Knoppix Documentation Wiki - User contributions [en]

Install Over Net HowTo

2008-06-26T22:17:55Z

Markhu: /* Optimizing: */

=== Cloning a Hard disk install (any OS) over a network:===

Because of the simplicity of it and the netboot option, we are able to use Knoppix to clone computers without having to purchase a Norton Ghost license for each system. Here is how I use Knoppix on a daily basis.

We have several computers that are configured identically for the product that we sell. So I start one "set" up. One acts as the knoppix boot server and the others net boot off of it. Then I connect a long ethernet cable to a "fresh" set that has not had the OS or our special software loaded yet and net boot them off of the knoppix server.

Then one by one I execute a command like this to clone them.

*On the machine I want to copy from:
**Open 2 root windows
**start xload on one of them
**cat /dev/hda | gzip -9 | nc -l -p 5030

*On the machine I copy to:
**nc 192.168.0.1 5030 | gunzip > /dev/hda (192.168.0.1 is the ip of whatever machine I am cloning)

When the xload drops down to zero, then I know it is done. I can typically start about 2 or 3 clients to copy them.

For Windows 9x systems. I do a format c: /s from dos and then untar a tarred backup that I made using knoppix.

Since Knoppix auto configures the hardware, I don't have to mess with making boot floppies or keeping track of them.

==== Optimizing: ====

I often do such things although the above also works.
The following is faster though:

*First find out the IP of the targetcomputer:
**ifconfig -a

*Then
**echo Data is being transferred | nc -v -v -l -p 5030 | gunzip -| buffer -m 1m > /dev/hda

*While it's waiting, on the Server:
**buffer -m 1m < /dev/hda | gzip -2 | nc -v -v -w 10 192.168.0.17 5030

(Where 192.168.0.17 is the IP of the targetcomputer.)

This solution has the following pros compared to the one above:

*More efficient due to using "buffer". (You can experiment using gzip or nc or both).
*Normally "gzip -9 is used due to high compression.
*With "-w 10" on the server the data is constructed. It is not necessary to use xload: or similar for checking.

*With 3 targetcomputers 192.168.0.18 to 192.168.0.20, I would start by using the same commands on each targetcomputer, then do on the server:
**cd /tmp
**mknod pipe1 p; nc -v -v -w 10 192.168.0.18 5030 < pipe1 ~&
**mknod pipe2 p; nc -v -v -w 10 192.168.0.19 5030 < pipe2 ~&
**buffer -m 1m < /dev/hda | gzip -2 | buffer -m 1m ~|
**tee pipe1 | tee pipe2 | nc -v -v -w 10 192.168.0.20 5030

The trick here is that by the "named pipes" the hard disk on the server is read only once. This procedure also works with more than 3 target computers.

[[Category: Networking]]
[[Category: Hard drive Installation]]

Install Over Net HowTo

2008-06-26T22:16:57Z

Markhu: restore first section prior to spamming

=== Cloning a Hard disk install (any OS) over a network:===

Because of the simplicity of it and the netboot option, we are able to use Knoppix to clone computers without having to purchase a Norton Ghost license for each system. Here is how I use Knoppix on a daily basis.

We have several computers that are configured identically for the product that we sell. So I start one "set" up. One acts as the knoppix boot server and the others net boot off of it. Then I connect a long ethernet cable to a "fresh" set that has not had the OS or our special software loaded yet and net boot them off of the knoppix server.

Then one by one I execute a command like this to clone them.

*On the machine I want to copy from:
**Open 2 root windows
**start xload on one of them
**cat /dev/hda | gzip -9 | nc -l -p 5030

*On the machine I copy to:
**nc 192.168.0.1 5030 | gunzip > /dev/hda (192.168.0.1 is the ip of whatever machine I am cloning)

When the xload drops down to zero, then I know it is done. I can typically start about 2 or 3 clients to copy them.

For Windows 9x systems. I do a format c: /s from dos and then untar a tarred backup that I made using knoppix.

Since Knoppix auto configures the hardware, I don't have to mess with making boot floppies or keeping track of them.

==== Optimizing: ====

I often do such things although the above also works.
The following is faster though:

*First find out the IP of the targetcomputer:
**ifconfig -a

*Then
**echo Data is being transferred | nc -v -v -l -p 5030 | gunzip ~| buffer -m 1m > /dev/hda

*While it's waiting, on the Server:
**buffer -m 1m < /dev/hda | gzip -2 | nc -v -v -w 10 192.168.0.17 5030

(Where 192.168.0.17 is the IP of the targetcomputer.)

This solution has the following pros compared to the one above:

*More efficient due to using "buffer". (You can experiment using gzip or nc or both).
*Normally "gzip -9 is used due to high compression.
*With "-w 10" on the server the data is constructed. It is not necessary to use xload: or similar for checking.

*With 3 targetcomputers 192.168.0.18 to 192.168.0.20, I would start by using the same commands on each targetcomputer, then do on the server:
**cd /tmp
**mknod pipe1 p; nc -v -v -w 10 192.168.0.18 5030 < pipe1 ~&
**mknod pipe2 p; nc -v -v -w 10 192.168.0.19 5030 < pipe2 ~&
**buffer -m 1m < /dev/hda | gzip -2 | buffer -m 1m ~|
**tee pipe1 | tee pipe2 | nc -v -v -w 10 192.168.0.20 5030

The trick here is that by the "named pipes" the hard disk on the server is read only once. This procedure also works with more than 3 target computers.

[[Category: Networking]]
[[Category: Hard drive Installation]]