Network Install

[joeg1484]

Hey all,

I have a group of users who will be migrating off Windows XP to Mint 9. They saw my laptop and every one of them wanted to use the same software.

All the other laptops are the same and there are 22 of them. What I want to do is this:

1. Create one laptop install with Mint 9 with multiple partitions.
2. Install all our office applications, VPN, screen gadgets, and what not.
3. Image the install and copy it to a server.
4. Boot each machine from the network and be able to install the image to their laptop.
5. Have them log in and work.

I did some searching on the web and there is some information on setting up bootp and doing a network install, but they all assume a fresh install with no additional software installed. I would like to bring down a fully functional image to laptops with the same hardware.

Is there any documentation you can point me to on how to set this all up; some kind of step-by-step process or wiki would be nice.

Thanks!

Joe

[joeg1484]

Anyone have any ideas here? Surely there are solutions for this.

Thanks!

Joe

[beefstu]

Not sure how to do it via network but you could use apt-on cd (installed by default in mint) to install the software to each laptop, or remastersys which you should be able to install mint once, customise it and burn it to cd (probably would have to be DVD) and install exactly the same software etc on the other laptops.

[vincent]

I haven't had any experience with installing linux via a network, but I'm pretty sure it's possible. A quick Google search got me this: http://polishlinux.org/installation/ins ... -cd-drive/

I'd advise you to do some more reading on network installs before going forward with it. Beefstu's method is probably more reliable if you've never done a network install before though, but you may not appreciate the hassle of installing a customized Live CD 22 times on 22 separate computers.