The MLN Project

Customized Ubuntu Dapper Install CD

The purpose of this CD is to provide a fast entry into virtualization. It assumes that you have a machine you want to re-install into a dedicated virtual machine server. The installation corresponds closely to the usual "ubuntu server" install with the following additional features:

• A Xen 3.0.2 kernel
• User-Mode Linux
• MLN

Note, that allthough you can use LVM for filesystem images here, it is not set up automatically during the install. You can follow this quick and easy tutorial to set up LVM at a later point.

Download the ISO

Automated install for large-scale deployment

If you only have one or two servers, you would probarbly select the default installation option, install manually, and set up LVM and other small adjustements manually. However, if you look at a large-scale install, say a cluster, you can supply a URL as a boot option and the CD installer will attempt to get an IP with DHCP and download this script and run it. This way, you can customize parts of the install or post-install setup easily, by writing your own script.

A number of parameters can be added to the "append" line in the boot loader to automate installer actions.

Any preseeding parameter supported by the Debian Installer is supported, refer to the Debian documentation on preseeding: http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/manual/en.i386/apbs02.html. Anyone wanting to extensively use this CD to automate installation of many hosts will probably want to create a new ISO from this one with their own preseed file.

There is a small number of parameters supported by our modifications (these can be added through GRUB at boot-time or in the isolinux/isolinux.cfg file if mastering your own ISO):

• make_lvm=1
  This will create the LVM volume expected by MLN.
• late_cmd=http://www.YOURSERVER.com/your_postinstall_script
  If specified, this file (assumed to be a script) will be downloaded run at the end of the installation and configuration.

Download the ISO