Network installing

[luchope]

Hi guys I need to install CentOs or another RH like distro in a server machine. Actually that machine has Guindous 2003 sever installed and the time has become to that cpu for running Linux kernel ...

The problem is that that cpu is in other city and i only can get acces over VNC or RDP.

Can not get prescencial access.

How could i install that distro without "loosing" the machine after rebooting ?

Thanks in advance..

[Irithori]

Does this machine have decent out-of-band management, like HP ILO2?
In particular, you would need
- remote video inkl bios
- remote keyboard
- remote media

If not, and if you really do not have physical access to that box, then I only see two options:
- remote hands
- or: let the machine be send to you, install it, send it back

[Irithori]

Note:
With a kickstart infrastructure in place, it is very well possible to reliably bootstrap a machine.

But: You didnt mention such, so you probably dont have that (yet)
Also, "reliable" is never 100%, so out-of-band management (or at least remote hands) is still an essential part of server management.

[luchope]

I know what you mean Irithori, that HP ILO is a wonderfull tool, but in this case cannot be used, its a small machine HP ML 110 without any outofband managment tool.

Only that propietary OS running.

[luchope]

Does anybody know if this article would be usable for me?


linuxforums.org/articles/install-linux-without-using-cd-rom-or-dvd-rom_361.html

Has anybody tested it?

[Irithori]

This howto requires you to type at grub level and also later on while booting.
So you cannot use it in your situation.

If the previous options:
- go there
- let someone on site do the install
- let the machine be send to you, install it, send it back
dont work for you, then I can only think of running a linux VM on top of the already existing windows server.

[arespi]

Pretty much what others have already said. Another option is if you have some kind of basic support staff at the remote site, and you could find a similar server locally, make a local installation and just send the hard disk and have it installed on the remote server.

Buena suerte.