Cobbler is a Linux installation server that allows you to automate the installation of Linux operating systems across multiple machines. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Cobbler on Ubuntu Server Latest.
Before installing Cobbler, update your Ubuntu Server Latest system to ensure that you have the latest security patches and software updates installed.
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y
Cobbler packages are included in the official Ubuntu repositories, and you can easily install it using the following command:
sudo apt-get install cobbler -y
After installing Cobbler, you need to configure it by editing the /etc/cobbler/settings file.
sudo nano /etc/cobbler/settings
In the settings file, you need to modify the following settings:
default_password_crypted: "..."
server: "..."
next_server: "..."
default_password_crypted is the password that Cobbler will use to access the installation files. You need to enter a password for this field. You can generate a crypted password using the following command:
openssl passwd -1
server is the IP address or FQDN of the Cobbler server.
next_server is the IP address or FQDN of the next server in the chain. If you do not have another server, you can leave this field as it is.
Save and close the file.
Cobbler uses DHCP to assign network settings to the machines during the installation process. To configure Cobbler DHCP, edit the /etc/cobbler/dhcp.template file.
sudo nano /etc/cobbler/dhcp.template
Modify the file with the following settings:
subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
option routers 192.168.1.1;
option domain-name-servers 192.168.1.1;
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
range dynamic-bootp 192.168.1.100 192.168.1.255;
default-lease-time 21600;
max-lease-time 43200;
next-server $next_server;
class "pxeclients" {
match if substring(option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 9) = "PXEClient";
if option pxe-system-type = 00:02 {
filename "ia64/elilo.efi";
} else if option pxe-system-type = 00:06 {
filename "grub/grub-x86.efi";
} else if option pxe-system-type = 00:07 {
filename "grub/grub-x86_64.efi";
} else {
filename "pxelinux.0";
}
}
}
Save and close the file.
Now that you've configured Cobbler, you need to sync Cobbler and restart its services.
sudo cobbler sync
sudo service apache2 restart
sudo service cobbler restart
If your Ubuntu Server Latest system is using the firewalld firewall, you need to allow HTTP and DHCP services.
sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=http --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=dhcp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
To test Cobbler, you need a network bootable machine. Power on the machine and set it to boot from the network. The machine should automatically boot into the Cobbler installation menu.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed and configured Cobbler on your Ubuntu Server Latest system. You can now use Cobbler to install Linux operating systems across multiple machines.
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