On Mon, Sep 15, 2008 at 08:27:46AM -0400, Michael DeHaan wrote:
Axel Thimm wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 05:28:16PM -0400, Michael DeHaan wrote:
>
>> Axel Thimm wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> On Mon, Aug 25, 2008 at 03:20:04PM -0400, Michael DeHaan wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> When pxe_just_once is enabled, Cobbler is smart enough to remove the
>>>> per-mac-address PXE config file of a system once it is installed to
>>>> prevent infinite PXE boot loops.
>>>>
>>>> Currently Cobbler does this by removing the TFTP config file for that
>>>> particular MAC address, falling back to whatever is the default. But
>>>> what happens if your default system is configured, as in something like
>>>> this:
>>>>
>>>> cobbler system add --name=default --profile=default-profile OR
>>>> cobbler system add --name=192.168.0.0./24
>>>> --profile=default-profile-for-network
>>>>
>>>> You'd reinstall that system.
>>>>
>>>> It's been suggested that a better behavior for this is to change the
>>>> template the system uses and save it instead as a PXE config that
>>>> explicitly local boots the system.
>>>>
>>>> I can't see this breaks anyone but I figured it would be important
>>>> enough to mention here. (If it does, let me know, and we can talk
>>>> about making a config option, otherwise I'm not going to worry about
it).
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Will it be possible to have the memtest/rescue etc. profiles still
>>> available in that template?
>>>
>> If you disable netboot via the above means it will local boot, so no.
>> If you wanted to boot those you would instead do:
>>
>> cobbler system edit --name=foo --profile=name_of_rescue_profile
>>
>> or
>>
>> cobbler system edit --name=foo --image=name_of_memtest_image
>>
>> which would tell those systems, yes, you should PXE boot something, but
>> PXE boot this instead of an installation image.
>>
>> Hopefully that answers the question and satisifies your use case?
>>
>
> The old setup would allow local admins to do some fast diagnosis w/o
> having to change cobbler parameters. It would be nice if this could
> still be the case by maybe reusing the same template as before but
> defaulting to localboot.
I'm not sure what would be being "diagnosed", do you have a particular
problem in mind?
The idea is that /var/lib/tftpboot and/or /tftpboot is to be edited by
Cobbler, and this version seems more generally useful in that it does
not conflict
with ip-based-defaults or defaults in general.
I agree, I just suggest the now not removed system specific pxe menu
to include the old menu items besides localboot.
Regardless, I should point out that this is unlikely to change or
become
an option, as it would be too confusing of an option to explain.
I haven't actually tested the latest cobbler bits, so maybe I
misunderstood something, but let me explain the use case: The standard
menu (not the one when the super admin performs a mass reinstall or a
install from scratch) here offers:
localboot
install Fedora 32 bits
install Fedora 64 bits
rescue Fedora 32 bits
rescue Fedora 64 bits
memtest
(actually it is even more convoluted, we have Windows vs Linux dual
boot options here as well, also some reinstall options, but lets keep
it simple for the discussion).
This allows local admins to perform some testing or non-central
managed installs themselves. This lifts a lot from the central admins
shoulders especially the 24/7 availability of support.
*If I understand correctly* the new cobbler setup would have managed
systems boot post-install directly into localboot and not offer
anymore a choice of other profiles etc.
--
Axel.Thimm at
ATrpms.net