Categories
Linux OpenSUSE

SUSE Studio

I have to say it has been a very long time since something on the web has impressed me to the point of being amazed. But today I found out about SUSE Studio.

SUSE Studio allows you to build/create your own Linux distribution based on SUSE linux.

“Build an appliance — or your own custom Linux distro — with a few mouse clicks. Customize it to your heart’s content, and share it with the world!”

Categories
Linux OpenSUSE Sys Admin

OpenSUSE Local Update Repository

I recently wrote a three part article on using Autoyast to automate the installation of OpenSUSE machines. I this article I will show you how to setup a local software update repository as well.

Categories
Linux OpenSUSE

Novell SLES 10 to OpenSUSE 11.1 Migration

In an effort to save on licensing costs I have just completed the migration from SLES to OpenSUSE. I have to say it was a little unnerving to step away from an enterprise class distribution. There were so many choices when it came to choosing the replacement for SLES, I knew we no longer wished to pay the licensing fee’s to only have access to software updates and support that has never been used (IMHO google for me is the best support agreement).

On the cards were CentOS, Ubuntu LTS, and OpenSUSE. Our main requirements were the ability to access upgrades and the use of an auto build system for rapid deployment. CentOS was ruled out early in the piece (unfortunately I have to say only for petty reasons, none of which are worth listing here). So the competition was between Ubuntu and OpenSUSE, now my personal opinion here would be for Ubuntu to be the successor but unfortunately it had a few fatal flaws.

Categories
Linux OpenSUSE Sys Admin

OpenSUSE AutoYast/AutoInstall Howto Part 3

OpenSUSE and SLES (SuSE Linux Enterprise Server) both come with AutoYaST which is a very powerful tool that allows administrators to quickly and easily deploy servers that have an identical configuration for rapid server deployment.

In this three part series we will explore creating a repository for use with multiple systems, creating and customizing the AutoInstall file, and finally running through an install procedure.

Part 3 – Putting it all together and installing a server

In this part we will look at running through a machine install making use of our newly created repository and AutoInstall file.

Categories
Linux OpenSUSE Sys Admin

OpenSUSE AutoYast/AutoInstall Howto Part 2

OpenSUSE and SLES (SuSE Linux Enterprise Server) both come with AutoYaST which is a very powerful tool that allows administrators to quickly and easily deploy servers that have an identical configuration for rapid server deployment.

In this three part series we will explore creating a repository for use with multiple systems, creating and customizing the AutoInstall file, and finally running through an install procedure.

Part 2 – Creating and Customizing the AutoInstall file

In this part we will look at creating an AutoInstall file for use with AutoYast.