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Installing Redhat 6 Server without a dvd drive

Anyone got any suggestions on how to do this.

I currently have a HP Server DL580, with a cd rom drive

I don't have an an external drive.
I have fedora core 14 installed on it (although so far have failed to get the internet to work on the server - but that is a separate issue and probably not worth fixing if I am going to change OS)
I have downloaded the dvd, copied the iso to fedora - using a USB pen
Mounted the dvd within fedora - but it seems it needs to run on boot

Anyone have any suggestions - ideally where I can get Redhat 6 enterprise server on cd. But it there is a simple work around I'd be greatful too.

Thanks
There is no intelligent life out there ... ask any goldfish!

Comments

  • Mr_Oink
    Mr_Oink Posts: 1,012 Forumite
    The sarcastic answer would be "Buy it from Redhat: http://www.redhat.com/rhel/purchasing_guide.html" ....
    With regards to no drive and unable to boot natively from a USB 'stick', the options that jump out to me would be do a network install (that would probably still require something running on the server to allow it) or - my personal choice... connect a DVD drive to the server as a temporary measure, and install as normal.

    Perhaps I'm missing something?
  • gaming_guy
    gaming_guy Posts: 6,128 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 1 June 2012 pm30 1:33PM
    ....................
  • Horlock
    Horlock Posts: 1,027 Forumite
    Mr_Oink wrote: »
    The sarcastic answer would be "Buy it from Redhat: http://www.redhat.com/rhel/purchasing_guide.html" ....


    Perhaps I'm missing something?

    Sadly Redhat 6 it isn't available to buy yet - it is still at beta 2 testing stage.

    Sadly the dvd option wont work either because the server wont take ide drives and I don't have a scsi dvd rom.
    There is no intelligent life out there ... ask any goldfish!
  • Mr_Oink
    Mr_Oink Posts: 1,012 Forumite
    Horlock wrote: »
    Sadly Redhat 6 it isn't available to buy yet - it is still at beta 2 testing stage.
    That's what I thought, so why request it?
    Horlock wrote: »
    Sadly the dvd option wont work either because the server wont take ide drives and I don't have a scsi dvd rom.
    Then either pick up a SCSI rom drive or pop in an IDE/SATA board into a PCI slot - surely with the lid off it has one of those, no? If not, out of curiosity, what motherboard does this server have in it?
  • Horlock
    Horlock Posts: 1,027 Forumite
    gaming_guy wrote: »
    you could use something like a virtualbox VM (running debian/fedora/RHEL) to set up the PXE server for network booting on another computer.
    Ouch - that doesn't sound easy to a rooky
    gaming_guy wrote: »
    Yep, there is that way of doing it, but you could also do it by using unetbootin to put the RHEL installer onto a flash drive and install it that way. The flash drive method will only work if the server's bios supports it though.
    This sounds like a good idea - definately worth a go - no idea if it it'll work. Will keep you posted.

    Thanks by the way.

    James
    There is no intelligent life out there ... ask any goldfish!
  • Horlock
    Horlock Posts: 1,027 Forumite
    Mr_Oink wrote: »
    That's what I thought, so why request it?
    Sorry - I don't understand - I'm not requesting the software - it is a free download direct from redhat - the problem is it is a dvd iso only.
    Then either pick up a SCSI rom drive or pop in an IDE/SATA board into a PCI slot - surely with the lid off it has one of those, no? If not, out of curiosity, what motherboard does this server have in it?
    There are plenty of pci slots - although I don't have either of the suggested hardware.
    There is no intelligent life out there ... ask any goldfish!
  • Mr_Oink
    Mr_Oink Posts: 1,012 Forumite
    Have you asked Red Hat if they could make a special set of CD ISO's available for you free, or lend you a SCSI DVD Rom drive?
    Horlock wrote: »
    There are plenty of pci slots - although I don't have either of the suggested hardware.
    Then you have some challenges ahead of you if you are working with such a restricted enterprise class server, with little knowledge and no tools.

    The UNetbootin is an option, but you appear to have indicated in your initial post that there is an issue booting from a USB drive.

    You may find asking at: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/gets you a better suggestion for your situation.
  • Horlock
    Horlock Posts: 1,027 Forumite
    Have just tried the UNetbootin option. Sadly no joy. The server will indeed not boot from the usb. (I checked and my PC was quite happy to install it - so I know UNetbootin worked successfully.

    I may try linuxquestions - or may resort to an different linux distribution like centos5.5
    There is no intelligent life out there ... ask any goldfish!
  • prowla
    prowla Posts: 13,716 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Can you boot from another (CD-based) distribution and then run the ISO image?
  • kabayiri
    kabayiri Posts: 22,740 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    http://www.stanford.edu/~alfw/PXE-Kickstart/PXE-Kickstart.html
    Network boot and install of redhat.

    It's a bit of an old article, but it seems sound enough (I'm not a redhat person).

    Alternatively, download CentOS and burn to cd?
This discussion has been closed.
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