scripting rpm installs

[Chadley Wilson]

On Saturday 08 January 2005 14:34, Matthew Miller wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 08, 2005 at 11:10:30AM +0200, Chadley Wilson wrote:
> > > With apt or yum, all you need to do is to set up local apt/yum
> > > repositories and set up apt/yum accordingly.
> >
> > Could you maybe give me a head start on this?
> > what apps do I install for this?
>
> For apt, just apt -- use its 'genbasedir' program to create the metadata.
> For yum, install and use 'createrepo'.
>
> But what you're trying to do is get updates onto new computers, right?
> Running a script to update after installation isn't what I'd do; instead,
> rebuild the install CDs with the old packages completely replaced.
>
> --
> Matthew Miller           mattdm at mattdm.org        <http://www.mattdm.org/>
> Boston University Linux      ------>                <http://linux.bu.edu/>

Well it a bit more complicated than that, I have scripted the installations of 
all my extra hardware, like modems which are source tarbals and require 
kernel sources, then used rpms for nvidia and the like.
But there are also some fixes that need to be sorted. so I scripted those as 
well. then I create a script that calls all of them.

Although creating the install discs is a good idea, I am just not smart enough 
yet. I have spent at one stage, 3 weeks trying and each avenue failed.
also the disc route doesn't fix bugs for me. or configure drivers.

for example I had to load the ide-scsi drivers on various systems. I have a 
script that does the work.
But since man power is my problem. I need one big script that a PC builder 
will run and it will do all. 
as the level of staff that my company employs is scary to say the least.

I had to train one guy just to install the personal desktop selection in 
fedora, after three weeks of showing him daily, he still was not sure if he 
should click "next". When I snapped and threatened to fire him he now blindly 
clicks next.

This justifies a big complicated script, I also need to add other apps from 
the repos, so that we ship the machines in a working order. I also like 
adding feature apps like celestia to the 3D machine. and so on and so forth.

How the facilty works is complicated as we are as big as mecer, but we don't 
work anything like they. mecer build stock lots of it. we build to order so 
each big order we get we create a new master. So the are only so many 
configurations that we can do. so if I create this big script and make 
variatons for the different configutions of PC. I can go on leave and the 
company can carry on.

anyway thanks for the advice :)


-- 
Chadley Wilson
Redhat Certified Technician 
Cert Number: 603004708291270
Pinnacle Micro
Manufacturers of Proline Computers
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