4.2. Finish Configuring the Diskless Environment

To use the graphical version of the Network Booting Tool, you must be running the X Window System, have root privileges, and have the system-config-netboot RPM package installed. To start the Network Booting Tool from the desktop, go to Applications (the main menu on the panel) => System Settings => Server Settings => Network Booting Service. Or, type the command system-config-netboot at a shell prompt (for example, in an XTerm or a GNOME terminal).
If starting the Network Booting Tool for the first time, select Diskless from the First Time Druid. Otherwise, select Configure => Diskless from the pull-down menu, and then click Add.
A wizard appears to step you through the process:
  1. Click Forward on the first page.
  2. On the Diskless Identifier page, enter a Name and Description for the diskless environment. Click Forward.
  3. Enter the IP address or domain name of the NFS server configured in Section 4.1, “Configuring the NFS Server” as well as the directory exported as the diskless environment. Click Forward.
  4. The kernel versions installed in the diskless environment are listed. Select the kernel version to boot on the diskless system.
  5. Click Apply to finish the configuration.
After clicking Apply, the diskless kernel and image file are created based on the kernel selected. They are copied to the PXE boot directory /tftpboot/linux-install/<os-identifier>/. The directory snapshot/ is created in the same directory as the root/ directory (for example, /diskless/i386/RHEL4-AS/snapshot/) with a file called files in it. This file contains a list of files and directories that must be read/write for each diskless system. Do not modify this file. If additional entries must be added to the list, create a files.custom file in the same directory as the files file, and add each additional file or directory on a separate line.