[Server-devel] Pungi minimal installer, comps.xml trick

[Martin Langhoff]

On Fri, Aug 29, 2008 at 12:41 PM, Robin Norwood <robin.norwood at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I do need anaconda to run the install :-) Anaconda knows how to run a
>> pure text installer if it doesn't find its graphical deps. But the
>> package pulls them in anyway, and pungi isn't smart enough to trick it
>> :-)
>
> Ok, yes, I was confusing what gets installed on the install disc with
> what gets installed on the server!  So as far as the stuff installed
> on the server goes, is GNOME or X even needed?

A sizable part of the problem lies with Anaconda pulling in the X
toolchain. Have a look at the spec file here:
http://cvs.fedoraproject.org/viewvc/rpms/anaconda/F-9/anaconda.spec?revision=1.681&view=markup

- scroll down to %ifarch %livearches to find Zenity and
desktop-file-utils. Around that area I spot, gnome-python2-gtkhtml2.
IIRC, system logos also brings in some -theme dep that wants all of
gnome with it.

There are 2 strategies that come to mind - rebuild the anaconda rpm
with a doctored spec file with more humble deps is one; creating a
dummy package that 'provides' all the deps we want to fake is the
second (possibly cleaner) path. We can host that dummy package in a
dummy repo used only at pungi invocation time, and make double sure
that it doesn't get installed.

Anaconda itself is written quite defensively, and probes for stuff --
if it can't start X for whatever reason, it hardens up and does the
text install. So it will tend to survive our crude hacks.

You've probably thought these and some others by now :-) and perhaps
even implemented some, but I thought these notes might be interesting.

In the meantime, I'm hacking the network config, and it seems to be
coming together.

cheers,




m
-- 
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 martin at laptop.org -- School Server Architect
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