Richard Rauch <rkr@olib.org> wrote:

> NetBSD, on the same machine, in
> contrast, was up and running in 15 minutes or less.)  (The 15 minute
> time is from a CD install, and includes X setup and some other config,
> I believe.)

Yes, but this is a basic install, nothing customized.  The whole point
of an unattended install is that it would be possible to install a
highly customized system without having to sit there.

Currently, I install workstations as follows:

<put CD in>
<boot>
<use sysinst for disklabel just for convenience>
<exit install>
<newfs disk>
<ifconfig ethernet>
<mount_nfs install host>
<pax over install image>
<install disk bootstrap software>
<reboot>

This installs a workstation identical to all other workstations in the
environemnt, and takes about 60-90 minutes (big big big install image
that is being pax'ed over).

I never got around to creating a custom install CD that does all this
automatically with maybe just one argument (hostname or IP address)
passed to it at startup, but while it's _almost_ unattended, it's not
quite.

-Jan

-- 
"Ford," he said, "you're turning into a penguin. Stop it."