OS Install: Bare Metal
General Information
Installing on bare metal systems using the “net-install” method and kickstart.
Checklist
- Distro(s): Enterprise Linux 6/7
Net Install
Installing a system over the network procedure.
- Netinstall ISO ⇒ used to bootstrap the system and define network,hostname,kickstart file and NFS source install location
- Alternatively, PXE Boot can replace needing any physical installation media.
- DVD ISO ⇒ located on the NFS server and is the source for the install
- Kickstart file ⇒ located on the NFS server in the same location as the DVD ISO and automates the installer
Netinstall ISO Prep
- Download the OS net install image (to boot from)
- Put this image on your local desktop/laptop or create a bootable USB flash drive
NFS Server: Image Prep
Setup a NFS Server if you do not have one already.
- Download the OS standard DVD install ISO (to provide the installation files over the network)
- Put this image on your NFS server in an exported directory
- Prepare ISO+images directory on NFS server (If they don't exist already)
- Mount the DVD ISO image temporarily
mount -t iso9660 -o loop /iso/centos6.7-dvd/CentOS-6.7-x86_64-bin-DVD1.iso /mnt
- Copy the images/ directory from the mounted ISO image to the same directory as the ISO image
cp -pr /mnt/images /iso/centos6.7-dvd/
- Unmount ISO image
umount /mnt
- Example: the directory /iso/centos6.7-dvd/ now contains:
- CentOS-6.7-x86_64-bin-DVD1.iso
- images/ (directory copied from ISO)
Kickstart Config Prep
Create a kickstart file and put it in the same location on the NFS server as the ISO image.
- Create Kickstart Config File(s) ⇒ Examples Here
Boot to Netinstall ISO
- Connect to system console (via KVM, other remote access solution, or physically in front of it)
- Mount a netinstall ISO image from a location on your desktop/laptop
- OR plugin a USB flash drive with a netinstall ISO on it to the server
- Boot server to the netinstall ISO
Kickstart Installation
On the Welcome to CentOS screen:
- Highlight “Install or Upgrade an existing system” and press “tab” or “e” to edit boot options. (depending upon bios or uefi system)
- CentOS 6
- BIOS ⇒ After “vmlinuz initrd=initrd.img”, append:
ks=nfs:<nfs-ip>:/iso/centos6.7-dvd/centos6-ks-bios.cfg ksdevice=link hostname=<fqdn-hostname> ip=x.x.x.x netmask=x.x.x.x gateway=x.x.x.x nameserver=x.x.x.x
- CentOS 7
- BIOS ⇒ After “quiet”, append:
inst.resolution=1024x768 inst.ks=nfs:<nfs-ip>:/iso/centos7.2-dvd/centos7-ks-bios.cfg ksdevice=link hostname=<fqdn-hostname> ip=x.x.x.x netmask=x.x.x.x gateway=x.x.x.x nameserver=x.x.x.x
- UEFI ⇒ After “quiet”, append:
inst.resolution=1024x768 inst.ks=nfs:<nfs-ip>:/iso/centos7.2-dvd/centos7-ks-efi.cfg ksdevice=link hostname=<fqdn-hostname> ip=x.x.x.x netmask=x.x.x.x gateway=x.x.x.x nameserver=x.x.x.x
- Note: This can be pasted into most consoles by using KVM menus. (Keyboard > Send Text to Target… > Paste in text > click Ok)