OMV fresh install remotely on a headless server?

    Hello all.


    I have a complicated scenario in which I do not have physical access to a headless x86-64 server running OMV5 that I need to upgrade to OMV6 as the support has ended. The server is 1.000km away from where I live and I only come 1 or 2 times a year, and my parents are the less tech-savvy people one could imagine.


    Firstly, I tried to omv-release upgrade remotely from SSH, but ended with lots of errors and an unusable system as posted in this thread, so I had to revert to the latest backup via systemrescue and fsarchiver. System was running fine until last weeks, when it seems to fail the autoshutdown/wakealarm jobs, does not answer to wol packets unless completely turned off manually and needs to be rebooted manually as SSH does not work when hung.


    So it is time to make the upgrade, and this time it will be a fresh install to avoid headaches.


    Now I need to ask the following:


    Is it possible to grab a USB pendrive, connect it in another machine (also a x86-64 one), burn the latest iso image following these instructions (I could do all these steps remotely via RustDesk for example), connect it back to the headless server and continue the installation process remotely via SSH? With the root/boot USB disk connected to the server in order to deploy the OS system to it. My parents could not make any interaction as they will not have any display attached to it.


    Thanks in advance.

    omv 5.5.23-1 usul arm64

    omv 5.5.23-1 usul x64


    Zitat von jfromeo

    Is it possible to grab a USB pendrive, connect it in another machine (also a x86-64 one), burn the latest iso image following these instructions (I could do all these steps remotely via RustDesk for example), connect it back to the headless server and continue the installation process remotely via SSH? With the root/boot USB disk connected to the server in order to deploy the OS system to it. My parents could not make any interaction as they will not have any display attached to it.

    I don't think so.


    I have done remote installs but this requires specialized hardware where the remote server is IPMI booted over the network and installing from a local copy of the omv iso file.

    --
    Google is your friend and Bob's your uncle!


    OMV AMD64 7.x on headless Chenbro NR12000 1U 1x 8m Quad Core E3-1220 3.1GHz 32GB ECC RAM.

    Danke 1
    Zitat von gderf

    I don't think so.


    I have done remote installs but this requires specialized hardware where the remote server is IPMI booted over the network and installing from a local copy of the omv iso file.

    Thank you.


    I will buy the AsRock Rack Paul! IPMI card to get the IPMI functionalities for these cases. It is a niche product but I regret not buying a server IPMI board for this server.


    So, with a USB 2.0 header cable to motherboard (for KVM), front IO connections bridge (PWR button/Reset Button for remote powering and resetting) and a RJ-45 cable connected to my router I guess would be enough. Please, correct me if I am wrong.


    Thanks in advance.

    omv 5.5.23-1 usul arm64

    omv 5.5.23-1 usul x64


    I can't say whether this card will work or not, sorry.

    --
    Google is your friend and Bob's your uncle!


    OMV AMD64 7.x on headless Chenbro NR12000 1U 1x 8m Quad Core E3-1220 3.1GHz 32GB ECC RAM.

    jfromeo A modified iso along these lines would get you a remote instal over ssh:


    GitHub - philpagel/debian-headless: Create a debian headless/remote installation image
    Create a debian headless/remote installation image - GitHub - philpagel/debian-headless: Create a debian headless/remote installation image
    github.com


    Once debian is installed you can install OMV on top of debian.


    Is the remote system using legacy BIOS boot or UEFI? There are some old but still working scripts for modifying debian net install iso on the web. And some debian wiki refs on the subject. The basic idea is to unpack the debian net iso, alter/add a preseed.cfg file and then repack the iso.



    Some Refs:


    RepackBootableISO - Debian Wiki

    DebianInstaller/Preseed/EditIso - Debian Wiki

    Externer Inhalt gist.github.com
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    mkisofs: Repackaging a Linux Install ISO - Benjamin Cane

    As an alternative I wonder if you could install OMV6 on a usb locally, but create a one-off instantiated systemd service that would effectively reconfigure the network on first boot at the remote site?


    Another idea might be to use a sytemrescue cd with modified GRUB boot params to auto start sshd, vnc and a graphical environment, use this to chroot into old system and attempt fixes or use debootstrap to create a new install on your target.


    Otherwise, maybe PXE or modern iPXE via netboot.xyz might provide a way to do an automated remote install.

    Zitat von gderf

    I don't think so.


    I have done remote installs but this requires specialized hardware where the remote server is IPMI booted over the network and installing from a local copy of the omv iso file.

    Would you share how did you do it?
    I'm trying to install OMV from PXE remotely. I get the installer start but can't get the installation media be seen from the installer.

    Thanks in advance.

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