SUSE Linux Documentation
Part I. Deployment / Chapter 6. Deploying Customized Preinstallations
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Deploying Customized Preinstallations

Contents

6.1. Preparing the Master Machine
6.2. Customizing the Firstboot Installation
6.3. Cloning the Master Installation
6.4. Personalizing the Installation

Rolling out customized preinstallations of SUSE Linux Enterprise to a large number of identical machines spares you from installing each one of them separately and provides a standardized installation experience for the end users. With YaST firstboot, create customized preinstallation images and determine the workflow for the final personalization steps that involve end user interaction. This is different from AutoYaST that allows completely automated installations; for more information, see Chapter 5, Automated Installation.

Creating a custom installation, rolling it out to your hardware, and personalizing the final product involves the following steps:

  1. Prepare the master machine whose disk should be cloned to the client machines. For more information, refer to Section 6.1, “Preparing the Master Machine”.

  2. Customize the firstboot workflow. For more information, refer to Section 6.2, “Customizing the Firstboot Installation”.

  3. Clone the master machine's disk and roll this image out to the clients' disks. For more information, refer to Section 6.3, “Cloning the Master Installation”.

  4. Have the end user personalize the instance of SUSE Linux Enterprise. For more information, refer to Section 6.4, “Personalizing the Installation”.

Preparing the Master Machine

To prepare a master machine for a firstboot workflow, proceed as follows:

  1. Insert the installation media into the master machine.

  2. Boot the machine.

  3. Perform a normal installation including all necessary configuration steps and wait for the installed machine to boot. Also install the yast2-firstboot package.

  4. To define your own workflow of YaST configuration steps for the end user or add your own YaST modules to this workflow, proceed to Section 6.2, “Customizing the Firstboot Installation”. Otherwise proceed directly to Step 5.

  5. Enable firstboot as root:

    1. Create an empty file /etc/reconfig_system to trigger firstboot's execution. This file will be deleted, once the firstboot configuration has been successfully accomplished. Create this file using the following command:

      touch /etc/reconfig_system

    2. Enable the firstboot service through the YaST Runlevel Editor.

  6. Proceed to Section 6.3, “Cloning the Master Installation”.

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