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

FAI 3.1.8 Etch cross architecture NFSROOT build

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

• 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