+grml-autoconfig
+===============
+
+Introduction
+------------
+
+By using the config framework, it is possible to customize grml's
+startup in a multitude of ways. It allows to:
+
+- execute one or more scripts on startup
+- install Debian packages from deb files on startup
+- unpack configuration on startup
+
+The combination of Debs, Configuration and Scripts is called DCS in
+grml. DCS can be read from the Live Image itself, from an arbitrary
+file system on the local system which is marked with the volume label
+GRMLCFG, or from the file system pointed to by the myconfig boot
+parameter.
+
+The DCS handling is controlled by a number of boot parameters.
+
+The scripts save-config and restore-config can be used to create and
+handle files called 'grml configuration archive', abbreviated GCA.
+save-config stores the running configuration inside a GCA;
+restore-config is a script to restore a configuration from a GCA.
+
+TIP: A GCA is a plain bzip2 compressed tar archive. All the files are
+generated starting from the root-directory '/' so it is easy to
+handle. You can generate configuration archives manually as well.
+save-config is just a frontend which should make it easier to use.
+
+The grml-autoconfig code has been re-worked in August 2009. This
+document handles both the behavior of grml releases up to 2009.05 and
+the current behavior. Great care has been taken to provide maximum
+backwards compatibility during the rewrite.
+
+
+Behavior up to grml 2009.05
+---------------------------
+
+Autoconfiguration
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+By default the booting process tries to mount a device labeled
+'GRMLCFG'. This provides the possibility to restore a configuration
+(named config.tbz) and execute a script (named grml.sh) without the
+need to specify any bootparams. If you want to disable this feature
+please take a look at the 'noautoconfig' bootparam.
+
+Boot parameters
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+As you probably know you can adjust boot parameters on the bootprompt. You want
+to set some boot parameters permanently? That's possible via adding a directory
+named 'bootparams' to the grml-ISO which has to be located at the root-directory
+/bootparams/ (note: the directory is known as /live/image/bootparams/ on a
+_running_ grml system then). Place a textfile inside the directory containing
+the boot parameters which should be appended to default ones (this corresponds to
+booting without any special parameters). If you want to be able to boot from your
+grml-CD you have to create a multisession CD. See the <<X7,usage scenarios>> for
+more details how to use it or consider booting from a USB device (checkout
+grml2usb).
+
+The following boot parameters are supported. Use them at the (isolinux)
+bootprompt as documented here.
+
+myconfig::
+
+ This parameter is for restoring configuration using the file config.tbz
+ on the specified device. Usage examples:
+
+ myconfig=/dev/sda1 => use file config.tbz from usb-device
+ myconfig=/dev/fd0 => use file config.tbz from floppy-disk
+ myconfig=/dev/sda1 file=config_foobar.tbz => use file config_foobar.tbz from usb-device
+
+home::
+
+ This parameter is for setting a specific partition as home directory.
+ Usage examples:
+
+ home=/dev/sda3 => use /dev/sda3 as the homepartition
+ home=scan => scan through the available partitions and search
+ for file grml.img
+
+partconf::
+
+ This parameter mounts the specified device in read-only mode and tries
+ to copy all files specified in /etc/grml/partconf to the grml
+ system. This provides the possibility to use the configuration of a
+ harddisk installation. For example using the network configuration
+ (which is specified in /etc/network) is possible using this
+ boot parameter. Usage example:
+
+ partconf=/dev/sda2 => try to mount /dev/sda2 and copy files specified
+ in /etc/grml/partconf to the booted grml system
+
+netconfig::
+ Use this parameter to restore configuration using wget to download
+ a configuration file from specified destination. Usage example:
+
+ netconfig=server.tld/path/to/config.tbz => restore configuration using wget to download file config.tbz
+
+extract::
+
+ Extract specific directories from configuration archive. Notice:
+ This bootparam is useful only with bootparams which are able to
+ extract configuration archives.
+
+ extract=/home/grml => extract only /home/grml from archive
+ extract=/etc => extract only /etc from archive
+ extract=/home/grml/config => extract only $HOME/config from archive
+
+scripts::
+
+ This parameter executes a script located in the root-directory /scripts/ on the
+ grml media/ISO (note: the directory is known as /live/image/scripts/ on a
+ _running_ grml system then). Usage examples:
+
+ scripts => run script [/live/image]/scripts/grml.sh
+ scripts=foobar.sh => run script foobar.sh in [/live/image]/scripts/
+
+config::
+
+ This parameter restores a configuration using root-directory /config/ on the
+ grml media/ISO (note: the directory is known as /live/image/config on a
+ _running_ grml system then). Usage examples:
+
+ config => restore configuration using file config.tbz from directory [/live/image]/config/
+ config=config_foobar.tbz => restore configuration using file config_foobar.tbz from directory [/live/image]/config/
+
+debs::
+
+ This parameter allows automatic installation of deb packages while
+ booting. The debian packages have to be located in the root-directory /debs/
+ on the grml media/ISO (note: the directory is known as /live/image/debs/ on
+ a _running_ grml system then). Usage examples:
+
+ debs => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) from directory [/live/image]/debs/
+ debs=01 => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) starting with 01 in the filename from directory [/live/image]/debs/
+
+
+noautoconfig::
+
+ Deactivate automounting. By default the command 'mount' tries to mount a
+ device with label 'GRMLCFG'. If you specify the noautoconfig bootparam
+ the automounting will be deactivated.
+
+ noautoconfig => disables auto mounting of label 'GRMLCFG'
+
+
+Behavior in current development snapshots
+-----------------------------------------
+
+The central concept of grml-autoconfig is the DCS directory which
+holds debs, configuration and scripts which are used during system
+startup.
+
+
+Determination of DCS directory
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The DCS directory defaults to the root directory of the GRML live
+image. If a file system labeled GRMLCFG is found, the DCS directory is
+the root directory of that file system. Alternatively, the myconfig
+boot parameter can be used to directly specify a device which is then
+taken as DCS directory (myconfig=/dev/sda1, for example).
+
+Without any additional boot parameters, the GCA at DCSDIR/config.tbz
+is automatically unpacked and DCSDIR/scrips/grml.sh is automaitcally
+executed on system startup. The 'noautoconfig' boot parameter disables
+this automatic behavior.
+
+
+Boot Parameters
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The following boot parameters are supported. Use them at the (isolinux)
+bootprompt as documented here.
+
+myconfig::
+
+ This parameter directly sets DCSDIR to the root directory of the
+ specified device. Usage examples:
+
+ myconfig=/dev/sda1 => read DCS from usb-device
+ myconfig=/dev/fd0 => read DCS from floppy-disk
+
+home::
+
+ This parameter is for setting a specific partition as home directory.
+ Usage examples:
+
+ home=/dev/sda3 => use /dev/sda3 as the homepartition
+ home=scan => scan through the available partitions and search
+ for file grml.img
+
+partconf::
+
+ This parameter mounts the specified device in read-only mode and tries
+ to copy all files specified in /etc/grml/partconf to the grml
+ system. This provides the possibility to use the configuration of a
+ harddisk installation. For example using the network configuration
+ (which is specified in /etc/network) is possible using this
+ boot parameter. Usage example:
+
+ partconf=/dev/sda2 => try to mount /dev/sda2 and copy files specified
+ in /etc/grml/partconf to the booted grml system
+
+netconfig::
+ Use this parameter to restore configuration using wget to download
+ a GCA from the specified destination. Usage example:
+
+ netconfig=server.tld/path/to/config.tbz => restore configuration using wget to download file config.tbz
+
+extract::
+
+ Extract specific directories from the GCA which needs to be
+ specified by other means.
+
+ extract=/home/grml => extract only /home/grml from archive
+ extract=/etc => extract only /etc from archive
+ extract=/home/grml/config => extract only $HOME/config from archive
+
+scripts::
+
+ This parameter executes scripts. If an optional path is given, it
+ is relative to DCSDIR. If it points to a directory, all scripts
+ inside this directory are executed. If the path points to a file,
+ this single file is executed. If no path is given, it defaults to
+ scripts/grml.sh. Usage examples:
+
+ scripts => run script DCSDIR/scripts/grml.sh
+ scripts=foobar.sh => run script foobar.sh in DCSDIR
+ scripts=foobar => run all scripts inside DCSDIR/foobar directory
+
+config::
+
+ This parameter restores a configuration using a GCA. If an
+ optional path is given, it is relative to DCSDIR. If no path is
+ given, it defaults to DCSDIR/config.tbz. Usage examples:
+
+ config => restore configuration using file DCSDIR/config.tbz
+ config=config_foobar.tbz => restore configuration using file DCSDIR/config_foobar.tbz
+
+debs::
+
+ This parameter allows automatic installation of deb packages while
+ booting. The path is relative to DCSDIR, not optional and is a
+ shell wildcard. All Files matching the wildcard are installed in a
+ single dpkg --install call. For backwards compatibility, if no
+ slash is contained in the path, it is taken relative to DCSDIR/debs.
+
+ Usage examples:
+
+ debs=*.deb => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) from directory DCSDIR/debs/
+ debs=foo/01*.deb => install all debian packages (suffix .deb) starting with 01 in the filename from directory DCSDIR/foo
+
+
+noautoconfig::
+
+ Deactivate automounting. By default the scripts try to mount a
+ device with label 'GRMLCFG'. If you specify the noautoconfig bootparam
+ this automounting will be deactivated.
+
+ noautoconfig => disables auto mounting of label 'GRMLCFG'
+
+
+Permanently adjust boot parameters
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+As you probably know you can adjust boot parameters on the bootprompt. You want
+to set some boot parameters permanently? That's possible via adding a directory
+named 'bootparams' to the grml-ISO which has to be located at the root-directory
+/bootparams/ (note: the directory is known as /live/image/bootparams/ on a
+_running_ grml system then). Place a textfile inside the directory containing
+the boot parameters which should be appended to default ones (this corresponds to
+booting without any special parameters).
+
+ mkdir bootparams
+ echo lang=de > bootparams/my_bootparams
+
+Then burn a multisession CD where directory bootparams is located in the root
+directory of the CD.
+
+[NOTE]
+Not all boot parameters can be used via /bootparams/. This is a limitation of the
+way the kernel and userspace retrieve boot parameters. Boot parameter regarding the
+kernel definitely do *NOT* work. Boot parameter related to grml-autoconfig (the
+main part of the boot process in grml running in userspace, being all the stuff
+after startup of udev) are expected to work. Boot parameter related to
+initrd/initramfs (the part between 'Searching for GRML file' and startup of
+udev) are *NOT* covered by /bootparams/ as well yet.
+
+TIP: the application k3b (not available on the live-CD but available
+through the Debian repositories) provides an easy to use interface for
+doing the multisession task.
+
+
+
+Scripts
+-------
+
+NAME
+~~~~
+save-config - save configuration ; restore-config - restore
+configuration; mkpersistenthome - create persistent home directory;
+more options available via boot parameters (see above)
+
+SYNOPSIS
+~~~~~~~~
+save-config - please take a look at 'save-config -h' ; restore-config
+- please take a look at 'restore-config -h', mkpersistenthome (no
+options available)
+
+
+save-config - save configuration
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+This script generates a plain bzip2 compressed tar archive containing
+the specified files, suitable as a GCA. The following options are
+supported for specifying which parts should be saved in the
+configuration file:
+
+ -home store hidden files from $HOME ($HOME/.*)
+ -grmlhome store hidden files from \$HOME (\$HOME/.*) of user grml [use as user root]
+ -etc store modified files from /etc
+ -configdir store $HOME/config
+ -all store all configuration files (:= -home, -configdir and -etc)
+
+TIP: It is also possible to use environment variables for specifying which parts
+should be saved. Just set the corresponding variable: $SAVE_HOME, $SAVE_ETC,
+$SAVE_CONFIGDIR and $SAVE_ALL
+
+The default filename of the generated configuration file is
+config.tbz. The following options are supported for specifying
+another destination of the configuration file:
+
+ -ssh user@host:/path/to/file copy configuration via ssh/scp to remote host
+ -mail <recipient> send configuration via mail
+ -file foo_bar_config.tbz save configuration in specified file
+
+Usage examples:
+
+ save-config -all => store all configuration files in config.tbz in current dir
+ save-config -home -mail devnull@grml.org => store $HOME/.* in config.tbz and send it via mail
+ save-config -etc -ssh devnull@grml.org:/path/ => store /etc in config.tbz and scp it to specified host
+ save-config -all -file foo.tbz => store all configuration files in foo.tbz
+ SAVE_ALL=yes save-config -file /path/foo.tbz => store all configuration files in /path/foo.tbz
+
+restore-config - restore configuration
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You can either restore a GCA using the boot parameters or by a script file
+named 'restore-config'. Specify the filename of the configuration
+archive which should be used as a parameter. The following options are
+available to specify which parts of the archive should be extracted.
+
+ -home extract hidden files from $HOME ($HOME/.*)
+ -grmlhome store hidden files from \$HOME (\$HOME/.*) of user grml [use as user root]
+ -etc extract modified files from /etc
+ -configdir extract $HOME/config
+
+The default is to extract (restore) all files found in the archive.
+
+TIP: It is also possible to use environment variables for specifying
+which part should be restored. Just set the corresponding variable:
+$RESTORE_HOME, $RESTORE_ETC, $RESTORE_CONFIGDIR and $RESTORE_ALL
+
+Usage examples:
+
+ restore-config -home foo_bar_config.tbz => restore configuration from file foo_bar_config.tbz
+ restore-config config.tbz => restore configuration from file config.tbz
+
+mkpersistenthome - use persistent home-directory
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You have a local partition you would like to use as your
+home-directory? Just use the interactive script called
+'mkpersistenthome'. It will either create a file named grml.img on the
+specified partition or create a partition using the ext2 filesystem
+(you can specify the option in a dialog inside the program). grml.img
+is a loopback device which size you can specify manually. It is
+possible to scan through the partitions to identify the appropriate
+partition. To use a home-directory located on your hard-drive use the
+appropriate boot parameter on bootprompt:
+
+ home=/dev/sda3 => use /dev/sda3 as the homepartition
+ home=scan => scan through the available partitions and search for file grml.img
+
+[[X7]]
+Usage scenarios
+---------------
+
+Personal configuration files
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You are a fan of the editor vim? Great. You probably have your own
+~/.vimrc and want to use it on the grml system. You also don't like
+the default zsh configuration and want to use your own ~/.zshrc?
+How to procede? Copy your .vimrc and .zshrc to $HOME of user 'grml'.
+Place additional files in $HOME/config. Now create a configuration for
+your files running:
+
+ save-config -home -configdir
+
+Now you should have a file named config.tbz containing your
+configuration files. You can copy the archive to a webserver
+and restore it via downloading during reboot using the following
+commandline on bootprompt:
+
+ grml netconfig=server.tld/path/to/config.tbz
+
+You don't have network access but own a floppy drive? Copy the file
+to a floppy disk and boot with:
+
+ grml myconfig=/dev/fd0
+
+Floppy is to small or to slow? Ok, let's use a usb device:
+
+ grml myconfig=/dev/sda1
+
+
+Network configuration
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You need a specific network setup and want to use your own
+/etc/network/interfaces by default? Generate the configuration
+archive running the following command as user root:
+
+ save-config -etc
+
+Now you should have a file named config.tbz containing your
+configuration files. If you want to use it with a floppy disk copy the
+file to a floppy and boot via using the following command on
+bootprompt:
+
+ grml myconfig=/dev/fd0
+
+Floppy is to small or to slow? Ok, let's use a usb device:
+
+ grml myconfig=/dev/sda1
+
+You do have an existing harddisk installation and want to use its
+configuration? Let's say the debian system is located in /dev/sda2. You
+want to use the directory /etc/network. This directory is activated by
+default in /etc/grml/partconf so we don't have to do any further work.
+We just need to activate it via using the following commandline on
+bootprompt:
+
+ grml partconf=/dev/sda2
+
+Automatic installation of debian packages
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You have a specified debian package named 'foobar.deb' and want to use
+it with (therefore: install it on) grml by default? Notice: this feature
+is useful especially for grml-small (a ~80 MB ISO). If you want to use it
+with the large version of grml you might have to overburn the ISO.
+
+Let's assume you have burned the grml iso to a CD-RW using a commandline like:
+
+ cdrecord dev=/dev/hdc -v -multi -tao grml_0.5.iso
+
+Now create a directory named debs and place foobar.deb in it:
+
+ mkdir debs/ && cp foobar.deb debs/
+
+Notice: This directory will be located in /live/image after burning the second session.
+
+Now create the second session containing this directory:
+
+ mkisofs -M grml_0.5.iso -C `cdrecord -msinfo dev=/dev/hdc` -R -o 2nd_session.iso debs
+
+Finally append the second session to the cd using:
+
+ cdrecord dev=/dev/hdc -v -multi -tao 2nd_session.iso
+
+TIP: the application k3b (not available on the live-CD but available
+through the Debian repositories) provides an easy to use interface for
+doing the multisession task.
+
+Now boot from your new personalized grml cd using the debs parameter:
+
+ grml debs
+
+Run your own commands on startup
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You know that booting with 'grml service=foobar' executes
+/etc/init.d/foobar when booting grml. But you want to setup a more
+complex network configuration, adjust some other stuff and so on on your
+own? Just write a script named grml.sh which does the job and use own
+of the mentioned bootparams. Let's say you have placed grml.sh on your
+usb device (usb stick) then use the following commandline on bootprompt:
+
+ grml myconfig=/dev/sda1
+
+Or even better: create a floppy disk with label GRMLCFG running:
+
+ fdformat /dev/fd0 # format the floppy disk if not done already
+ mkfs.ext2 -L GRMLCFG /dev/fd0 # now create ext2 filesystem with label GRMLCFG on it:
+
+TIP: several filesystems provide the possibility to provide a label.
+For example FAT provides this through: 'mkfs.vfat -n GRMLCFG
+/dev/sda1' (attention: this will destroy data on /dev/sda1 of
+course!). Take a look at the documentation/manpage of the filesystem
+you want to use.
+
+Now place your configuration archive (see save-config and the other
+usage scenarios) and the script grml.sh on the floppy disk. Now you can
+boot your system without specifying any bootparameters on bootprompt
+because devices labeled with GRMLCFG are mounted readonly and used by
+default. If you did not label your device you can use the device anyway
+using 'grml myconfig=/dev/ice' on the bootprompt.
+
+Debug remote systems
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You are responsible for a customer's system in her data center. The
+system has failed and you need to debug from remote, and the remote
+hands available in the data center do not have enough knowledge to get
+grml booted and configure the network without external help?
+
+If the hard disk of the system is still available, you hopefully have
+saved a configuration file with IP address, netmask and default
+gateway somewhere on that hard disk. grml can use the information
+found on a partition. Take a look at the 'partconf' boot parameter.
+Usage example: 'grml partconf=/dev/sda2' copies files defined in
+/etc/grml/partconf from /dev/sda2 to the grml system. As /etc/network
+is predefined in /etc/grml/partconf the configuration from /dev/sda2
+will be taken.
+
+Or you use a standard grml medium and have grml read IP address,
+netmask and default gateway from another medium like a floppy or an USB
+stick. Take a look at the script saveconfig and the boot parameter
+myconfig.
+
+Or you put a grml.iso file on your hard disk (maybe in /boot/grml) or
+on an USB stick, use grub to boot from there and place debs,
+configuration scripts or grml configuraton archives alongside the .iso.
+
+Use persistent home directory
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+You want to use a persistent home directory which includes all the files
+located in $HOME. Use the script mkpersistenthome to create such a
+persistent home directory. You have the options to either use a
+specific partition as your home directory or add a loopback file
+named grml.img on the specified partition (the default).
+
+TIP: /dev/external in the partition selection of mkpersistenthome is
+an usb device without partitions. /dev/external1 corresponds to the
+first partition on an usb device (usually an usb stick).
+
+After running the script mkpersistenthome you can use the boot
+parameter home to activate the home directory. If you are using the
+option with the loopback file (grml.img) you can boot via:
+
+ grml home=scan
+
+which will scan through the partitions and if a file grml.img is found
+it will be mounted as your $HOME-directory. If you want to use a
+partition as your home directory specify the device as an option. If
+you want to use /dev/sda2 as your $HOME boot via:
+
+ grml home=/dev/sda2
+
+Notice: the files located in /etc/skel will be copied to the partition
+(but will not overwrite any files).
+
+Bugs
+~~~~
+Please report feedback, bugreports and wishes link:http://grml.org/contact/[to us]!
+
+Author
+~~~~~~
+(c) 2005++, Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>
projects / grml-autoconfig.git / commitdiff