Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 16:24:22 -0500 (EST) From: Robert Watson <robert@cyrus.watson.org> To: Joe McGuckin <joe@via.net> Cc: hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: A web-based FreeBSD configuration tool. Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.96.980224161629.17303B-100000@trojanhorse.pr.watson.org> In-Reply-To: <199802242058.MAA24843@monk.via.net>
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On Tue, 24 Feb 1998, Joe McGuckin wrote: > I think it would be neat if the install code had a www interface, so that I > didn't need to scrounge up a keyboard & monitor in install freebsd. Sounds fun. > You might say that you need a keyboard & monitor to set the IP address ? > > Not really. > > - You could come up snooping the ethernet > - probe & find an unused IP address > - look for DNS query packets - looking for a 'magic name' (install.freebsd.org) > - if you see that, send a reply out the ethernet with your IP address. ... i.e., DHCP or IPV6 autoconfiguration ... > So, I'd put the boot floppy in the machine, hit reset, go over to my web browser > and type in http://install.freebsd.org. If the machine hadn't booted, I'd > get a web page from FreeBSD stating that. Once the machine had booted, > the next time a hit 'refresh' on the browser, I'd get the first page of the > install dialog. This does not sound scalable. Maybe the client could attempt to use DHCP to grab an IP, then do something funky to announce itself to the install machine; also, security is an issue here. Presumably you would only want to do this on a safe ethernet? What happens if two hosts are ready to install at the same time? The use of DNS you suggest is certainly a bad idea, though. Using DHCP might be best; perhaps we would offer a light-weight DHCP server as part of an installation package to have on your master install machine -- you give it the ethernet addresses for new machines to configure, the machines come up and do DHCP DISCOVER; the lightweight server responds with DHCPOFFER and a vendor field "freebsdinstall" set with its IP address, as well as the config information. The installing FreeBSD machine chooses this OFFER and finishes config. Then it connects to the install software on the master install machine to get further information. This allows multiple installs on a single submit, and has the installing machine contact a master location for information, where you could have your spiffy interface. Also, you can have multiple master-installers because they only do DHCPOFFER for hosts they know about ahead of time. > I think Cisco does something similar to this for their 'out-of-the-box' > configuration. I'm not familiar with the out-of-the-box-config, but have personally always used a serial console to set up my ciscos. I understand that they have a web interface though. I'm tempted to keep the web functionality on a fully functioning existing machine rather than stick it on the install floppy, though. :) I think both approaches have their place -- a master installer requires, of course, that one have an existing functioning machine, and that the DHCP arrangement work. I don't like the idea of sniffing to try and steal an IP, sniffing to find DNS, etc. Seems like a poor idea; the possibilities for conflicts are too great, not to mention the ability to pick up incorrect information! Robert N Watson Carnegie Mellon University http://www.cmu.edu/ SafePort Network Services http://www.safeport.com/ robert@fledge.watson.org http://www.watson.org/~robert/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
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