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Re: redesigning the debian installer



>>>>> "Torsten" == Torsten Landschoff <torsten@pclab.ifg.uni-kiel.de> writes:

    Torsten> On Tue, Sep 19, 2000 at 10:47:20AM +0200, Sebastien Chaumat wrote:
    >> Let me explain replicator's point of view. We assume that we want to
    >> install 99% identical contents on all of our computers
    >> (classrooms, desktops computers in our lab). So we use rsync to
    >> speed things up and, at the end of the install we do the 1% leaving job.

    Torsten> You need a decent network for that. That's not always available. It is
    Torsten> nice if you have it though.

 Have yous read the "Remote Boot mini-HOWTO"?  Have a look.  It's in
 `doc-linux-html' IIRC.  They describe a setup used for school
 computer labs where they can boot any OS, and boot from an image kept
 on a central server.  Maybe someone could package it up?

    >> We recommend cfengine in post-installation (as a front end to apt if we 
    >> want to deal with packages).

    Torsten> I have to say that I partly hate and partly love cfengine. We are configuring
    Torsten> our systems using it but I am looking for an alternative. Some utility that
    Torsten> is better suited for editing config files...

 Isn't `debconf' supposed to take on some of that all?  With off-box
 config databases, pre-configuration, etc?

    >> It's a lot (really) faster than unpacking packages.

    Torsten> Depends on the network ;) Unpacking is quite fast on our systems here but
    Torsten> configuring takes a lot of time...

 `debconf's answer to `kickstart' again; set up one box, enter stuff
 for the differing info on the other ones, and set the thing off to
 install them all???  Will such a thing exist someday?



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