Tuesday, February 7, 2012

How to get system-config-netboot working on CentOS 6, RHEL 6 or SL 6

Sadly, Redhat has decided to drop system-config-netboot from it's offerings for RHEL 6. I was very much accustomed to the simplicity of using system-config-netboot for PXE boot client installs. Redhat may have not included the packages to install system-config-netboot, but it is certainly easy to get running on your RHEL 6 or clone. Here is the CentOS 6 i386example (please run commands as root or sudo you guts out):

1. Make sure some pre-requisites are in place:

yum install tftp-server xinetd pygtk2-libglade gnome-python2-canvas

2. Adjust for your arch type: Download the latest CentOS 5.x system-config-netboot* and alchemist* versions:

wget http://mirrors.kernel.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/system-config-netboot-0.1.45.1-3.el5.noarch.rpm
wget http://mirrors.kernel.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/system-config-netboot-cmd-0.1.45.1-3.el5.noarch.rpm
wget http://mirrors.kernel.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/alchemist-1.0.36-2.el5.i386.rpm

3. Force the install of the above packages:

rpm -ihv --force --nodeps system-config-netboot-* alchemist-1.0.36-2.el5.i386.rpm

4. Move part of the installed alchemist package to the correct place... bad administrator! ;)

mv /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/* /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/

Running "system-config-netboot" through some warning message at me, but it did what I wanted it to do

Yeah, it's a bit hackish. I'm OK with it if you are. You *could* rebuild the source rpm for each of them correcting the the alchemist path etc. I will for my systems, but this is the "easy" version of the "How to get system-config-netboot working on CentOS 6, RHEL 6 or SL 6" after all...
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5 comments:

  1. VladimirMarch 23, 2012 at 10:48 AM

    Thanks. Drop of the netboot without replacement is a big disappointment for me as well :-(

    ReplyDelete
  2. classeJune 30, 2012 at 12:05 PM

    I just discovered that netboot is supported.
    When booting for the DVD and the "gui" appears. Press "esc" and you will get to the commandline. There write
    # linux askmethod
    and you will be asked later on which method you want to use (NFS, HTTP etc).

    /Claes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. pjwelshJune 30, 2012 at 1:00 PM

      Good suggestion for booting with the DVD, however network booting is not the issue. system-config-netboot is the utility that helps create an automated booting process for PXE+tftp+http/nfs/ftp clients. The setup of that booting process is possible without system-config-netboot, but is kinda a pain. The goal is often *automated* installs.

      Delete
  3. MightMAugust 15, 2012 at 10:58 AM

    Hi, I've just found this and would like to get it working as I liked this tool in Centos5. I appear to get "_alchemistmodule.so: undefined symbol: Py_InitModule4". Am I missing something to get this to work?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. pjwelshAugust 15, 2012 at 11:06 AM

      Are you running x86_64? I see this issue under 64-bit.

      Delete

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