On Fri, Sep 01, 2000 at 02:21:48AM +0000, Alan Horn wrote:
> 
> Each,
> 
> I have taken on a small project, and before it really gets underway I
> thought I'd check to see if there's any existing tools or similar projects
> happening out there.
> 
> I am attempting to take the install process an create a network install
> version, i.e. an install server from which installs automatically happen,
> plus the capacity for install profiles etc.. for i386 this would most
> likely still need a boot disk image etc.. and the process is no doubt a
> lot harder than I initially see.. :) Anyway, the idea being that with
> several hundred installs to take place the job can be drastically
> streamlined and take hours instead of days.
> 
> For those of you familiar with Solaris jumpstart, I'm trying to acheive
> something similar.
> 
> As a sweetener, if we get this right, it may result in a _large_ NetBSD
> installation at a site that I know (not this site I'm emailing from I
> hasten to add.. ;)
> 
> So, any help greatly appreciated...

diskless boot seems the way to go.
I you don't mind booting from floppy, the way to go is to build a kernel
with 'root on nfs' and put it (gzipped) on a floppy (newfs to make a
filesystem, installboot to make the floppy bootable, then copy netbsd.gz to
the floppy)
When booted, the kernel will look for a NFS server via dhcp, and use it
as root. When /etc/rc is started, the interface is already configured
and the name of the machine is known (hostnane will return it).
then you can tweak /etc/rc into a install script, which will work
upon these infos

I use something similar, but to install NT: diskless NetBSD partition and
format the HD, copies the NT cd to the disk, and create an unatteded
install file for the NT installer based on the machine's hostname.

--
Manuel Bouyer, LIP6, Universite Paris VI.           Manuel.Bouyer@lip6.fr
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