(Sorry if this question has already been answered; this is a huge thread and I might have missed it.)
Is there any way to use UNetbootin to install Ubuntu 8.04 in a completely unattended manner by pre-specifying all installation options upfront?
I have a dedicated Fedora Core 4 server to which my only access is via SSH. (I can have an admin do basic console work, but anything fancy -- such as installing a new OS -- costs extra.) What I'd like to do is:
1) Install a command-line version of UNetbootin.
2) Configure Unetbootin to install Ubuntu 8.04
3) Pre-specify all the command-line options such that it'll completely blow away the entire system (reformat all partitions), install with a particular network config (IP, gateway, netmask, etc), install a particular root password, etc.
4) Reboot
5) Log in a while later using SSH and the new root password and find a clean Ubuntu install.
If something gets screwed up and the system dies that's fine as it doesn't cost anything to have an admin re-image the machine back to it's base (Fedora Core 4) specifications.
Any ideas? If not with Ubuntu, can this be done for Debian?
Thanks!
-david
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Edit: Ok, it looks like the way I would do this is to pass a boot parameter to the installer specifying a preseed file:
http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/manual/en.i386/apbs02.html
So it would appear my questions really are:
1) Can I run unetbootin from the command line on a headless system? The webpage and screenshots look like it needs a GUI.
2) Can I specify additional boot options when installing a full distribution or disk ISO? Or do I need to remaster my own ISO?
3) Is there any way to have unetbootin download the ISO straight into RAM after rebooting such that it can blow away all partitions and reformat the entire hard drive? Or do I need to put some (possibly remastered) ISO into a partition that the preseed file is configured to not destroy?
Thanks!
-david
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