C.4. Prepare a network install floppy diskette
The Red Hat Linux web site has a
floppy diskette image for a network installation. For
Red Hat Linux
7.1 the image is ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat/linux/7.1/en/os/i386/images/bootnet.img.
Install this image on a floppy disk.
Now mount the diskette and check that the installer files are
present.
This floppy disk uses the
SYSLINUX boot loader which was
discussed in Section 4.3 and
in Section 5.3. Firstly, we alter
the boot loader configuration file
/mnt/floppy/syslinux.cfg to use the serial
port. If you are going to use the vi
editor to alter this file, use the -n option to
avoid writing a swap file to the floppy disk.
Secondly we add a new boot option. This is modeled upon the
other boot options in the file. Our variant passes the serial
console parameters to the kernel, the same parameters that we pass
during normal operation when using serial console. "serial" seems
an appropriate name for the boot option.
text, serial and
expert are parameters to the Red Hat
anaconda installer. Specifying
text ensures that the graphical installer does
not start. Specifying serial prevents scans for
possibly non-existent video hardware. You will need to run
Xconfigurator manually if you do have a
video card. Specifying expert allows all the
configuration options to be seen, giving one floppy image that can
be used for all purposes.
Thirdly, we make this new configuration start automatically.
As there is no-one at the site, there's no need to issue a
boot: prompt.
Fourthy, we write the new configuration to diskette.
Check that the diskette boots. If it does not then write a
new boot sector by downloading and running the most recent
SYSLINUX.
Finally, create a new boot image for copying to the
computers to be upgraded.
If you test the new boot floppy on a machine with a serial
console you should briefly see SYSLINUX
booting
and then presenting the boot.msg file
and then the Linux kernel should be
loaded
and run.
Next the init system flashes
by
before the installation application, called
anaconda, is started
There does not seem to be a way to access the function keys,
fortunately the user interface does not require their use.
Now that the floppy has been tested, eject the disk and
reboot the machine into normal operation.