Automatic Linux installation
Installation of Linux system is time consuming operation and administrator do same work on many
systems. There are methods for making it easier.
Virtual packages
For installing same set of packages to more computers is very useful to make a virtual package.
Virtual package is package without software, but with dependencies and pre/post install scripts. We
can make package mydepartment-desktop and set dependency to openoffice and gimp and in post
install script change a welcome message and change desktop image to company logo.
Disc cloning
If we need to install huge number of same computers (same hardware, same software
configuration), the easiest way is to install one computer and then clone it. There are systems like
SystemImager (distribution independent) which works as a network boot servers. SystemImager
can clone disk image to a client booted over network and make individual post-install settings.
Configuration script for install program
This method use standard installation program of selected distribution, but installation settings are
predefined by script and not interactive. The configuration file can by located on installation media
or loaded from network.
Kickstart
Kickstart is a name for automatic installation script. This script is used mostly by anaconda installer
(RedHat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, Fedora). It is very simple text file, focused on easy using.
 Format: plain text file
 Parts for configuration: partitioning, authentization, bootloader, additional drivers, firewall,
language settings, network, raid, lvm, repository, selinux, services, xconfig, package
selection
 Supports including files with part of configuration
 Possibility to use pre-install and post-install script
 Interactive mode - only prefilled from kickstart file
 Inst source: cdrom, harddrive, nfs, http, ftp, iscsi support
 Logging (local, remote)
 VNC connection to installation gui
 GUI configurator (system-config-kickstart)
 Automatic generated kickstart file after each install: /root/anaconda-ks.cfg
 Kernel parameter for start automatic installation: ks=http://path.to.file/ks.cfg
Autoyast
Autoyast is method for automatic configuration of Novell SuSE Linux installer (SuSE Linux
Enterprise, OpenSuSE). It is a complex XML file and the method is focused on combining
configuration files by classes and their priority and rules depending on detected hardware or mac
address.
 Format: XML file
 Parts for configuration: software (add-on packages, registration, online update, package
selection), hardware (keyboard layout, partitioning (evms,lvm,classic), printer), system:
(boot loader, power management, logging, services, country settings, service
settings /etc/sysconfig), network settings, network services, security (firewall, selinux)
 Pre-install, post-install scripts
 GUI configurator (yast autoyast)
 Automatic generated autoyast file after each install: /root/autoinst.xml
 Kernel parameter for start automatic installation: autoyast=http://path.to.file/profile.xml
Debian preseeding
Debian installer (Debian 4 etch based distributions) accept text file with predefined parameters. It is
possible to configure everything what is in interactive installation. If installator find it in
configuration file, it stop detecting or asking for answer and use predefined values. It is also
possible to preseed hardware configuration and stop detecting it and configure packages.
 Format: text file
 Parts for configuration: localization, network configuration, mirror settings, partitioning,
account settings, package selections, boot loader, x configuration, specific package
configuration
 Pre-install and post-install scripts
 There is now automatic generated preseed file after installation. We can generate it:
debconf-get-selections installer > preseed.file ; debconf-get-selections >> preseed.file
 Kernel parameter for start automatic installation: auto url=http://path.to.file/preseed.file