Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-19 Thread David G . Miller
Billy Crook  writes:

> 
> What about when special modules need to be in the initrd for hardware
> upon which boot depends (raid cards, SAN HBAs, NICs sometimes)?
> 
> On Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 9:26 AM, David G. Miller  wrote:
> > Ashley M. Kirchner  ...> writes:
> >
> >>
> >> So I'm in a bit of a pickle ...  I have a machine that needs to be
> >> repurposed from WinXP to CentOS.  I downloaded the CentOS DVD and all then
> >> realized ... I don't have a keyboard/mouse for the machine.  It only has
> >> USB ports on it, and I don't have a single available USB keyboard that I
> >> can plug in.  Bit of a problem.
> >>
> >> Usually what I do is install via VNC anyway, but that is contingent on me
> >> already having something on the machine that allows me to connect to it so
> >> that when it boots up, I can edit the boot parameters and enable VNC.  I
> >> don't have that this time.
> >>
> >> So, the question is: can I make a DVD image that starts the installer with
> >> VNC options set and if so, how do I go about that?
> >>
> >
> >
> > Kind of "don't raise the bridge, lower the river suggestion:"
> >
> > Pull the hard drive and put it in another system long enough to do the
> > install.  As long as the chip architecture is the same (32bit vs. 64 bit),
> > it should work fine.  It should work even if one system is Intel and the
> > other AMD.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Dave
> >
> > ___
> > CentOS mailing list
> > CentOS@...
> > http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
> 
1) I give Ashley credit for knowing his systems and knowing if the system in
question needs such a kernel module in order to boot.

2) Fairly low likelihood that the system needs such a module in order to
even boot.  Might need it for full functionality but that can be handled later.

3) I carry around a USB hard disk with Fedora on it.  If I can get a system
to boot from the drive, it always seems to work.  Experience says most
systems will boot without any non-standard pieces.

Cheers,
Dave



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Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-18 Thread Les Mikesell
On Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 11:54 AM, Billy Crook  wrote:
> What about when special modules need to be in the initrd for hardware
> upon which boot depends (raid cards, SAN HBAs, NICs sometimes)?
>

If you are building an image to run on a different system, you can add
the drivers in /etc/modeprobe.conf (or the files under
/etc/modeprobe.d/ and rebuild the initrd to include them (assuming you
know the right names - you might need to do an install on a similar
system to find them).

-- 
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  lesmikes...@gmail.com
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Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-18 Thread Ashley M. Kirchner
Presumably, that's what you'd use kickstart for ... but I'm going to leave
that for someone with more knowledge answer that.  I'm just happy with a
working system right now.


On Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 10:54 AM, Billy Crook wrote:

> What about when special modules need to be in the initrd for hardware
> upon which boot depends (raid cards, SAN HBAs, NICs sometimes)?
>
> On Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 9:26 AM, David G. Miller 
> wrote:
> > Ashley M. Kirchner  writes:
> >
> >>
> >> So I'm in a bit of a pickle ...  I have a machine that needs to be
> >> repurposed from WinXP to CentOS.  I downloaded the CentOS DVD and all
> then
> >> realized ... I don't have a keyboard/mouse for the machine.  It only has
> >> USB ports on it, and I don't have a single available USB keyboard that I
> >> can plug in.  Bit of a problem.
> >>
> >> Usually what I do is install via VNC anyway, but that is contingent on
> me
> >> already having something on the machine that allows me to connect to it
> so
> >> that when it boots up, I can edit the boot parameters and enable VNC.  I
> >> don't have that this time.
> >>
> >> So, the question is: can I make a DVD image that starts the installer
> with
> >> VNC options set and if so, how do I go about that?
> >>
> >
> >
> > Kind of "don't raise the bridge, lower the river suggestion:"
> >
> > Pull the hard drive and put it in another system long enough to do the
> > install.  As long as the chip architecture is the same (32bit vs. 64
> bit),
> > it should work fine.  It should work even if one system is Intel and the
> > other AMD.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Dave
> >
> > ___
> > CentOS mailing list
> > CentOS@centos.org
> > http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
>
>
>
> --
> Billy Crook • Network and Security Administrator • RiskAnalytics, LLC
> ___
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>
>
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Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-18 Thread Billy Crook
What about when special modules need to be in the initrd for hardware
upon which boot depends (raid cards, SAN HBAs, NICs sometimes)?

On Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 9:26 AM, David G. Miller  wrote:
> Ashley M. Kirchner  writes:
>
>>
>> So I'm in a bit of a pickle ...  I have a machine that needs to be
>> repurposed from WinXP to CentOS.  I downloaded the CentOS DVD and all then
>> realized ... I don't have a keyboard/mouse for the machine.  It only has
>> USB ports on it, and I don't have a single available USB keyboard that I
>> can plug in.  Bit of a problem.
>>
>> Usually what I do is install via VNC anyway, but that is contingent on me
>> already having something on the machine that allows me to connect to it so
>> that when it boots up, I can edit the boot parameters and enable VNC.  I
>> don't have that this time.
>>
>> So, the question is: can I make a DVD image that starts the installer with
>> VNC options set and if so, how do I go about that?
>>
>
>
> Kind of "don't raise the bridge, lower the river suggestion:"
>
> Pull the hard drive and put it in another system long enough to do the
> install.  As long as the chip architecture is the same (32bit vs. 64 bit),
> it should work fine.  It should work even if one system is Intel and the
> other AMD.
>
> Cheers,
> Dave
>
> ___
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> CentOS@centos.org
> http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos



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Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-18 Thread David G . Miller
Ashley M. Kirchner  writes:

> 
> So I'm in a bit of a pickle ...  I have a machine that needs to be
> repurposed from WinXP to CentOS.  I downloaded the CentOS DVD and all then
> realized ... I don't have a keyboard/mouse for the machine.  It only has
> USB ports on it, and I don't have a single available USB keyboard that I
> can plug in.  Bit of a problem.
> 
> Usually what I do is install via VNC anyway, but that is contingent on me
> already having something on the machine that allows me to connect to it so
> that when it boots up, I can edit the boot parameters and enable VNC.  I
> don't have that this time.
> 
> So, the question is: can I make a DVD image that starts the installer with
> VNC options set and if so, how do I go about that?
> 


Kind of "don't raise the bridge, lower the river suggestion:"

Pull the hard drive and put it in another system long enough to do the
install.  As long as the chip architecture is the same (32bit vs. 64 bit),
it should work fine.  It should work even if one system is Intel and the
other AMD.

Cheers,
Dave

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Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-17 Thread Ashley M. Kirchner
Yeah, that didn't work as expected ...  The system was setup to always boot
from the HD first ... in order to change that I had to go in the BIOS and
flip the order around so it would boot from the CD.  So, I ended up
stealing a coworker's keyboard when they went to lunch.  Returned it before
they came back ... no idea their keyboard took a short "trip" ...

Once that got fixed, since I already made a disk following the link that
Chris Stone sent, I went ahead and tried it et voila, works.  So thanks to
everyone for helping here.


On Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 11:17 AM, Chris Stone  wrote:

> Have a look at this:
>
> http://wiki.centos.org/TipsAndTricks/VncHeadlessInstall
>
>
>
> Chris
>
>
> On Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 10:52 AM, Ashley M. Kirchner  >wrote:
>
> > So I'm in a bit of a pickle ...  I have a machine that needs to be
> > repurposed from WinXP to CentOS.  I downloaded the CentOS DVD and all
> then
> > realized ... I don't have a keyboard/mouse for the machine.  It only has
> > USB ports on it, and I don't have a single available USB keyboard that I
> > can plug in.  Bit of a problem.
> >
> > Usually what I do is install via VNC anyway, but that is contingent on me
> > already having something on the machine that allows me to connect to it
> so
> > that when it boots up, I can edit the boot parameters and enable VNC.  I
> > don't have that this time.
> >
> > So, the question is: can I make a DVD image that starts the installer
> with
> > VNC options set and if so, how do I go about that?
> > ___
> > CentOS mailing list
> > CentOS@centos.org
> > http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Chris Stone
> AxisInternet, Inc.
> www.axint.net
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>
>
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Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-17 Thread Chris Stone
Have a look at this:

http://wiki.centos.org/TipsAndTricks/VncHeadlessInstall



Chris


On Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 10:52 AM, Ashley M. Kirchner wrote:

> So I'm in a bit of a pickle ...  I have a machine that needs to be
> repurposed from WinXP to CentOS.  I downloaded the CentOS DVD and all then
> realized ... I don't have a keyboard/mouse for the machine.  It only has
> USB ports on it, and I don't have a single available USB keyboard that I
> can plug in.  Bit of a problem.
>
> Usually what I do is install via VNC anyway, but that is contingent on me
> already having something on the machine that allows me to connect to it so
> that when it boots up, I can edit the boot parameters and enable VNC.  I
> don't have that this time.
>
> So, the question is: can I make a DVD image that starts the installer with
> VNC options set and if so, how do I go about that?
> ___
> CentOS mailing list
> CentOS@centos.org
> http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
>



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Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-17 Thread John R Pierce
On 12/17/2013 9:52 AM, Ashley M. Kirchner wrote:
> I don't have a keyboard/mouse for the machine.  It only has
> USB ports on it, and I don't have a single available USB keyboard that I
> can plug in.

you can't even borrow a USB key/mouse off another system for the 5 
minutes it would take to get things going?



-- 
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somewhere on the middle of the left coast

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Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-17 Thread Ashley M. Kirchner
On Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 10:56 AM,  wrote:

>
> Suggestion: check the closets, and people's desks. Certainly, we have a
> *lot* of crap (i.e., IDE drives, old, OLD SCSI drives) laying around.
>

I have a strict rule at the office: if no one's using it, throw it out.  MY
actual office is always the 'dumping ground' for stuff like that, to the
point where I couldn't walk through it one day, so I had to start tossing
crap.  So, yeah, no keyboards, at least not the USB kind.  I have three
that are PS/2 though ... lot of good they're doing me.


> And eBay's got 'em for $6,99. (No, you can't have mine that I have at
> home, not until I get a USB one)
>

Right ... not going to help me right now though, unless eBay can deliver
within the next 3 hours.


> Kickstart. I'd say pxeboot, but without a keyboard to tell it to boot off
> the net, that's a problem.
>

Kickstart ... ok, I'm going to have to dig into that.  I wonder, can I grab
the netinstall ISO, extract the files, and add/modify the necessary files
for bootup that tells it to start vnc (with appropriate options), then
create a new ISO?
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Re: [CentOS] Headless system

2013-12-17 Thread m . roth
Ashley M. Kirchner wrote:
> So I'm in a bit of a pickle ...  I have a machine that needs to be
> repurposed from WinXP to CentOS.  I downloaded the CentOS DVD and all then
> realized ... I don't have a keyboard/mouse for the machine.  It only has
> USB ports on it, and I don't have a single available USB keyboard that I
> can plug in.  Bit of a problem.
>
Suggestion: check the closets, and people's desks. Certainly, we have a
*lot* of crap (i.e., IDE drives, old, OLD SCSI drives) laying around.

And eBay's got 'em for $6,99. (No, you can't have mine that I have at
home, not until I get a USB one)

> Usually what I do is install via VNC anyway, but that is contingent on me
> already having something on the machine that allows me to connect to it so
> that when it boots up, I can edit the boot parameters and enable VNC.  I
> don't have that this time.
>
> So, the question is: can I make a DVD image that starts the installer with
> VNC options set and if so, how do I go about that?

Kickstart. I'd say pxeboot, but without a keyboard to tell it to boot off
the net, that's a problem.

   mark

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