Distributed Computing Support -
RHEL Autoinstall Installation Instructions
Summary:
Instructions for installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux using
the NACS Red Hat Proxy server and the DCS Autoinstall server
If you have problems with NACS RHN check
here
for troubleshooting help.
Consider kickstart instead of these steps.
Preparation
- Log in to autoinst.nacs.uci.edu and add your host to:
- Edit /auto_install/rhel/export/rhn-hosts
- (Use the format: hostname mm/dd/yyyy)
- (Changes get pushed out on the 1/4 hour)
-
-
- If the machine was previously registered with Red Hat Network
- Delete the old registration entry before re-registering the machine.
Installation:
- Boot options after booting from CD
- Configure TCP/IP
- Deselect 'Use Dynamic IP'
- Enter IP address
- Enter Netmask
- Enter Default Gateway (IP)
- Enter Primary nameserver 128.200.1.201
- NFS Setup
- NFS server name: rhn.nacs.uci.edu
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux directory:
- (files ending in -as = Advanced Server)
- (files ending in -ws = Workstation)
-
- RHEL 4:
- 32-bit x86 architecture:
- /hdb1/rhn/os/images/rhel-4/i386-as
- /hdb1/rhn/os/images/rhel-4/i386-ws
-
- 64-bit AMD (and Intel EM64T) architecture:
- /hdb1/rhn/os/images/rhel-4/x86_64-as
- /hdb1/rhn/os/images/rhel-4/x86_64-ws
-
- 64-bit Intel (Itanium) architecture:
- /hdb1/rhn/os/images/rhel-4/ia64-as
- /hdb1/rhn/os/images/rhel-4/ia64-ws
-
- Upgrade Examine (Only seen if matching AS/WS was previously installed)
- Select Install or Upgrade
- Rest of instructions assume Install was selected
- Disk Partitioning Setup
- Select Automatic Partitioning or Manual
- Rest of instructions assume Automatic was selected
- Disk Setup
- Select VolGroup00
- Click Delete
- Disk Setup
- Select /dev/hda2
- Click Edit
- Edit Partition: /dev/hda2
- Select ext3 in the drop down menu for File System Type:
- Select / in the drop down menu for Mount Point:
- Mark the checkbox Force to be a primary partition
- Click OK
- Add Parition
- Select swap in the drop down menu for File System Type:
- Enter 1024 in the field for Size (MB):
- Note:
You can use any swap size that is reasonable for your system.
The installation script sets swap at twice the size of the installed RAM;
it will complain if the swap size is smaller than the amount of RAM. -
- Click OK
- Boot Loader Configuration
- Firewall Configuration
- Select No Firewall
- Select
Disable SELinux
- Additional Language Support
- Time Zone Selecting
- Select America/Los_Angeles Pacific Time
- Set Root Password
- Type root password
- Confirm root password
- Select Next
- Package Installation Defaults
- Select "Customize software packages to be installed"
- Package Group Selection
- We recommend you select Everything
If you want to choose individual packages, here is what we suggest:
[NOTE: When you select a package, not all components are added it might
be a good idea to peruse the 'details' and add as needed. Please
let me know if there are ones that others might find useful]
Recommend:
X Window System
GNOME Desktop Environment
Editors
Graphical Internet
Text-Based Internet
Sound and Video
Server Configuration Tools (Not available for Workstation, obviously)
Mail Server
Network Server (Not available for Workstation, obviously)
Add RARP
Development Tools X Software Developement
Legacy Software Developement
Administration Tools
System Tools
Printing Support
User Choice:
KDE (K Desktop Environment)
Engineering and Scientific
Office/Productivity
Authoring/Publishing
Graphics
Games/Entertainment
Web Server
Windows File Server
MySQL Database
GNOME Software Developement
KDE Software Developement
Not Recommended:
DNS Name Server (Not available for Workstation, obviously)
News Server (Not available for Workstation, obviously)
Legacy Network Server
- Installing Packages
- This can take more than an hour to complete
- Congratulations, the installation is complete
Post Install:
- Display
- Set the Screen Resolution, if needed
- Set the Color Depth, if needed
- Registration
- Select "Tell me why I need register and provide a Red Hat login."
- Select Next
- Registration
- Select "I can not complete registion at this time. Remind me later."
- Select Next
- Authentication Configuration
- Select the Authentication tab
- Uncheck Shadow passwords
- Uncheck MD5 passwords
- Select OK
Register the system and run patches
- Log in as root
- At this point you should be in the gnome destop enviroment.
- Select one of the following two choices
-
- RHEL-4 NOTE: The GPG key steps will fail but up2date will proceed without problems.
-
-
- 1. Automated- Use the configure_up2date script to register and patch:
- Open a web browser on the new system and point it to this instruction page:
http://www.nacs.uci.edu/support/sysadmin/automation/rhel-install.html
-
- Now right click and save configure_up2date to /tmp.
-
- Now open terminal window and run the sript.
/bin/sh /tmp/configure_up2date
-
- Edit grub.conf to make sure the new kernel is selected
-
- Reboot
-
- 2. Manually register and patch
- For manual instructions open a web browser and click here.
-
- Do normal post-hokey procedure
- cd /tmp
- ftp autoinst.nacs.uci.edu
- Log in as anonymous.
- cd /pub/hokey
- get generic
- /bin/sh /tmp/generic
- reboot
Your Red Hat Enterprise Linux system should now be ready for use.
Please e-mail any discrepancies in or additions to this document to:
Duncan Phillips <dphillip@uci.edu>
Updated: February 25, 2005
