Using a USB flash drive to install multiple versions?
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From: Bogus on 19 Jan 2008 20:54 Hi. Where I work, we use several versions of Linux -- RedHat 3, RedHat 4, CentOS 3, CentOS 4. I would like to set up a USB flash drive (memory stick) with which to install any of the four systems. What I envision is booting from the flash drive, being presented with a dialog asking which version to install, and once the version is selected to do an automated install of that version. It doesn't matter to me whether the installation images exist as an .iso or an unpacked directory on the flash drive. Where can I find information relating to setting this up? Thanks, Bogus
From: Robert Heller on 19 Jan 2008 22:17 At Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:54:29 -0800 Bogus <bogus(a)bogus.bogus> wrote: > > Hi. > > Where I work, we use several versions of Linux -- RedHat 3, RedHat 4, I assume you meas RHEL 3 and RHEL 4 and not the *original* RedHat 3 or 4. > CentOS 3, CentOS 4. I would like to set up a USB flash drive (memory > stick) with which to install any of the four systems. > > What I envision is booting from the flash drive, being presented with a > dialog asking which version to install, and once the version is > selected to do an automated install of that version. It doesn't matter > to me whether the installation images exist as an .iso or an unpacked > directory on the flash drive. > > Where can I find information relating to setting this up? Look in the isolinux directory on the first CD of the distros in question. You'll find these files (or similar): sauron.deepsoft.com% dir /mnt/centos43/d1/isolinux/ boot.cat initi586.img isolinux.cfg* param.msg splash.lss boot.msg initrd.img memtest rescue.msg vmlinuz general.msg isolinux.bin options.msg snake.msg vmlzi586 Look at /mnt/centos43/d1/isolinux/isolinux.cfg -- this file is the install CD boot configuration. You basically want to use this as a guide to creating a bootable USB drive (i.e. with grub or lilo for example). For example, /etc/lilo.conf on my desktop system contains these sections: image=/boot/vmlinuz-WBL3Install label=WBL3Install initrd=/boot/initrd-WBL3Install.img append="text" image=/boot/vmlinuz-RH73Install label=RH73Install initrd=/boot/initrd-RH73Install.img append="text" image=/boot/memtest86/memtest.bin label=MemTest86 image=/boot/centos43vmlinuz label=CentOS43Install initrd=/boot/centos43initrd.img append="text" > > Thanks, > Bogus > -- Robert Heller -- Get the Deepwoods Software FireFox Toolbar! Deepwoods Software -- Linux Installation and Administration http://www.deepsoft.com/ -- Web Hosting, with CGI and Database heller(a)deepsoft.com -- Contract Programming: C/C++, Tcl/Tk
From: Bogus on 21 Jan 2008 22:28 In article <ac57d$4792bd66$404a99a1$23881(a)news.news-service.com>, Robert Heller <heller(a)deepsoft.com> wrote: > At Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:54:29 -0800 Bogus <bogus(a)bogus.bogus> wrote: > > Where I work, we use several versions of Linux -- RedHat 3, RedHat 4, > > I assume you meas RHEL 3 and RHEL 4 and not the *original* RedHat 3 or 4. Yes, of course. To be specific, RHEL 4 upd 3, RHEL 3 upd 7, CentOS 4.3 and CentOS 3.7. I know those are not current, but they were when we standardized on the versions to use. > > CentOS 3, CentOS 4. I would like to set up a USB flash drive (memory > > stick) with which to install any of the four systems. > > > > What I envision is booting from the flash drive, being presented with a > > dialog asking which version to install, and once the version is > > selected to do an automated install of that version. It doesn't matter > > to me whether the installation images exist as an .iso or an unpacked > > directory on the flash drive. > > > > Where can I find information relating to setting this up? > > Look in the isolinux directory on the first CD of the distros in > question. You'll find these files (or similar): I have played with isolinux a little bit, but where I'm stuck is in how to get the installer on the selected version to run. I'd really rather read some material on how these things work than to ask somebody to hold my hand for me to get it set up, as I will then have a better understanding of what is going on. Thanks for the reply. Bogus
From: Robert Heller on 22 Jan 2008 06:55 At Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:28:18 -0800 Bogus <bogus(a)bogus.bogus> wrote: > > In article <ac57d$4792bd66$404a99a1$23881(a)news.news-service.com>, > Robert Heller <heller(a)deepsoft.com> wrote: > > > At Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:54:29 -0800 Bogus <bogus(a)bogus.bogus> wrote: > > > Where I work, we use several versions of Linux -- RedHat 3, RedHat 4, > > > > I assume you meas RHEL 3 and RHEL 4 and not the *original* RedHat 3 or 4. > > Yes, of course. To be specific, RHEL 4 upd 3, RHEL 3 upd 7, CentOS 4.3 > and CentOS 3.7. I know those are not current, but they were when we > standardized on the versions to use. > > > > CentOS 3, CentOS 4. I would like to set up a USB flash drive (memory > > > stick) with which to install any of the four systems. > > > > > > What I envision is booting from the flash drive, being presented with a > > > dialog asking which version to install, and once the version is > > > selected to do an automated install of that version. It doesn't matter > > > to me whether the installation images exist as an .iso or an unpacked > > > directory on the flash drive. > > > > > > Where can I find information relating to setting this up? > > > > Look in the isolinux directory on the first CD of the distros in > > question. You'll find these files (or similar): > > I have played with isolinux a little bit, but where I'm stuck is in how > to get the installer on the selected version to run. I'd really rather > read some material on how these things work than to ask somebody to > hold my hand for me to get it set up, as I will then have a better > understanding of what is going on. Basically, you install some sort of boot loader on the USB stick (eg Grub or Lilo) and create boot loader sections based on the contents of the isolinux directory. Typically you'll need to copy the kernel and initial ramdisk images from the CDs and look at the isolinux.cfg files to get the right kernel command line options. What will then happen is that each boot option will be listed by the boot loader (either explicity for Grub or via the 'menu' option (or TAB key) for Lilo). It is not really much different from creating a boot/rescue floppy or CD. I believe there are a number of web pages about creating bootable USB sticks (Google is your friend) -- mostly these are for creating standalone Linux systems on a USB stick, but the same principles can be used for what you want to do. > > Thanks for the reply. > > Bogus > -- Robert Heller -- Get the Deepwoods Software FireFox Toolbar! Deepwoods Software -- Linux Installation and Administration http://www.deepsoft.com/ -- Web Hosting, with CGI and Database heller(a)deepsoft.com -- Contract Programming: C/C++, Tcl/Tk
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