I have these constraints:
1. For testing, I have a local Ethernet network with one Windows 2000 Pro box, one Mac OS X G4 box, and the Fedora installation target, a Dell Dimension 4100.
2. Only the Win2000 box has a direct Internet connection, which is via two-way satellite. This is the only kind of Internet connection available in my geographic area (rural Colorado), other than voice modem that connects at 9600 to 19200 baud (on a good day).
3. Satellite Internet connections limit downloads to about 150 Mb in any 8-hour period. Exceeding that limit reduces the bandwidth to less than voice modem speed for the next eight hours or so. The net result is that it is nearly impossible to download a CD-ROM ISO image.
4. Neither the Win2000 box nor the Dell box has a CD writer.
5. I have a set of Red Hat 9.0 CD-ROMs from early 2003.
I would like to use the following scenario for my tests:
1. The Win2000 box will have a directory named "Fedora" that contains the subdirectories "base" and "RPMS". Those subdirectories will contain whatever is necessary from the similarly named directories in the Fedora distribution web site. With each new Fedora release, I'll update the packages I need from a Fedora distribution mirror.
2. This local "mirror" will also contain RPM packages from other sources.
3. The Win2000 box will run Apache to serve the files in the "mirror".
4. The Win2000 box will run a DHCP server to assign a static IP address to the Dell box during Fedora installation.
5. I will use an installation boot diskette to begin the installation.
6. I would like to have all the various Kickstart configuration files on the Win2000 box and have the installer access them via HTTP/Apache.
I need help with the following items:
1. I have an installation boot diskette image file from Red Hat 9. Is there such an image file specifically for Fedora?
2. What are the files in the "Fedora/base" subdirectory? I understand "comps.xml" and have a tool on the Mac OS X box that can generate it and a Kickstart configuration file after "interviewing" the user to determine the packages that the user is likely to need. I do not understand the "hdlist", "hdlist2", "hdstg2.img", "netstg2.img", or "stage2.img" files, their roles in installation, and how to create them.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Gary Ford Plaid Flannel Software
