7.3. Creating the Kickstart File

The kickstart file is a simple text file, containing a list of items, each identified by a keyword. You can create it by editing a copy of the sample.ks file found in the RH-DOCS directory of the Red Hat Linux Documentation CD, using the Kickstart Configurator application, or writing it from scratch. The Red Hat Linux installation program also creates a sample kickstart file based on the options that you selected during installation. It is written to the file /root/anaconda-ks.cfg. You should be able to edit it with any text editor or word processor that can save files as ASCII text.

First, be aware of the following issues when you are creating your kickstart file:

• Sections must be specified in order. Items within the sections do not have to be in a specific order unless otherwise specified. The section order is:

  • Command section  Refer to Section 7.4 Kickstart Options for a list of kickstart options. You must include the required options.

  • The %packages section  Refer to Section 7.5 Package Selection for details.

  • The %pre and %post sections  These two sections can be in any order and are not required. Refer to Section 7.6 Pre-installation Script and Section 7.7 Post-installation Script for details.

• Items that are not required can be omitted.

• Omitting any required item will result in the installation program prompting the user for an answer to the related item, just as the user would be prompted during a typical installation. Once the answer is given, the installation will continue unattended (unless it finds another missing item).

• Lines starting with a pound sign (#) are treated as comments and are ignored.

• For kickstart upgrades, the following items are required:

  • Language

  • Language support

  • Installation method

  • Device specification (if device is needed to perform installation)

  • Keyboard setup

  • The upgrade keyword

  • Boot loader configuration

  If any other items are specified for an upgrade, those items will be ignored (note that this includes package selection).