
> FreeBSD
> nodes in devops and cloud environments. For people who are not FreeBSD
> experts,
> but who are Linux devops experts, is it easy to do, or is there a lot of
> custom scripts which need to be written?
A few tools translate over more or less directly, such as Ansible and
SaltStack. Having a uniform and automated installation procedure (like it
sounds like you're going for) and front-loading a lot of your customization in
to that is a good starting point. Building your own packages to
distribute/update configuration files or run scripts where needed is also
helpful. Install that package as part of the initial system setup then have it
update itself (or push out a cron job, or do mass updates when needed via Salt,
etc).
Just some ideas. I don't think it's any harder/easier than running lots of
Linux servers, just different in some ways. If you want custom functionality
then you'll probably need some custom scripts. :)
JN
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Re: Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
Hi! > I had a devops person who is familiar with setting up hundreds of > Linux nodes in cloud environment ask me what is the best way > to do unattended installs in a cloud environment. Are the nodes with local disks or is storage coming from some iSCSI etc ? What cloud is it ? Depending on the storage behind the cloud, I'd just un-tar a prepared filesystem image onto the network storage in question, add some /etc/rc.conf file to it and there you go ? [Note: I have *not* done this myself, just guessing] -- p...@opsec.eu+49 171 3101372 5 years to go ! ___ freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
Devops question: unattended installs of FreeBSD?
Hi, I had a devops person who is familiar with setting up hundreds of Linux nodes in cloud environment ask me what is the best way to do unattended installs in a cloud environment. Linux has kickstart installs, which are quite useful and popular. What is the equivalent in FreeBSD? In the sysinstall days, the sysinstall.cfg config file could be created which drove large parts of the installer. Now that sysinstall is gone, what is the alternative? Searching the web, I found two answers: (1) Write your own script (2) Use pc-sysinstall from the PC-BSD project http://wiki.pcbsd.org/index.php/Creating_an_Automated_Installation_with_pc-sysinstall/10.0/en I am trying to work with a devops team who is very experienced with setting up Linux environments in the cloud. Based on the available docs, it is not clear to non-FreeBSD experts how to accomplish similar things with FreeBSD. By the way, I would be very interested in hearing from people who have experience in installing, configuring, and upgrading hundreds or even thousands of FreeBSD nodes in devops and cloud environments. For people who are not FreeBSD experts, but who are Linux devops experts, is it easy to do, or is there a lot of custom scripts which need to be written? Thanks. -- Craig ___ freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscr...@freebsd.org"
