[ale] Two questions

[Christopher Fowler]

Tommie,

I do this on a daily basis.  What I do is not easy but it gives me the
best flexibility for my environment.

I start with my appliance and install Linux on it.  I then load all my
software and get it perfect.  This is called the "sample".

I then go to the root of the sample and create a tarball of the whole
system
cd /
tar --same-owner -l -cjpsvf - | ssh user at remotebox "dd
of=system.tar.bz2"

I make a backup of part info

sfdisk -d /dev/hda | ssh user at remotebox "dd of=part.info"

Now I can blow away the sample.

I've used my Linux know-how to create a special CD that all our boxes
boot from.  We call it the Load and Support CD.  On that CD is a very
small Linux image that brings up network and fires up getty on a modem.
There is also a script that does the following:

1.  Stops RAID
2.  Partitions drives
3.  Creates raid
4.  Formats swap and file systems
5.  Mounts file system
6.  Untar the ball into the root of new system
7.  Unmount file system
8.  Install grub as the MBR on the system
9.  Finish

I can take a bare bones box and have it loaded with all our
stuff in 15 minutes.  I can use the same CD to rescue a customer's
system.  I can connect IP (ssh) or even use the PCI modem installed.