* Erik Dykema <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [2004-03-03 19:35]:
| Hi-
|       I think it would be very useful to support installing onto NFS 
|       volumes.
|       At my site we operate these big netapp NFS file servers (filers).  
|       They have no intelligence except to serve NFS volumes, i.e. there is no 
| real 'os' on them.
|       If we could support installing TO an NFS root, we could use diskless 
| workstations & servers that would install to their own volume on the 
| filers.  Then, the filer takes care of stuff like redundancy.
|       This might also help for a situation where the NFS master server is 
|       one architecture (i386) and the machine you want to install 'to' is 
| different, i.e. powerpc / mainframe.
|       Also, I think that it would be very useful if DI supported 
|       installing FROM an NFS volume.  Using an NFS volume is more flexible for 
| testers than the initrd.gz files.  If the kernel supported NFS root, could 
| just mount it's root directory & init & etc, it would be possible to tinker 
| with a running installer system, add drivers as needed, etc. without 
| having to re-make the initrd.gz file, which is not easy.

ok. I know what you mean.
Bringing nfs support to d-i shouldn't be very hard. But you must create
your own installation medium, I guess.

First you must modify the existing d-i kernel to support nfs filesystems
(in client mode). Next you must create udebs for the portmap package and
the nfs client tools. Maybe you need also a small udeb, which ask the
user for the nfs mounting parameters (server, port, etc.). And then you
must mount the nfs volume into /target. (this udeb must provide
mounted-partitions). After this d-i should be able to install to an nfs
volume.

Create the udebs, and d-i will support it :-)

Bye
Thorsten

-- 
Thorsten Sauter
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

                                (Is there life after /sbin/halt -p?)

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