In your email to me, Christoph Lameter, you wrote: > > Since we were talking about including a web-server in the base system here > some thoughts. > > I often maintain headless servers. I always have to attach a screen for > the initial install or if something is seriously wrong with the machine. > > Lets say I have a new machine fine tuned by the dealer (who put 95 or > something else we dont need on it) in front of me. I'd like to do the > following > > 1. Insert Floppy disk and boot > A) The installation disk will detect frequently used ethernet boards > and configures an IP address obtained using BOOTP or DHCP. I can > then usually locate the IP address either via the BOOTP logs on a > Linux machine or via the NT DHCP display. > B) The web-server will start running > C) There is NO user interaction up to this point. Video is not used at > all. > > 2. I can then use my laptop attached to the ethernet or a nearby > workstation with any web-browser and connect to the webserver on > the new machine > > 3. Use a web-driven configuration process > - initial partitioning and formatting > - running dselect (dwebselect?) > > This would simplify the installation process extremely. I could just sent > the installation disk to a customer far away and tell him to insert that > disk into a new machine and I could remotely set it up from home! > > I have a customer in Minneapolis for example and I needed someone to do > the initial install before I could take over the system. He put RH on it > since he knew nothing else..... I then had to upgrade the system to Debian > via telnet. Uggh. > > If the base disks also would include a small textbased web-browser then we > might be able to use the same user interface both for remote and local > installations. > > Another benefit would be that those machine actually could be ordered > without any video board at all leaving room for more expansion. Right now > we leave a cheap video board in for emergencies. > > This move would give us a tremendous advantage over RH in the business > world. If anything is wrong just tell the customer to put in the rescue > disk and we can remotely fix things worldwide (hardware willing to > cooperate of course).
This is a GREAT idea! A few years ago, I took a look at Plexus (I think it was written by Tony Samders). It's a complete server written in Perl. Since we have perl on the resc disk.... I'll have to see if I can find another copy. Being all text source based, it should compress fine to save space. Tim -- (work) [EMAIL PROTECTED] / (home) [EMAIL PROTECTED] - http://www.buoy.com/~tps Actually, I *do* know everything. I just don't get paid enough to show it. ** Disclaimer: My views/comments/beliefs, as strange as they are, are my own.** -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] .
