Topic: How do I install SME 7.0 Final over a network?

[Janm]

I have looked here
http://no.longer.valid/phpwiki/index.php/InstallationFAQ

You must make the image of the installation CD-ROM available via NFS, ftp, SMB or HTTP on another machine of your network. It is then necessary to create a installation floppy with the image file bootnet.img (in the images directory of your CD-ROM root) and to modify the ks.cfg file by specifying the IP address, protocol, etc., of the network installation.
But that did not seems to go for 7.0

Janm

[cactus]

I have looked here
http://no.longer.valid/phpwiki/index.php/InstallationFAQ

You must make the image of the installation CD-ROM available via NFS, ftp, SMB or HTTP on another machine of your network. It is then necessary to create a installation floppy with the image file bootnet.img (in the images directory of your CD-ROM root) and to modify the ks.cfg file by specifying the IP address, protocol, etc., of the network installation.
But that did not seems to go for 7.0

Janm

I believe this image is not availabale anymore as it is to big for a normal floppy. It should be possible using a TFTP client and a DHCP server and then set the BIOS to boot from a network location. Have a search at PXE booting on the net, this might work with SME Server although I have never tried.

[william_syd]

There was a post here about a TFTP server.

http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver//contribs/trevorb/7.x/Thinclient/

[TrevorB]

Fairly easy with sme 7.0. No tweaking of the ks.cfg etc required (as in 6.0).

If you already have a tftp server installed just put the initrd.img & vmlinuz from the images/pxeboot directory of the cd into your /tftpboot directory as initrd.sme & vmlinuz.sme and add a few lines to your /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default file
label sme7
kernel vmlinuz.sme
append initrd=initrd.sme ramdisk_size=8192

If not, you can install my smeserver-thinclient & smeserver-tftp contribs from http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/trevorb/7.x/Thinclient/  (INSTALL instructions in the directory) and do the following:

Step 1 (on master server): mount the SME Server 7.0 Installation CD
I'll use the Primary ibays as a nice ftp point, but you can use anywhere accessible on your internal lan via ftp or http
# mount /dev/cdrom /home/e-smith/files/primary/files/sme/

alternatively you can mount the ISO image locally.
copy the ISO image to /<wherever> and mount it
# mount -o loop /<wherever>/smeserver-7.0.iso /home/e-smith/files/primary/files/sme/

Step 2 (on master server) Configuration:
Go to the Thin Clients Configuration page on the Server Manager (under Configuration))

Manually add a new Distribution called SME_Install with a directory of sme7.0 (make sure you use the lower section - Manual install and clear out the auto...)

Enable your TFTP server and PXE Booting (I do NOT recommend setting SME_Install as the default distribution)

Add the target machine as an individual workstation with SME_Install as an Individually Controlled Workstation

Device Address:             = the mac address of the target machine (in 00:00:00:00:00:00 format)
Device Name:                = Any name you wish to give it or leave blank
The default distribution is = Select SME_Install
Device Status:              = enabled

Step 3 (on master server) Setup pxe
Copy the appropriate files to the /tftpboot/sme7.0 directory
cp /home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/files/sme7/images/pxelinux/vmlinuz /tftpboot/sme7.0/.
cp /home/e-smith/files/ibays/Primary/files/sme7/images/pxelinux/initrd.img /tftpboot/sme7.0/.

Copy the contents of http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs/trevorb/7.x/Thinclient/SME_Install/ to your /tftpboot/sme7.0 directory

Step 4 (on target machine)
Ensure that the bios & NIC are setup for PXE Booting

Reboot the target machine and you will be prompted for a manual install of the SME server

Please Note: this will ask you for all the usual manual install information that must be entered on the target machine, including:
Language       (your choice)
Keyboard       (your choice)
Check the kernel modules - network to ensure that the module for your nic is loaded
Install Method (select ftp if you followed me or http as required)
Networking     (leave as dhcp)
Where to find image
- url          (the url or ip address of your server)
- directory    ('sme7.0')

Step 5 (on master server)
After installation is complete, remove the individual workstation setting from
the Thin Clients Configuration panel in Server Manager

[Janm]

Thanks Trevorb
I wil try that i today
Jan

[Janm]

Hej again:
Have just made an install of 7.0 final
with a nice Centos4 Grafical interface
went like a charm no problems via netboot
Jan

[mrjhb3]

I just wanted to weigh in and thank Trevor for his two RPM's.  I had always wondered how the PXE process worked, and now I have successfully set it up.  I also did some other testing and have written up a howto for PXE based on my experiences.  It will be located here as soon as the mirros sync.
http://mirror.contribs.org/smeserver/contribs//jbennett/howto/

Thanks again Trevor,

John Bennett

[fpausp]

Hi,

Thanks your howto and TrevorB´s contrib i got the pxe-boot working . Now i tought i can use the clonezilla livecd distribution ( http://clonezilla.sourceforge.net ) to boot via the network and clone my clients.

When i use the vmlinuz and initrd.gz from the live-cd i got some pxe-errors, what files must i use and how to configure ???


regards
fpausp

[kruhm]

Trevor,

Do you have any 'tasters' for V7 rolled?

[TrevorB]

Hi,

Thanks your howto and TrevorB´s contrib i got the pxe-boot working . Now i tought i can use the clonezilla livecd distribution ( http://clonezilla.sourceforge.net ) to boot via the network and clone my clients.

When i use the vmlinuz and initrd.gz from the live-cd i got some pxe-errors, what files must i use and how to configure ???


regards
fpausp

I guess if you posted what 'some pxe errors' you got we might be able to diagnose your problem....

Trevor B

[TrevorB]

Do you have any 'tasters' for V7 rolled?

No, but is there any particular one you'd like?

I will bundle the thinstation 'prebuilt' this weekend.

Trevor B

[TrevorB]

I will bundle the thinstation 'prebuilt' this weekend.

Hmmm... I have, but I have totally forgotten my ftp password (and it's probably expired anyway).

Will put a request into the admins and will post when I get it up there.

Trevor B  

[kruhm]

"Hmmm... I have,"
EXCELLENT! Thank you very much. I can't wait to try it.

[cool34000]

Hi.


Very good howto : had it working in less than 10 minutes...

Thank you very much for this !

[yorchis]

Hi TrevorB I think your contrib is one of the greatest available for SME!! Congratulations for your great job. But we desperately need some SME7 "TASTERS"  

 I dont know what am I doing wrong but I havent been able to get a fresh thinstation pxe build running.  Do you have any quick howto on using TS-o-Matic generated files with your contrib? I think this would be a wonderful complement for your outstanding contrib!