Slow and dirty way of making an Ubuntu 8.10 fai server serve an Ubuntu 8.10 fai client.

[Adrian Gibanel Lopez]

Here there goes a slow and dirty way of making an Ubuntu 8.10 fai server
serve an Ubuntu 8.10 fai client.
I am trying to convert this in updated fai (and other packages). I have
already sent some messages with
doubts about this subject.

Any improvement for this howto is welcome.


+ Step I: Install basic packages

sáb nov 22 18:58:48 CET 2008
DONE • Install the package fai-server and all recommended packages (see
‘Setting up FAI’ on
page 8 on your install server).

+ Step II: Setup Configuration
Some files that need to be updated:

(See attached file: ubuntu810_fai_both_server_client_configuration.tar.gz)

Apart from my particular changes there are some changes specific to Ubuntu
8.10.

/etc/fai/NFSROOT:

* Added: language-pack-en-base package.

/etc/fai/make-fai-nfsroot.conf:

* FAI_DEBOOTSTRAP="intrepid
file:/home/ubuntu_mirrors/us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu"
 (Adapt to your intrepid repository)
* FAI_DEBOOTSTRAP_OPTS="--exclude=dhcp-client,info --include=aptitude"
  (I have added: --include=aptitute)

/etc/fai/nfsroot-hooks/10-unionfs-workaround:

* This file has to be created because the package does not install this
file by default.

+ Step III: Create initrd

* Run: fai-setup -v
* Install the simple examples into the configuration space:
cp -a /usr/share/doc/fai-doc/examples/simple/* /srv/fai/config/
* fai-chboot -IFv demohost

+ Step IV: Fix initrd

* At: /srv/tftp/fai we usually have:
initrd.img-2.6.27-8-generic

Let's fix it.

We "unzip" it with the following command (in an empty folder): zcat
/path/to/initrdfile | cpio -iv

We modify it with the changes found at attached file:
initrd_fai_u810_patch.diff.gz .

First too lines mean that we have to add the following files manually:
/bin/wc and /etc/console-setup/boottime.kmap.gz .

We "zip" it with following command (from the previous folder):
find | cpio -ov -H newc | gzip -n > /path/to/initrdfile

+ Step V
We boot the client so that the distro gets installed.

+ Step VI: Fix /var/ subfolders
We boot the client from a live cd and create /var/lock and /var/run
folders in / partition.
(Obviously, this needs to be improved).


+ Step VII: Enjoy!
Setup the client to be boot from hard disk and everything should boot ok.
* fai-chboot -o demohost



-- 
Firma Automática 1:
---------------------
Adrian Gibanel Lopez
Estudiante de Ingenieria de Informatica de Sistemas en la Universitat de
LLeida.
Firma Automática 2:
---------------------
Participante en el III Concurso Universitario de Software Libre.
Proyecto: Desdeslin. http://desdeslin.wordpress.com
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