Help with console-less remote x86 box ...

[Sven Luther <sven.luther@wanadoo.fr>]

Hello,

I am trying to install debian on a remote x86 box, where i have nothing apart
from a network connection, and ssh into an existing redhat system (and a free
1GB swap partition i can scavenge).

As i see it, without needing the kvm again, there are two possibilities for
it:

  1) use the netboot image, but boot it directly from disk with lilo, and use
  the ssh frontend.

  2) use preseeding and do a fully automated blind install. This is rather
  chancy though, especially as we don't have a local mirror system to test run
  it.

I know the ssh frontend was done for the s390 machines, but is it available
also on other plateforms ? Part of the standard rc2 netboot image ? Are
particular options needed ? I didn't find any documentation in the x86 manual
about this. 

The other possibility would be to hire the kvm switch again, and do a hd-media
install (since the kvm uses the same ip as the box, the netboot method is not
ok).

/me a bit lost outside of my nice to boot pegasos/powerpc/OF boxes with serial
console :/

Friendly,

Sven Luther