examples of kickstart files for CentOS 5.3

Question

I want to install CentOS as a server os using kickstart. I know normally you can install a system and get a copy of the kickstart file with the installation options you selected at install time. I'm totally blind though so the install is inaccessible. I'm looking for a basic kickstart file I can use as a template to automate the install of CentOS. The more minimal the install the better, I'd like to start out with a system that has SSH access and not much else. I'd rather add packages as I need them then try and remove everything I don't need.

Answer 1

Here's a very minimal one for CentOS 5.2 - it should be close enough for your requirements:

text
install 
url --url http://.../CentOS/5.2/os/x86_64

lang en_GB.UTF-8
keyboard uk

rootpw --iscrypted $1$......    # change this
firewall --enabled --port=22:tcp
authconfig --enableshadow --enablemd5
selinux --disabled
timezone --utc Europe/London
bootloader --location=mbr --driveorder=sda

clearpart --all --drives=cciss/c0d0 --initlabel
part /boot --fstype ext3 --size=100 --ondisk=cciss/c0d0 --asprimary
part pv.1 --size 1 --grow --ondisk=cciss/c0d0 --asprimary
volgroup VolGroup00 pv.1
logvol / --fstype ext3 --name=LogVol00 --vgname=VolGroup00 --size=8192
logvol swap --fstype swap --name=LogVol01 --vgname=VolGroup00 --recommended
logvol /var --fstype ext3 --name=LogVol02 --vgname=VolGroup00 --size=1 --grow 

reboot

%packages
-bluez-utils

%post
/usr/bin/yum -y update >> /root/post_install.log 2>&1
/sbin/chkconfig --del bluetooth
/sbin/chkconfig --del cups

I use this at work for completely unattended installations on an HP pSeries Blade server. You'll need to change the cciss/c0d0 style labels to match your SCSI controller.

Answer 2

I point you again at the one I posted a few days ago for you: http://www.allgoodbits.com/files/default-c5.3-small-ks.cfg

You'll likely want to do s/hda/sda/g if you have a single disk that is sata.

If you're installing not from an optical drive but from a network you'll need to change that line, but this should be a good working minimal example. And once it's installed, yum grouplist and yum groupinfo will be easy ways to get big chunks of software installed to turn it into a desktop if that's what you're looking for.