Red Hat NETWORK 4.0 -, Reference Manual

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108 Chapter 6. Red Hat Network Website
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A DHCP server is not required for kickstarting, but it can make things easier. If you
are using static IP addresses, you should select static IP while developing your kickstart
profile.
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An FTP server can be used in place of hosting the kickstart distribution trees via HTTP.
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If conducting a bare metal kickstart, you should 1)Configure DHCP to assign required
networking parameters and the bootloader program location. 2)Specify within the boot-
loader configuration file the kernel to be used and appropriate kernel options.
For a description of the inner workings of the kickstart process, refer to
Section 6.4.10.2 Kickstart Explained .
6.4.10.2. Kickstart Explained
When a machine is to receive a network-based kickstart, the following events must occur
in this order:
1. After being placed on the network and turned on, the machine’s PXE logic broadcasts
its MAC address and a request to be discovered.
2. If a static IP address is not being used, the DHCP server recognizes the discovery
request and extends an offer of network information needed for the new machine to
boot. This includes an IP address, the default gateway to be used, the netmask of the
network, the IP address of the TFTP or HTTP server holding the bootloader program,
and the full path and file name of that program (relative to the server’s root).
3. The machine applies the networking information and initiates a session with the
server to request the bootloader program.
4. The bootloader, once loaded, searches for its configuration file on the server from
which it was itself loaded. This file dictates which kernel and kernel options,
such as the initial RAM disk (initrd) image, should be executed on the booting
machine. Assuming the bootloader program is SYSLINUX, this file is located in the
pxelinux.cfg
directory on the server and named the hexadecimal equivalent of
the new machine’s IP address. For example, a bootloader configuration file for Red
Hat Enterprise Linux AS 2.1 should contain:
port 0 prompt 0 timeout 1 default My_Label label
My_Label kernel vmlinuz append ks=http://myrhnsatellite/
initrd=initrd.img network apic
5. The machine accepts and uncompresses the init image and kernel, boots the ker-
nel, and initiates a kickstart installation with the options supplied in the bootloader
configuration file, including the server containing the kickstart configuration file.
6. This kickstart configuration file in turn directs the machine to the location of the
installation files.