Editing Installfest Services

==  DEPRECIATED ==

NOTE: The content on this page is depreciated.  The content will be updated on the weekend of 2/17/2012 to reflect current status.

== Synopsis ==

Installfest "Services" is an working proof-of-concept by [[User:Bseklecki | Brian A. Seklecki]] and [[User:trodgers | Ted Rodgers]] to provide high performance servers for Linux Distro Boot, Install Media, and Updates retrieval via a local FTP/HTTP/RSYNC/NFS mirror within the  Installfest event LAN.

The service runs on local hardware in the LAN.  Having local install/update mirrors avoids the need for [[WPLUG]] attendees to consume commodity Internet (commercial upstream Internet Connectivity) at the [[InstallFest]] venue and thus saturating the limited WAN normally available.

NOTICE: [[WPLUG]] doesn't officially endorse or support the distros provided on [[Install Services]]; nor does provide any guarantees about the availability of service itself.

= Network PXE Install Services (PXELINUX) =

[[Image:wplug_installfest_servicesHardare_2009CFIPowerEdgeCisco.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Original Hardware (provided by Collaborative Fusion, Inc.)]]

The current configuration of services provides a PXE environment.  There PXE magic is a simple 'next-server' and 'boot-file' flags provided to the client via an extended attribute via DHCP offer reply (DHCP options 66/150).  

The PXE code in the BIOS of your device will translate extra data into a TFTP client download the 1st/2nd stage boot loader from the server.  Currently the system is configured to hand out Redhat/Fedora 'intermediate' boot loader clients from the [http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/The_Syslinux_Project Syslinux] project.  <br>

The Syslinux code then executes a set of additional TFTP request and downloads its configuration files, modules, included config files, graphics, and other data. <br>

The result is a menu of install'able operating systems; selecting an install target is analagous to booting from the install CD for that OS.  <br>

After the boot loader starts the OS install image, select DHCP auto network configuration (DHCP will renew from the BIOS to the OS).  <br>

Specific client MAC addresses can get specific bootloader code upon request.  <br>

At install time, when media selection occurs, select "URL" for media source and enter:

 http://updates.wplug.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/$releasever/Fedora/{i386,x86_64}/os

= Update Services =

After the OS update is complete, you can add new YUM update "repos" via inserting a file into '''/etc/yum.repos.d''' (for automatic inclusion).
<br>
Also, during the [[InstallFest]], run all yum(8) commands with the default depos enabled:

== Updates for Fedora Core 10 / i386 ==

1) Install the following file into directory ''/etc/yum.repos.d/"

Fetch a Fedora Core 10 i386 YUM Repo Config File at http://digitalfreaks.org/~lavalamp/wplug-updates.repo

Sample:

[updates-wplug]
 name=Fedora Core $releasever - $basearch - Updates from WPLUG InstallFest Services
 baseurl=http://updates.wplug.org/pub/fedora/linux/updates/$releasever/$basearch/
 #mirrorlist=http://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/mirrorlist?repo=updates-released-fc$releasever&arch=$basearch
 enabled=1
 gpgcheck=1
 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora


Note: To ensure that the local WPLUG repositories are utilized instead of the default Redhat / Fedora for all yum(8) functions, always prepend the flag "--disablerepo=updates" to Yum commands until you are no longer connected to the installfest network

NOTE: "updates" here refers to the name of the default Fedora repo -- where as the new Repo is named "wplug-updates"

2) Update the available RPM database YUM maintains
   '''# yum update'''

3) Update your system:
  '''# yum check-update'''
  '''# yum upgrade'''

4) Test the repo is functional:

  '''# yum install vim'''
  '''# yum update'''

NOTE: Ensure that the RPMs are downloaded locally and not remotely

= Behind the Scenes =

The system is run on a Redhat6 or Fedora16+ system (previously NetBSD)

The system is composed of:
* TFTP Service (defaults to an export of path ''/var/lib/tftp'' with  read-only permissions)
* PXE Loader file system directory hierarchy 
* PXE Loader menu config file
* Various bootloader code manually located in /var/lib/tftp (from various install CD/DVD images)
* Apache server and Media/Update directory hierarchy 

More details soon.

== Setup ==

After a base install, RHEL6 and F16 often lack a yum repo for the DVD media.

* '''server% sudo vim /etc/yum.repos.d/rhel-media.repo

 [rhel6-media]
 name=RHEL-$releasever - Media
 baseurl=file:///media/cdrom/Server/
 gpgcheck=1
 enabled=1
 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-redhat-release

* Install the various packages:
 
 '''server% sudo yum install xinetd tftp-server dhcp'''

* TBD

* Setup IPTables rules to permit inbound on 67,68,68, etc for DHCP/BOOTP and TFTP

% sudo iptables -L
 ACCEPT     tcp  --  anywhere             anywhere            state NEW tcp dpt:ssh
 ACCEPT     udp  --  anywhere             anywhere            state NEW udp dpt:tftp
 ACCEPT     udp  --  anywhere             anywhere            state NEW udp dpts:bootps:bootpc


= Install Services =

The installfest service runs a DHCP+TFTP service which will serve PXE compatible boot loaders and kernels.

The service also provides NAT+PAT routing on an as-needed basis.  When it is not functioning as a router, DHCP service should be turned off on the router in use.

[[Category:InstallFest]]
[[Category:Update]]
@@ Line 100: / Line 100: @@
 * Install the various packages:
-  '''server% sudo yum install xinetd tftp-server dhcp syslinux'''
+  '''server% sudo yum install xinetd tftp-server dhcp'''
-* Enable TFTP Service
+* TBD
- '''server% sudo vim /etc/xinetd.d/tftp && /sbin/service xinetd restart"
-        disable                 = no
-* Copy the various syslinux files into place
- '''server% sudo cp /usr/share/syslinux/{pxelinux.0,vesamenu.c32} /var/lib/tftpboot'''
- '''server%  mkdir /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg'''
-* Populate the default config with a menu
- '''server% sudo vim /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default'''
-Try to match [Link to SVN repository here]
-Use this URL for now: https://alteeve.com/w/Setting_Up_a_PXE_Server_on_an_RPM-based_OS#The_Configuration_Files
-'''NOTE:''' Setup a menu item for each distro.  They vmlinuz and initrd will be relative to ''/var/lib/tftp'' and should reside in sub-directories.
-* For each distro (rhel58,rhel62) copy the ''vmlinuz'' and ''initrd.img'' from the install (not the LiveCD) media
- '''server% sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/tftpboot/rhel62 && cp /media/cdrom/isolinux/{initrd.img,vesamenu.c32} /var/lib/tftpboot/rhel62'''
-* TFTP boot and load your end user device (permutations for i386/x86_64 will be required)
-* Install Apache for the local media and updates service
-NOTE: Make sure that ~500 gigs of space is available on '''/export'''
-* Setup /etc/httpd/conf.d/wplug-services.conf
-[Sample Soon]
-* Setup a cron job to rsync a local copy of the redhat updates:
- '''server% mkdir -p /export/services/linux/rhel/62 /export/services/linux/fedora/16'''
 * Setup IPTables rules to permit inbound on 67,68,68, etc for DHCP/BOOTP and TFTP