[ale] Linux Server distros

[James P. Kinney III]

COOL!! More toys to play with. I really like the ability to have a tech
reload a system or make a batch of clones from a simple pxe boot
sequence. This is really powerful stuff (hmm. virtual server installs
using pxeboot...).

On Sat, 2006-07-29 at 12:01 -0400, Brian MacLeod wrote:
> > OK. That's more along the idea I was looking for as an in-shop process.
> > So you have a customized pxelinux that has a menu for the choices?  Care
> > to share some insights/pointers/links?
> 
> 
> Sure, not a problem.
> 
> For example, in my configuration directory (%TFTPROOT%/pxelinux.cfg/)
> 
> the file "default" is:
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> timeout 50
> #Our main menu
> display pxelinux.cfg/bootmenu.txt
> prompt 1
> 
> #allow return to main menu
> F1 pxelinux.cfg/bootmenu.txt
> 
> #our hard drive utilities
> F5 pxelinux.cfg/diskutil.txt
> 
> #our BIOS menu
> F10 pxelinux.cfg/bios.txt
> 
> #in case someone was curious and hit their boot from network key
> default local
> 
> label local
>         localboot 0
> 
> label rebuild
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/autoimg.img
> 
> label netboot
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/msnet-b2.img
> 
> label p07-0066
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/p07-0066.img
> 
> label p13-0066
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/p13-0066.img
> 
> label essexp19
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/essexp19.img
> 
> label ssil2609
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/ssil2609.img
> label seagate1
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/seatool1.igz
> 
> label seagate3
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/seatool3.igz
> 
> label datalife
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/datalife.igz
> 
> label powermax
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/powermax.igz
> 
> label dban
>         kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
>         append initrd=dosnetboot/dban.igz
> 
> label centos3
>   kernel CentOS-3-Base/vmlinuz
>   append initrd=CentOS-3-Base/initrd.img ramdisk_size=10000 nofb text
> ip=dhcp ksdevice=eth0
> 
> label centos4
>   kernel CentOS-4-Base/vmlinuz
>   append initrd=CentOS-4-Base/initrd.img ramdisk_size=10000 nofb text
> ip=dhcp ksdevice=eth0
> 
> ------------------------------------
> 
> Now, of course, ALL options are available from ALL menus, but for the
> less clueful technicians (or for the forgetful admin  :) I provide
> grouped menus.  These are simply text files, no special magic there
> whatsoever, unless you want them in color.  Then you have to get into
> escape sequences.
> 
> The locations for the paths listed are under %TFTPROOT%, ie one level
> under the pxelinux.cfg directory.  All the disk images, kernels, and
> initrds are there (in my case, in subdirectories for management.  In
> my PXELINUX.CFG directory, I also have some MAC address set up so that
> they get different menu options (options not listed here but in
> default are NOT available) -- mostly servers that I have set up their
> entire boot/install process to go straight into production via F12 at
> BIOS.
> 
> Resources:
> PXELINUX docs (provides the basics of PXELINUX)
> http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php
> 
> SYSLINUX docs (where it documents the options to provide screens,
> escape sequences)
> http://syslinux.zytor.com/faq.php
> 
> bnm
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
-- 
James P. Kinney III          \Changing the mobile computing world/
CEO & Director of Engineering \          one Linux user         /
Local Net Solutions,LLC        \           at a time.          /
770-493-8244                    \.___________________________./
http://www.localnetsolutions.com

GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics)
<jkinney at localnetsolutions.com>
Fingerprint = 3C9E 6366 54FC A3FE BA4D 0659 6190 ADC3 829C 6CA7
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