Create a Custom RHEL Image

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Hi Team

I am very new to Linux environment. I am currently looking to create a custom RHEL 6.4 image with the packages available for RHEL 6.4.

What is the simple and the best way to get this done?

Regards
Jo

Responses

Hello,

May be this will help you get started:
https://access.redhat.com/site/solutions/60959
https://wikis.uit.tufts.edu/confluence/display/TUSKpub/Build+Custom+RHEL+or+CentOS+Respin+DVD

Hi Nicorici

Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I did not make it very clear for you.

What I want to achieve is that, install a RHEL 6.4 OS and update the required packages to the server. Then disable the Server from doing a "Yum update". Once that is done, create an image of the system to be used for installing the remaining servers.

Would you be able to provide me some assistance on this?

Regards
Jo

Hi,

Well if you want to make an iso image from an existing server to use on others you could use this:
http://www.tecmint.com/how-to-clone-linux-systems/

I don't know another way of doing this besides making a clone image from your server, and deploying that cloned image to other severs.

You also have http://clonezilla.org/

Hope this help
Best regards
Bogdan

Hi Nicorici

I backed my entire server image using this utility.

Now when I need to restore the image back, do I need to extract the iso image contents to a DVD and boot from it?

If I need to specify the file system partitions, hostname and other options as you do in a fresh installation, is there an option available using the mondo restore utility?

Looking forward for a reply.

Regards
Jo

Hello,

You can find in the documentation all the information about making the restore:

http://www.mondorescue.org/docs/mondorescue-howto/restore-tips.html

From what I can see in the documentation you have the option to specify stuff that you want to restore if you don't want a full restore.

Try it first on a virtual non production server, it will be more easy and much more secure.
What I do personally, but only for virtual machines, is that I created a virtual server with minimal configs. When I deploy a new server, I copy the vm template and boot it up, after reboot I have a bash script that will ask for hostname, ipadress and then configure the entire server as I want it to be. It also installs puppet to make further configurations.

Once you boot on your ISO and make the restore I fairly easy to automate the configuration with scripts.
Hope this helps.

Best regards
Bogdan

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