Ubuntu

Remote installation and updates over LAN

Asked by gizmo

Is there any option of installing ubuntu 7.10 remotely?
I have to install ubuntu around 30 PCs on a computer LAB and there should be options for regular updates through network.
I can use a dedicated PC as the server. The all PCs are already networked.

1. What I need from the scratch?
2. Will ubuntu live CD do the job?

I need a complete guideline. This would be first ubuntu powered computer lab in my country (Bangladesh) so far.
So, reply asap!

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Clóvis Fabrício (nosklo) said : 		#1

You can go a simple fast approach:
1) Install some apt proxy software on the server. I suggest apt-cacher.
2) Install ubuntu on 30 machines using alternate CD, using server as proxy for package downloads. Downloads will happen only once for the 30 machines.
3) Configure machines to auto-update. Machines will update thru the server's proxy. Downloads will happen only once for all machines.

There are some fancier ideas like this one:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/QuickNetboot
With this, you can just tell the machine to boot over the network so you wont need to use CDs on the machines.

You could also customize a CD so you can put it on the drive and forget, and it would do an automated installation.

But these solutions take time to implement and you have to measure if it is worth the extra effort.

I would install this first lab using the fastest solution and then do extensive reseach and planning if you must install a lot of labs.

I suggest you also take a look at the edubuntu project (www.edubuntu.org).

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