Framework for dynamically generated RHEL/CentOS/etc. kickstart

Example files

default

kickstart file specified by the DHCP/BOOTP server; instructs PXE client to load dynamic.ks

dynamic.ks

baseline kickstart file that downloads and executes mkksconfig

mkksconfig

script that completes the kickstart configuration by creating /tmp/custom.ks based on default values and kernel arguments

pkg.std

list of default packages to be installed during installation

user.std

definitions of default users to be added during installation

send-email.py

Python script for sendmail e-mail notification after installation

References to installation directory refer to the location of mkksconfig.

Kernel command-line arguments

These are the available options as of this writing; they can be gleaned from an inspection of mkksconfig. The names of the kickstart options (the keywords used in the kickstart file) affected by each argument are shown in bold. When not set by kernel arguments, default values used for the relevant kickstart options are generally Anaconda’s defaults (e.g., mbr for bootloader). The following values are synonymous:

• generic, std
• yes, on, 1
• no, off, 0

pw

rootpw; specifies the root password. Default is the System Administrator’s highly secure Super Secret Passphrase.

fb

firstboot

fb=yes

start the Setup Agent the first time the system is booted

fb=no

do not start the Setup Agent the first time the system is booted

bl

bootloader

bl=mbr

install the boot loader on master boot record of all disks

bl=part

install the boot loader on the first sector of each partition containing the kernel

lvm

part, volgroup, logvol

lvm=yes

use LVM for swap and non-boot filesystems

lvm=no

use primary partitions for swap and non-boot filesystems

Default behavior does not use LVM.

part

autopart, part, raid, volgroup, logvol

part=std

install only on first disk (this nonetheless clears partitions on all disks, though)

part=raid0

software RAID 0 device across all disks

part=raid1

software RAID 1 device across all disks

part=raid5

software RAID 5 device across all disks

part=raid6

software RAID 6 device across all disks

Default behavior writes autopart (which on CentOS 6 creates a separate /home) to avoid switching to interactive mode.

sp

spares with the raid option; specifies the number of spare disks in the RAID device for RAID levels 1, 5, 6.

user

user; users added are determined by contents of installation directory’s user.* files. For a new user value, just add a new user.* file.

user=std

add tech account

Default behavior adds no user accounts.

pkg

%packages; packages added are determined by contents of install.mycolo.biz:/tftpboot/linux-install/centos/pkg.* files. For a new pkg value, just add a new pkg.* file.

pkg=std

add standard packages (intended for post=std)

pkg=min

add minimal packages (intended for post=min)

swap

logvol swap or part swap; specifies the swap size in megabytes or a factor by which to multiply the RAM size, followed by x (i.e. swap=4x will configure four times as much swap space as the size of physical memory).

post

%post

post=std

use postinstall-std post-installation script

email

Specifies e-mail address for notification upon completion of installation.