Netbooting installation of debian-edu

[Finn-Arne Johansen <faj@bzz.no>]

I've played around a bit with net install of debian-edu. Someone tried
to make it work by using the initrd and kernel on the installation CD,
but that did not go very well. IN theory it should work by
-setting up a main server to support netbooting via on eth0 (backbone)
-make the installation CD accessible by http
-using debian-installer netboot kernel and initrd
-boot the machine to be installed from the net
-select language and keyboard layout
-tell the installer to fetch installation packages from http://10.0.2.2
-fetch debian-edu-* and autopartkit from the main server
-choose installation profile
-partition the disk
-install the basic packages
-reboot and fetch the rest of the packages off the net

The trouble is:
-autopartkit fails if used this way. Not sure why, the error message
 doesn't make sence
-during second stage of the installation, debian-edu expects to find the
 packages on the local CD, not of the net

other caveats:
-You have to step back and forth in the menu to get the profile
 selection working
-Could be difficult to find the correct debian-installer netboot initrd
 after some time.

Question for Joeyh and others with debian-installer knowledge:
 Is it possible to create an initrd that supports both CD and netinstall?

If not, I may have a solution, using the Universal toolkit lessdisks,
but a solution using the CD and a netboot initrd would be better.

-- 
Finn-Arne Johansen
faj@bzz.no http://bzz.no/
Leverandør av support på, drift og videreutvikling av Skolelinux-løsninger