Very Computer

I have to install Linux (Red Hat) on 8 PC's for teaching purposes. Also,

after each course, I want to re-install everything from scratch. I am
talking about 8 identical PC's. When I install red hat, I have to answer

all sorts of questions. Is there some way or another to automate this
process?

Joost van Lawick

--
Joost van Lawick

WWW:   http://www.casema.net/~lawick

Quote:>Hi,

>I have to install Linux (Red Hat) on 8 PC's for teaching purposes. Also,
>after each course, I want to re-install everything from scratch. I am
>talking about 8 identical PC's. When I install red hat, I have to answer
>all sorts of questions. Is there some way or another to automate this
>process?

If the boxes are identical, you could partition them all the same, do a
basic install to get LILO in the proper place, and then use something
like DriveCopy (or tar?) to copy the first real installation to all of
the other boxes.  But that's an ugly approach.

--

     OS/2 + Linux + BeOS + FreeBSD + Solaris + WinNT4 + Win95 + DOS
      + VMWare + Fusion + vMac + Executor = PC Hobbyist Heaven! :-)
  Give a monkey a brain and he'll swear he's the center of the universe.

--
Villy

I set one machine up VERY well, made sure all of the uses were setup etc.
Then took the SCSI drives out of the other machines in turn, then DD'ed the
contents of the original disk over the top of the new ones.

All that remained was to change the hostname and IP info on boot up - shazam
- 10 machines for the time of 2.

Just a thought - only works with VERY similar/identical hardware.

TG

:
:
:

:>
:> >I have to install Linux (Red Hat) on 8 PC's for teaching purposes.
Also,
:> >after each course, I want to re-install everything from scratch. I
am
:> >talking about 8 identical PC's. When I install red hat, I have to
answer
:> >all sorts of questions. Is there some way or another to automate
this
:> >process?
:>
:> Ever heard about the kick start install method with redhat?
:>
:> --
:> Villy
:
:You could try an approach which I used when having to install 10 Dell
:Poweredges with very little time.
:
:I set one machine up VERY well, made sure all of the uses were setup
etc.
:Then took the SCSI drives out of the other machines in turn, then
DD'ed the
:contents of the original disk over the top of the new ones.
:
:All that remained was to change the hostname and IP info on boot up -
shazam
:- 10 machines for the time of 2.
:
:Just a thought - only works with VERY similar/identical hardware.
:
:TG

*s*  That's what I do..we have a suite of 16 dual boot Linux-95 boxes,
hardware exactly the same...and duping them is much easier.  I do what
you do, test the drive prior to duping.  The only drives I don't dupe
are the ones we use personally on the Windows side.  Those I will
perform the normal Linux installation.

Ryder