Profile based installation (not based on MAC address or hostname)

[Peter Bittner]

Hi,

On Tue, 2009-09-08 at 19:33 +0200, Thomas Neumann wrote:
> I think that's doable, but you're operating in a limited timeframe. So far
> i haven't seen a pxe-bootclient that doesn't timeout.

I'm not sure if this is a problem for us: we are planning to have the
client PCs request a bootloader and reboot if the installation is not
yet to be started, thus starting to poll for a bootloader again. As soon
as they are in the network they will get an answer from the server
(default answer telling it to reboot if the client is not allowed to
install) - they should never run into the timeout, ideally. I think I
can do this with a default network boot configuration.

> Somebody on this list implemented a python tftp-server which does some
> rewriting. Maybe that's a better solution. Defaultboot every
> netboot-client into tftp and let the server decide what to do - e.g. boot
> from local disc or wait for administrator interaction via webgui. (I'm not
> sure if there's another timeout.)

Thanks a lot for the info. I'm not sure, but if I'm not mistaken the
tool you are referring to is Stephan Hermann's Djangofied:
http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-fai@uni-koeln.de/msg02244.html
(That's what I find searching the list for "python tftp")

> If you've got that far, then the rest is easy. Just let the tftpserver
> supply an additional parameter (like "FAI_PROFILE=DESKTOP") and use this
> parameter in a class/ script to define the according classes.

Right. I believe I would do this with the fai-chboot command. I can't
see an option there that allows me to specify the FAI_PROFILE. Can you
suggest how I must do it?

> I guessed the point is to have no interaction with the installclient
> except from pushing the power-button. Else other options are available.

You're guessing right. We are expecting our clients to have tens if not
hundreds of PCs out there in the field, attached to the network and
switched on, waiting for a centralized installation.

It's good to be reminded though (thanks Michael Goetze!) that there
still *is* the possibility of interaction. In the FAI context you tend
to forget about this... :-)

Cheers, Peter