FAI How to build a i386 and x86 64 compatible FAI server on Debian Etch x86 64

Theses procedures have only been validated on Debian Etch with FAI 3.1.8

I was installing an installserver for my company and looking for a way to build and i386 NFSROOT on a amd64 Etch and then build arch specific FAI mirrors and CD images.Thought FAI 3.1.8 was not really designed for cross architecture, it is possible to use it this way. Here is the workarounds.

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Cross-Architecture NFSROOT

• Step 1 : Create arch specifics fais configuration direcories

  for dir in /etc/fai-i386 /etc/fai-amd64 ; 
  do
  	mkdir $dir
  	cd $dir
  	ln /etc/fai/fai.conf
  	ln /etc/fai/NFSROOT
  	ln /etc/fai/apt
  	ln /etc/fai/menu.lst
  	cp /etc/fai/make-fai-nfsroot.conf .
  done
  

• Step 2 : Build a local apt_arch.conf file inside /etc/fai-i386 or /etc/fai-amd64
  • Simply add thoses lines to /etc/fai-i386/apt_arch.conf ( for /etc/fai-amd64/apt_arch.conf, replace i386 by amd64)

    APT {
    	Architecture "i386";
    }
    

  • You can create automagicaly those file running the following script

    for arch in i386 amd64 ; do
    	CONTENT='APT {\n\tArchitecture "$arch";\n}'
    	echo $CONTENT > /etc/fai-$arch/apt_arch.conf
    done			  				
    

• Step 3 : Install fai-kernels packages for the different architectures
  • Configure and Run this little script for your different architectures

    rm /tmp/fai-kernel*
    for arch in i386 amd64 ; do
    	echo "Downloading $arch fai-kernels package"
    	echo "--------------------------------------"
    	export APT_CONFIG=/etc/fai-$arch/apt_arch.conf
    	apt-get update
    	apt-cache -f search fai-kernels
    	PACKAGE=$(apt-cache -f search fai-kernels | grep Filename | awk ' { print $2 }')
    	MIRROR=http://ftp.debian.org/debian
    	wget $MIRROR/$PACKAGE -P /tmp
    done
    	
    export -n APT_CONFIG
    apt-get update
    	
    for file in /tmp/fai-kernels* ; do
    	echo "Unpacking $arch fai-kernels package" 
    	echo "--------------------------------------"
    	dpkg-deb -x $file /	
    done
    

• Step 4 : Configure make-fai-nfsroot.conf to be architecture specific
  • Add --arch i386 or --arch amd64 to FAI_DEBOOTSTRAP<code
  • Modidy KERNELPACKAGE with the good fai kernel package.
• Step 5 : Build the arch dependant NFSROOT
  • Execute this commands

    export APT_CONFIG=/etc/fai-i386/apt_arch.conf
    make-fai-nfsroot -C /etc/fai-i386 -V vmlinuz-install-i386 -v
    

• Step 6 : Configure network Install for a particular architecture
  • Run the command below

    FAI_CHBOOT_ARCH=i386
    FAI_CHBOOT_OPT="-k \"ip=dhcp FAI_ACTION=install \
    nfsroot=/srv/fai/nfsroot-$FAI_CHBOOT_ARCH,v3,tcp,rsize=32768,wsize=32768\" \
    -F  vmlinuz-install-i386 /dev/nfs"
    fai-chboot $FAI_CHBOOT_OPT computer
    

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  Cross-Architecture FAI Mirrors