Deploying Debian 5 GNU/Linux with Insight Control for Linux 6.2

For example, if your server has SATA disks, download the following packages:

ata-modules-2.6.26-2-486-di_1.76lenny5_i386.udeb

sata-modules-2.6.26-2-486-di_1.76lenny5_i386.udeb

Step 8 describes where to copy the .udeb packages that you downloaded.

Step 8: Create an init script to perform pre-installation tasks

In this step, you create an init script to perform the following tasks:

a) To accept the MAC address (instead of the device name) for the boot NIC in the kernel boot

parameters. The reason for this is that we do not always know what device name (for

example, eth0, eth1, and so on) the kernel is going to assign to a particular network

interface from one boot cycle to the next. We do know, however, that each network interface

has a unique MAC address that does not change. Therefore, by accepting the boot NIC’s

MAC address in the kernel boot parameters, we are guaranteed to set up the correct network

interface.

b) To accept a static IP address for those cases where we are not using PXE/DHCP and want to

boot using Virtual Media instead. Virtual Media allows the server to boot an ISO through the

iLO that contains a kernel, initrd, isolinux.bin boot loader, and an isolinux.cfg

boot loader configuration file. Insight Control for Linux creates this ISO during a custom OS

installation. The static IP address information is passed in as a kernel boot parameter. A

sample script, which is provided later in this paper, shows how to do this. For more

information on specifying static IP address information for use with Virtual Media, see the

chapter titled “Configuring network parameters for virtual media” in the HP Insight Control for

Linux User Guide.

c) To install any additional .udeb packages that are absent in the netboot initrd and

might be needed to support the hardware, such as SATA and CD-ROM drivers, for example.

The init script, called init_script, will be contained in a special auxiliary RAM disk named

iram1.gz. The procedure is:

1. Change to the Debian5-i386Boot directory:

# cd /opt/repository/boot/Debian5-i386Boot

2. Create a directory named iram and change to it:

# mkdir iram ; cd iram

3. Copy the example init_script to the iram directory you just created.

# cp /opt/repository/instconfig/custom/examples/Debian5/init_script .

4. Edit your copy of init_script using the text editor of your choice and make any necessary

modifications. If any special drivers are needed to support the NIC or disk on your server, make

sure you load those drivers in init_script.

5. Save the init_script file and exit the text editor.

6. Extend executable permission to the init_script file:

# chmod +x init_script

7. Remain in the iram directory and create a directory named lib/firmware.

# mkdir -p lib/firmware

8. The Broadcomm firmware files are not included in Debian 5. Download them from the following

web address:

http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/non-free/f/firmware-nonfree/firmware-nonfree_0.4.tar.gz