[Tech] Partimus/PXE project - next steps

[Tai Kedzierski]

Hail all, ye technical minds,



We have some core pieces working now, and we'd be good to go for a
bare-bones setup with techies on-hand for installation, and subsequent
maintenance.

However, to get a fully working solution that Christian *et al* could take
in and demonstrate to a prospect; after which then one or two Partimus
volunteers could easily put together to-spec in a matter of days; and then
finally let the customer run with on their own with minimal intervention --
much more work needs yet to be done.

So I wanted to recap on where we are, and what needs to be done next.

*Can I please have a show of hands* on who would be able to actively take a
shot at any of these points.


Also, if you think we should be approaching any points differently, please
detail how you think it should be alternatively done, and we can work them
into the plan.


The project is hosted at https://github.com/taikedz/our-pxe



*1) PXE Server*

I have put together a method and script to set up a fully-functional PXE
server, given a Ubuntu 14.04 server, and a Ubuntu-related ISO

At this point, minimum spec is met, however further work that can be done
include:

* re-writing the relevant sections in the guide for non-Casper
boot/installers (targeting Debian to start with) (*should be easy*)
* supporting non-Casper ISOs in the script (*more involved*)

If anybody wants to take the *setup-pxe.sh* script and adapt it, I am on
hand to explain/assist




*2) Customization task*

I have forked and adapted a cli-based ISO customization script which works
only on Ubuntu ISOs, tested only on 14.04 and 15.04 images so far.

You need to run it from within a Ubuntu-based system due to package/naming
requirements, and Casper tools.

Minimum spec here is also met. Further tasks can include

* Documenting the Partimus-specific customizations that are required
(desired applications, custom "~/.mozilla" directories in /etc/skel ,
custom backgrounds, URLs, How-To documents, cron jobs and such like)
(*complexity:
beginner, effort: not long?*)
* Making a graphical shell for this if necessary so that less technical
volunteers can perform customization (*complexity: medium to
advanced*, *effort:
medium*)




*3) Automation*

Additional piece for the puzzle is automating the install fully. If anybody
has experience using either kickstart or preseed files, do step forward.

Conceivably, this could even take place of the customization step in the
situation where:

* a custom ISO were not needed, for example no USB or DVDs will be
produced/needed
* and/or the target distro were not Ubuntu-based

Tasks include:

* Identifying what format is supported by Ubuntu (kickstart, preseed) (*effort:
a little involved - documentation is sparse*)
* Identifying what minimal command set is required to perform a fully
automated Lubuntu installation in the preseed/kickstart file
(this involves finding proper documentation for the formats in respect of
Ubuntu-specific items such as casper and ubiquity, as well as the deb
installer commands) (*effort: very involved, documentation is dispersed*)
* Producing documentation to build a new kickstart/preseed file for any new
Partimus deployment project (*effort: mild, once the previous points are
addressed*)
* Creating a reference "default" Partimus-specific file which sets up the
required software as discussed with Christian over email (*effort: minimal,
with the above addressed*)





*4) Repositories proxy server*

When multiple PCs are all pulling software, you'd want to minimize load out
to the wider network and Internet.

A caching server, or an on-site repo mirror will be desirable.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Tasks include:

* researching what approach to take (cache / mirror / other)
* producing documentation to achieve this, and what customizations need to
be done during/post installation
* creating a setup script for this to configure this automatically, on
Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04-based setups

I can't comment on the effort here.



Thank you all, I look forward to working with any and all brave souls who
step forward!

Tai

===
Tai Kedzierski

Affordable Office IT for Freelance and Startup Businesses
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  I use www.libreoffice.org

*Open Source Free Software is a matter of liberty, not price.*
http://bit.ly/foss-why-care
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