Unlike other Linux distributions that are self-contained on a single DVD, Debian releases are very large, requiring multiple DVDs when installing from physical media. For remotely provisioning systems with Debian, the supported method involves accessing public Debian repositories (or alternatively, creating a local Debian mirror.)

4 base directories are created at Provisioner PXE Server installation or upgrade time in pub/: debian4_x_x_i386, debian4_x_x_x86_64, debian5_x_x_i386 and debian5_x_x_x86_64. These will be cloned and renamed upon running loaddebian.sh (in /home/tftpboot/bin/) as described below.

 

The script loaddebian.sh will:

•Provide a default public repository (http.us.debian.org) and prompt you to select an alternate repository if so desired (e.g., a local in-house repository or a closer remote repository)

•Prompt you to select the CPU architecture (i386 or x86-64)

•Clone then rename a directory in /home/tftpboot/pub/ (for example, from pub/debian5_x_x_x86_64/ to pub/debian5_0_5_x86_64/).

•Copy to the Provisioner PXE Server the 2 critical files needed to start the provisioning process (linux and initrd.gz)

•Edit the Cisco-supplied configuration files (.cfg for MAC-Independent provisioning and .tmpl for MAC-Specific provisioning) to point to the selected public repository to download files during the provisioning process

•If you re-run the script to change the public repository, you will need to manually update the name of the new public repository in Provisioning Role Templates and Provisioning Roles you have already created.

 

Notes on Debian configuration (“control”) files:

•Cisco provides configuration files (preseed.cfg) to provision a basic server configuration with no GUI.

•The contents of preseed.cfg files can be modified, for example to replace the default SATA (“sda”) disk type with the IDE (“hda”) disk type. Do make such a change, edit the preseed.cfg file and change the line d-i partman-auto/disk string /dev/sda to d-i partman-auto/disk string /dev/hda.

•If changes are made to a preseed.cfg file in pub/debian5_x_x_i386, upon running loaddebian.sh for this distribution, the changes made to the preseed.cfg file will be carried to the newly created pub/debian5_0_5_i386 and will subsequently be incorporated in new MAC-Independent Provisioning Roles and MAC-Specific Provisioning Role Templates.

•If changes are made to a preseed.cfg file in pub/debian5_0_5_i386 (after loaddebian.sh has been executed), the changes will subsequently be incorporated in new MAC-Independent Provisioning Roles and MAC-Specific Provisioning Role Templates.

•To edit a preseed.cfg file for a specific MAC-Specific Provisioning Role after having selected the appropriate MAC-Specific Provisioning Role Template, use the GUI in the MAC-Specific Provisioning Role “Edit” page: changes made to the preseed file with the GUI will be localized to this particular MAC-Specific Provisioning Role.