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I want to install Redhat 5.6 on my system. I don't want to use the actual DVD but I want to install it using the ISO image stored on one of our server's hard disks.

How can I do that?

Jeff Schaller
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OmiPenguin
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  • If you find my answer helpful and resolved your issue, Please mark the answer accepted. So that, it will come at top of other answers and will helpful to others who refer this question. – TPS Jul 03 '15 at 06:16

3 Answers3

4

Here is the full procedure to setup your PXE server in RHEL 6 and it is working great for me. Also please refer to Red Hat official document before you start.

My simpler kickstart method using FTP server instead of HTTP service for installing RHEL 6:

PART 1 : Make ks.cfg file for kickstart configuration

# yum install system-config-kickstart

Run the kickstart utility as root:
# system-config-kickstart
Open file anconda-ks.cfg from /root and edit in that. My Final file looks like this after editing:
# vim /root/anconda-ks.cfg

#platform=x86, AMD64, or Intel EM64T
#version=DEVEL
# Firewall configuration
firewall --disabled
# Install OS instead of upgrade
install
# Use network installation
url --url="ftp://192.168.3.222/pub/el6x64/"
repo --name="Red Hat Enterprise Linux" --baseurl=ftp://192.168.3.222/pub/el6x64/ --cost=100
# Root password
rootpw --plaintext XXXXXX
# Network information
#network  --bootproto=dhcp --device=eth0 --onboot=on
# System authorization information
auth  --passalgo=sha512
# Use text mode install
#text
# Run the Setup Agent on first boot
firstboot --enable
# System keyboard
keyboard us
# System language
lang en_US
# SELinux configuration
selinux --disabled
# Installation logging level
logging --level=info
# Reboot after installation
reboot
# System timezone
timezone  Asia/Kolkata
# System bootloader configuration
bootloader --append="crashkernel=auto rhgb quiet" --location=mbr --driveorder="sda"
# Partition clearing information
clearpart --none  

%packages
@additional-devel
@base
@basic-desktop
@MORE IMPORTANT PACKAGES
....
....
ImageMagick
abrt-gui
ant
certmonger
desktop-file-utils
fence-virtd-libvirt
fence-virtd-multicast
fence-virtd-serial
MORE IMPORTANT PACKAGES
....
....
%end

This is basic file, you can modify above file with respect to your own needs, many examples are also available over internet:

PART 2: Install and configure tftp, dhcp, vsftpd

# yum install –y syslinux xinetd tftp-server dhcp vsftpd

a) FTP Server:
# service vsftpd start
# chkconfig vsftpd on

b) DHCP Server:
# vi /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf 

________________________________________________________________________________
# Global Options
Allow booting;
Allow bootp;
authoritative;

# Subnet definition
subnet 192.168.3.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
# Parameters for the local subnet
option routers               192.168.3.222;
option subnet-mask           255.255.255.0;
option domain-name           "cms.wesee.org";
option domain-name-servers   192.168.3.222;
default-lease-time           21600;
max-lease-time               43200;
# Client IP range
range dynamic-bootp 192.168.3.15 192.168.3.95;
filename  "pxelinux.0";
next-server  192.168.3.222;
}

# service dhcpd restart
# chkconfig dhcpd on

c) TFTP server:

# service xinetd start
# chkconfig xinetd on
# vi /etc/xinetd.d/tftp 

disable = no

# service xinetd restart

PART 3 : Copy necessary files to respective locations and modify them accordingly:
# cp /root/anaconda-ks.cfg /var/ftp/pub/el6x64/ks.cfg
# cp /usr/share/syslinux/pxelinux.0 /var/lib/tftpboot/
# mkdir /var/lib/tftpboot/rhel6
insert rhel dvd in dvd drive to copy data to respective locations:
# cp -ivr /media/<mount dir>/* /var/ftp/pub/el6x64/
# cp /var/ftp/pub/el6x64/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz /var/lib/tftpboot/rhel6
# cp /var/ftp/pub/el6x64/images/pxeboot/initrd.img /var/lib/tftpboot/rhel6
# cp /usr/share/syslinux/menu.c32 /var/lib/tftpboot/
# mkdir /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg
# vi /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
timeout 100
default menu.c32

menu title $$$$$$Boot Menu$$$$$$
label 1
  menu label ^ 1) RHEL6
  kernel rhel6/vmlinuz
  append initrd=rhel6/initrd.img  ks=ftp://192.168.3.222/pub/el6x64/ks.cfg ksdevice=eth0
________________________________________________________________________________

Now your server is ready.

TPS
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0

You need PXE installation for it.

dchirikov
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  • Ya I know we can do that by using PXE boot. But how. Because the iso image will be one main system on a network. But how to boot it from a system on which I have to install RHEL. – OmiPenguin Jan 17 '13 at 08:18
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This is not possible in general: you will need to boot the installer, so you will need to load a bootloader. Either from CD/DVD or using PXE.

That said, most server hardware supports IPMI or related technology (such as HP iLO4), that will make the IPMI card mount the iso image as a virtual DVD drive even before booting, which would make this possible.

Dennis Kaarsemaker
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