Talk:Funtoo Profiles

Multiple systems

I have multiple machines that I maintain but I want to use a central system to manage them.

I also maintain several systems in separate partitions on some machines.

The multiple machine problem is managad by building a 'thumb' drive with complete installation scripts:

1. Boot a standard distribution disk
2. Mount the 'thumb' drive
3. Run a script from the 'thumb' drive for that machine and partition to set up the system.
   Problems:
   • Configuring the network
   • Assuring the correct partitions exist
     • Some of the partitions will be for 'foreign' systems by microsoft, apple, red hat and so on...
   • Creating/Cleaning up the file system on selected partions
     • External identification
       • Partition labels
       • UUIDs
     • Internal identification - special files in 'root', starting with 'blank'
       • ' LABEL=...'
       • ' UUID=...'
       • ' DEVICE=...' (must be verified/reset during 'boot')
   • Standard mount points and build 'fstab' entries
     • from a machine configuration file on the thumb drive
     • include an 'own root' symbolic link for consistancy of reference
     • an 'onboot' directory tree to maintain access to directories under mount points
   • Initial file population - copy selected files from the 'thumb' drive
   • 'sync' the system to current levels
4. 'chroot' to the newly installed system partition and run more scripts from the 'thumb' drive
   • incomplete at this time
5. NOTE: This process may be interupted/aborted by errors at different points and has to allow for correction/restart.

Multiple system partitions use pieces from the multiple machine solution using 'chroot'.

Help building tools

Can you guys/gals identify hook points where the above outline could make use of the profile system?

Could the profile system be extended to allow easy configuration for multiple system?

--Mtew (talk) 05:07, 31 July 2014 (UTC)