Did anyone ever come up with a reliable recipe for making a bootable USB-stick from a generated.iso ?

= 3.0 installed on your Linux box, then:

If so, I could use it.

Thanks. I will try these steps. I used livecd-iso-to-disk to make a stick that booted a box for me, but that box has other issues, so I need to try again. There was a certain amount of trial-and-error in order to get the stick into a state that livecd-iso-to-disk would work on it. One more question (for now): Does the --standalone option make a self-contained iso, thus eliminating the need to download anything from the Cobbler Server ? On Nov 22, 2011, at 3:27 PM, Alex L. wrote: > > Hi Dan, > > On Tue, 22 Nov 2011, Dan White wrote: >> Did anyone ever come up with a reliable recipe for making a bootable >> USB-stick from a generated.iso ? > > try the following out and let me know how relieable it is :) > > Let's assume you have your USB-stick on "/dev/sdb" and you have "syslinux" >> = 3.0 installed on your Linux box, then: > > (1) by using "fdisk /dev/sdb" make sure you create a bootable FAT > partition "/dev/sdb1" > > (2) create new fat filesystem on the USB stick by using > "mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1" > > (3) setup the bootloader by executing "syslinux /dev/sdb1" > > (4) create your buildiso "cobbler buildiso --systems='host.domain.net'" > > (5) step 4 should have created beside the "generated.iso" file also a > "buildiso" directory; copy the created files from "buildiso/isolinux/*" to > "/dev/sdb1" (mount it) > > (6) rename the "isolinux.cfg" on "/dev/sdb1" to "syslinux.cfg" > > (7) umount "/dev/sdb1" and try to boot with the USB-stick, just don't > forget to disconnect it on time if you are using "clearpart" in your > kickstart file. > >> If so, I could use it. > > Hope that helps, > > best regards, > > Alex > > _______________________________________________ > cobbler mailing list > cobbler(a)lists.fedorahosted.org > https://fedorahosted.org/mailman/listinfo/cobbler _______________________________________________ cobbler mailing list cobbler(a)lists.fedorahosted.org https://fedorahosted.org/mailman/listinfo/cobbler

Apologies on answering with code, but here's an interesting comment in the source (buildiso.py): def generate_standalone_iso(self,imagesdir,isolinuxdir,distname,filesource): """ Create bootable CD image to be used for handsoff CD installations """ # Get the distro object for the requested distro # and then get all of its descendants (profiles/sub-profiles/systems) And elsewhere in the code: if standalone: if profiles is not None or systems is not None: utils.die(self.logger,"When building a standalone ISO, use --distro only instead of --profiles/--systems") elif distro is None: utils.die(self.logger,"When building a standalone ISO, you must specify a --distro") if source != None and not os.path.exists(source): utils.die(self.logger,"The source specified (%s) does not exist" % source) It looks like that will give you everything under the profiles/systems and does not actually filter them to specific profiles. And it should yell at you and tell you this when you try it :) Making it understand --profiles or --systems as a kind of blacklist seems like an easy patch. --Michael On Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 7:40 PM, Dan White <ygor(a)comcast.net&gt; wrote: > I found an example of the use of --standalone > > http://sugizo.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/ubuntu-install-and-configure-cobbler/ > > • Build ISO > • Build ISO Base on Distro > cobbler buildiso –iso=/tmp/Fedora-15-x86_64.iso –distro=”Fedora-15-x86_64″ –standalone > • Build ISO Base on Profile > cobbler buildiso –iso=/tmp/Fedora-15-x86_64.iso –profiles=”Fedora-15-x86_64″ > • Build ISO Base on System > cobbler buildiso –iso=/tmp/fedora.iso –systems=”fedora” > > I was hoping to use a combo like: > cobbler buildiso --profiles="Fedora-15-x86_64" --systems="server1.foo.fqdn, server1.foo.fqdn, server2.foo.fqdn, server3.foo.fqdn" --standalone > > but this example implies I have to include a distro. > > Will this work ? : cobbler buildiso --profiles="this" --distro="that" --systems="one,two,three,four" --standalone > > On Nov 22, 2011, at 7:31 PM, Dan White wrote: > >> Thanks. I will try these steps. >> >> I used livecd-iso-to-disk to make a stick that booted a box for me, but that box has other issues, so I need to try again. >> >> There was a certain amount of trial-and-error in order to get the stick into a state that livecd-iso-to-disk would work on it. >> >> One more question (for now): Does the --standalone option make a self-contained iso, thus eliminating the need to download anything from the Cobbler Server ? >> >> On Nov 22, 2011, at 3:27 PM, Alex L. wrote: >> >>> >>> Hi Dan, >>> >>> On Tue, 22 Nov 2011, Dan White wrote: >>>> Did anyone ever come up with a reliable recipe for making a bootable >>>> USB-stick from a generated.iso ? >>> >>> try the following out and let me know how relieable it is :) >>> >>> Let's assume you have your USB-stick on "/dev/sdb" and you have "syslinux" >>>> = 3.0 installed on your Linux box, then: >>> >>> (1) by using "fdisk /dev/sdb" make sure you create a bootable FAT >>> partition "/dev/sdb1" >>> >>> (2) create new fat filesystem on the USB stick by using >>> "mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1" >>> >>> (3) setup the bootloader by executing "syslinux /dev/sdb1" >>> >>> (4) create your buildiso "cobbler buildiso --systems='host.domain.net'" >>> >>> (5) step 4 should have created beside the "generated.iso" file also a >>> "buildiso" directory; copy the created files from "buildiso/isolinux/*" to >>> "/dev/sdb1" (mount it) >>> >>> (6) rename the "isolinux.cfg" on "/dev/sdb1" to "syslinux.cfg" >>> >>> (7) umount "/dev/sdb1" and try to boot with the USB-stick, just don't >>> forget to disconnect it on time if you are using "clearpart" in your >>> kickstart file. >>> >>>> If so, I could use it. >>> >>> Hope that helps, >>> >>> best regards, >>> >>> Alex

On Wed, Nov 23, 2011 at 3:25 AM, Dan White <ygor(a)comcast.net&gt; wrote: > Good to see you on the list, Michael.  I thought you had moved on. > So it looks like the current buildiso will not give me what I am asking for. > Dang. > > I was hoping for a standalone loader that I could customize to the system level. > This is because the DHCP in the environment I am in is run by the Microsoft Side of the House and I have not been able to get consistent behavior from the first part of the Cobbler net-boot process. > > Reference: https://fedorahosted.org/pipermail/cobbler/2011-November/006889.html > > Is buildiso.py self-contained ?  I would be willing to take a shot at getting it to do what I want. > Seems like a good feature to contribute for me to the stew. > Can you please explain the exact use case please? What do you mean with a standalone loader? With the standalone ISO you basically get the installation media from your Linux distro with associated profiles/systems and the isolinux menu so you can still use kickstarts for handsoff installations. If you are using standalone ISO installations (you'd do this because netbooting isn't available), so what does DHCP have to do with it ? Thanks.

On Wed, Nov 23, 2011 at 12:54:58PM +0000, Dan White wrote: > > I started out with a classic Cobbler Server, net/PXE-booting the clients to install. > However, the folks controlling DHCP are pro-Microsoft/anti-Linux and are uncooperative. > If I do my own DHCP, it will cause problems -- possibly technical problems, most definitely bureaucratic/security problems. > So my intent is to find an alternate workflow that could remove the DHCP-related obstacle. I am wondering if they could do just a static load of gpxe for you, and that could always hint on i.e. fetching something via http then from your cobbler box which you can control. Maybe reading up on what gpxe can do helps giving ideas. Christian

Good to see you on the list, Michael.  I thought you had moved on. So it looks like the current buildiso will not give me what I am asking for. Dang.

I was hoping for a standalone loader that I could customize to the system level. This is because the DHCP in the environment I am in is run by the Microsoft Side of the House and I have not been able to get consistent behavior from the first part of the Cobbler net-boot process. Reference: https://fedorahosted.org/pipermail/cobbler/2011-November/006889.html Is buildiso.py self-contained ?  I would be willing to take a shot at getting it to do what I want. Seems like a good feature to contribute for me to the stew.

Sadly, it is uglier that that. They will not configure the development lab sub-net to default PXE-boot from my server. I have to use individual DHCP reservations.  And they cannot/will-not do them consistently/properly. I have resorted to the ISO workflow to end a multi-day personal productivity blockage.

Apologies on answering with code, but here's an interesting comment in the source (buildiso.py):    def generate_standalone_iso(self,imagesdir,isolinuxdir,distname,filesource):        """        Create bootable CD image to be used for handsoff CD installations        """        # Get the distro object for the requested distro        # and then get all of its descendants (profiles/sub-profiles/systems) And elsewhere in the code:    if standalone:            if profiles is not None or systems is not None:                utils.die(self.logger,"When building a standalone ISO, use --distro only instead of --profiles/--systems")            elif distro is None:                utils.die(self.logger,"When building a standalone ISO, you must specify a --distro")            if source != None and not os.path.exists(source):                utils.die(self.logger,"The source specified (%s) does not exist" % source) It looks like that will give you everything under the profiles/systems and does not actually filter them to specific profiles. And it should yell at you and tell you this when you try it :) Making it understand --profiles or --systems as a kind of blacklist seems like an easy patch.

Thank you for the information, Jörgen. I am willing to try generating a standalone ISO and see what it can/cannot do for me. Again, I will share what I find with the list in the hope that the info will help someone else.