Configuring a FreeBSD "Kickstart" server
                        by Steven St.Laurent  - steven@403forbidden.net


Intro

Ducks
Ingredients
Security
Contributing

Files
Distro
Files
Files
Mfsroot
Patch
PXEBoot
Boot
Kernel

Services
INETD
DHCP
TFTP
NFS
FTP

Details
How it works
Loader.rc

Installing

Finishing


	INSTALLING

	If all the above steps are done go ahead and try a dry run. 

	Boot your test machine and enter bios.

	Make sure PXE boot is an active option under Boot Options in your bios.
	Providing that you do not have a cd/floppy in the drive and the hard disk 
	does not have a bootable partition it should attempt to boot via the network card. 
	If it doesnt you are going to have to troubleshoot why. Make sure via tcpdump
	or trafshow that your dhcp server is seeing the dhcp request from the client.

	My Dell has an option for F-12 to activate the PXE boot bypassing all the other 
	boot options. Your system might vary. If you have a bootable hard drive place the PXE
	boot option as a priority. This will need to be changed later. My Dell also redirects 
	the bios to the console so I am able to do all this remotely.

	A serial console or monitor is a requirement to troubleshoot anything. I prefer
	the serial console method since it works for both machines in the same room or
	across the country.

	If all goes well the PXE should boot, grab the pxeboot file and acquire
	a DHCP lease. Next it will retrieve the kernel and boot. Afterwards it will mount the
	mfsroot and seeing a install.cfg file will run systall with those options. 
	Once the install is finished the system will reboot. At this stage you need to have
	DHCP turned off for the time being, at least until the machine boots into its
	fresh install. In my setup DHCP is only on during a installation.

	Finally, your machine should be up and running. Log into it via serial console,
	telnet or ssh. You may now reconfigure as you see fit, your installation is done.
	In my experience a post install script is quite handy so once the machine is rebooted
	all I need to do is login and change root's and several admin users passwords.



Copyright © 2003 - Steven St.Laurent - steven@403forbidden.net