Conducting an install via ssh
Hello,
I have been given an ibook with dead graphics, I can install OSX on
it with firewire (to test it works), but wish to install debian.
As the graphics are dead, I cant do a normal install. As it doesn't
have a serial port, I cant control the install that way, so I wanted
to use debian-installer's network-console.
My aim is to create a bootable install cd that will automatically
(without requiring any keypresses) start debian installer and it's
sshd/network console, then wait for me to connect to the machine via
ssh to continue the install.
As I understand it the steps are:
1. Get daily-ppc-netinst-iso, mount, copy contents to working dir [ok]
2. Modify yaboot.conf to select a kernel automatically [ok]
3. Write preseed.conf
4. Put preseed.conf in initrd root [ok]
5. Burn new bootable iso.
The problems are with steps 3 and 5.
3.
I haven't been able to find information about starting network
console with preseed.cfg, but have created this attempt from the
examples that are available.
---------------preseed.cfg:
#### Contents of the preconfiguration file
### Localization
# Locale sets language and country.
d-i debian-installer/locale string en_GB
# Keyboard selection.
d-i console-keymaps-at/keymap select us
### Network configuration
# netcfg will choose an interface that has link if possible. This
makes it
# skip displaying a list if there is more than one interface.
d-i netcfg/choose_interface select auto
# Any hostname and domain names assigned from dhcp take precedence over
# values set here. However, setting the values still prevents the
questions
# from being shown, even if values come from dhcp.
d-i netcfg/get_hostname string newdebian
d-i netcfg/get_domain string local
# Disable that annoying WEP key dialog.
d-i netcfg/wireless_wep string
# The wacky dhcp hostname that some ISPs use as a password of sorts.
#d-i netcfg/dhcp_hostname string radish
d-i preseed/early_command string anna-install network-console
# Setup ssh password
d-i network-console/password password install
d-i network-console/password-again password install
--------------
Is there anything else I need to add to start a network console?
I haven't tried this yet due to problems with step 5.
5.
http://people.debian.org/~osamu/hackdi/ch-d-i.html Mentions that for
isolinux, a bootable iso can be made with a command like:
mkisofs -o new.iso -r \
-b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat \
-no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 \
-boot-info-table /mnt/image
I presume "yaboot" is the replacement for yaboot.bin, does anyone
know what the replacement for boot.cat is? - I cant find boot.cat in
the ppc iso.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and for any assistance.
Hugh
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