Howtos

• a collection of smaller tips and tricks

• longer howto's
  • Local testing with KVM, VDE and dnsmasq
  • An approach using template toolkit in FAI
  • Another script that allows templating another template toolkit
  • combining xen-tools and FAI softupdates to get Xen instances ready.
  • Installing SLES9 32Bit and Smart PackageManager with FAI
  • Install Ubuntu and other distributions with FAI by using FAI multi-distribution
  • Using gpg-authenticated debian-archives
  • Using FAI to set up XEN domains
  • combining FAI with xen-tools
  • Using FAI to set up VServers
  • Software-RAID with mdadm
  • patched version of setup_harddisks: Code refactoring, LVM/RAID support and POD manual page: Copyright (c) 2003, Sam Vilain]
  • LVM & RAID
  • FAI-Logs via Mail
  • Creating class-based documentaion
  • Using_customized_kernels_with_FAI
  • Variables used in FAI
  • Perform FAI softupdates on many machines at the same time
  • Installing laptops with PCMCIA cards using a floppy disk
  • Installing onto Dell PowerEdge Servers
  • Automatic find out and use MAC addresses insted of IP addresses for PXE booting MAC_based_Booting_PXE
  • Saving fai-logs via rsyncd
  • migration2cfengine2
  • Encrypting confidential files on the install server
  • Generate random root password during installation, encrypt and send by mail
  • Using FAI to install a root Server
  • http://rom-o-matic.net - easy way to create a PXE boot-floppy that can be used for FAI installations, with NIC's that don't have a boot-ROM built in. That way, you can boot an install kernel through PXE that doesn't fit on a floppy. Downside is, it _should_ work with most cards, but it does not with _all_
  • How to build a i386 and x86_64 compatible FAI server on Debian Etch x86_64
  • Adding hosts to install client's known_hosts
  • Public key authentication for svn over ssh
  • Automatically flash the BIOS and firmware, set the NVRAM and CMOS using DOS tools. This takes place before the FAI installation.
  • Systems with multiple network interfaces
  • Installation of Grub on Ubuntu using FAI aka UCF problem
  • Mountdisk hook for getting rid of boot problems because of missing /var/run and /var/lock on the root partition