book

Managing RPM-Based Systems with Kickstart and Yum

by Q. Ethan McCallum

March 2007

Intermediate to advanced

47 pages

1h 25m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Manual Versus AutomatedWhy Kickstart and Yum?Is This Too Good to Be True?Will I Be a Kickstart Guinea Pig?I’m Sold. Where Do I Get Them?How Do I Work All of This Magic?Automating the BuildIngredientsInstall MediaDirectory structureServing it upCreating the Config FileConnecting the DotsBoot!Load the configurationLet it runTroubleshootingCustomizing Your Kickstart InstallPre- and Postinstall ScriptsCustom package groupsCustom RPMsDynamic ks.cfgKickstart SecurityKickstart UpgradesAbout Kickstart upgradesPreparing for a Kickstart upgradeBefore You Turn It Loose…Get a backout planTier your shopBut what could go wrong?Custom Yum RepoWhat Is Yum?Why Would I Want My Own Yum Repo?How Do I Set Up an Internal Yum Repo?Directory structureGenerating metadataConfiguring the clientsUsing Your Internal Yum RepoPre-Patching the Kickstart InstallationEliminate the Middle ManPreparing Your Prepatched Install TreeDirectory structureIntroducing novi: sorting the RPMsTake it for a spinSafely Automating YumAutomating Yum’s UpdatesCutting a ReleaseAdding the Change ControlBefore You Start…ks.cfg SyntaxInstallation TypeInstall MediaLanguages and InputVideoNetworkingAuthenticationFirewallTime ZoneBoot LoaderDisksRebootingTroubleshootingPackage SelectionPre- and Postinstall Scripts

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About the Author

Ethan McCallum enjoys many aspects of technology, especially writing about it. His work appears online on The O'Reilly Network and Java.net, and also in print publications such as C/C++ Users Journal, Doctor Dobb's Journal, and Linux Magazine. Article topics range from design to coding, and from software to systems architecture.Ethan is co-founder of Standard 6 , a Paris-based technologoy consulting firm (http://www.StandardSix.eu/). In the US, he is a member of Open Foundation's managed services wing (http://www.OpenFoundation.com/).Outside of work, Ethan publishes Kickstart-related tips, articles, and software through his website at www.ExMachinaTech.net.He extends his deepest gratitude to his editor and review crew, whose insight and suggestions made this book worth reading.