Network install options?

[Alex]

Hi,
I have a new server with OVH that I'd like to install fedora40 over the
network in some way. I can do IPMI, but that prevents me from doing a
graphical install.

I don't think I can do the PXE option because DHCP doesn't work across the
Internet. I'm assuming the DHCP server for my server only recognizes the
MAC for my network card, not for PXE boot?

Are there other options available? Something I'm not thinking of?

I don't have local access, so installing via CDROM or USB stick is not
possible.

Maybe I can load some type of basic system into RAM, then use that to
somehow boot fedora?

[T.C. Hollingsworth]

On Fri, May 31, 2024 at 6:06 PM Alex  wrote:
> I have a new server with OVH that I'd like to install fedora40 over the network in some way. I can do IPMI, but that prevents me from doing a graphical install.

After booting the ISO via IPMI, you can spawn a VNC server and
complete graphical installation that way:
https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora-server/installation/interactive-...
> I don't think I can do the PXE option because DHCP doesn't work across the Internet. I'm assuming the DHCP server for my server only recognizes the MAC for my network card, not for PXE boot?

OVH uses iPXE so you can upload a script that points to any HTTPS
server, even a public one like https://netboot.xyz/  But PXE doesn't
provide any kind of graphical access at all, unless you use IPMI,
which brings you back to square one anyway.  So this is a lot more
work unless you plan to install a lot of Fedora servers, in which case
you also want to use kickstart and not a graphical install. ;-)

[Samuel Sieb]

On 5/31/24 7:02 PM, T.C. Hollingsworth wrote:
> OVH uses iPXE so you can upload a script that points to any HTTPS
> server, even a public one like https://netboot.xyz/  But PXE doesn't
> provide any kind of graphical access at all, unless you use IPMI,
> which brings you back to square one anyway.  So this is a lot more
> work unless you plan to install a lot of Fedora servers, in which case
> you also want to use kickstart and not a graphical install. ;-)

If you can specify the parameters, then the PXE boot can do VNC as well.

[T.C. Hollingsworth]

On Fri, May 31, 2024 at 11:27 PM Samuel Sieb  wrote:
> On 5/31/24 7:02 PM, T.C. Hollingsworth wrote:
> > OVH uses iPXE so you can upload a script that points to any HTTPS
> > server, even a public one like https://netboot.xyz/  But PXE doesn't
> > provide any kind of graphical access at all, unless you use IPMI,
> > which brings you back to square one anyway.  So this is a lot more
> > work unless you plan to install a lot of Fedora servers, in which case
> > you also want to use kickstart and not a graphical install. ;-)
>
> If you can specify the parameters, then the PXE boot can do VNC as well.

If you could just paste an iPXE script in the OVH control panel it
would be alright, but you have to muck around with the API:
https://github.com/gmasse/ovh-ipxe-customer-script

#!ipxe
set base https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/40/Everything/x...
kernel ${base}/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz initrd=initrd.img
inst.repo=${base} inst.vnc inst.vncpassword=PASSWORD
initrd ${base}/images/pxeboot/initrd.img
boot

But since OP is having issues with IPMI timeouts and lags on install
which very well may be related to mounting an ISO via Java applet, it
may be worth figuring out.  :-)

[Jonathan Billings]

If you can just point at an ISO, use the Everything boot.iso

https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/40/Everything/x86_64/...

If you have a bootloader of some sort, you can download the vmlinuz and initrd.img from here:

https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/40/Everything/x86_64/...

… and boot using them, and add the kernel arguments described here:

https://anaconda-installer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/boot-options.html

There are options for setting up the networking, choosing a graphical or text install, and other options.

I’d probably use a kickstart to automate an install, but that’s what I do for my job so it’s my comfort zone.

[Peter Boy]

> Am 01.06.2024 um 20:29 schrieb Jonathan Billings :
>
> If you can just point at an ISO, use the Everything boot.iso
>
> https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/40/Everything/x86_64/...

Why do you think this is advantageous?

In general, this is bad advice for an installation of Fedora Server Edition.  The interface for storage and network configuration is the same, but the server installation medium provides special default values "under the hood".

And for a server installation Everthing offers no advantages, only disadvantages.

--
Peter Boy
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/User:Pboy
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