fresh install over ssh

[Patrick Asselman]

On 2013-04-25 13:06, Avi Greenbury wrote:
> Patrick Asselman wrote:
>> So I found this guide to install Ubuntu via ssh:
>> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/OverSSH
>>
>> What I don't grasp is: at what point does the system know to boot
>> the new system instead of the currently running system? I would
>> expect an edit in /etc/fstab or some LILO or GRUB configuration
>> editing, but all I see is stuff that is done in the new /mnt/ubuntu
>> chroot environment, and then a reboot. Doesn't the reboot simply
>> bring the old system back up, without touching the newly created
>> chroot environment?
>
> Yes; the assumption is that you've booted into an environment other
> than the OS running on the server ("I assume that your provider
> provides you with a rescue system from which you can boot and prepare
> your system"); you then mount the root volume of your server (the
> guide assumes you only have one volume) and work in a chroot there.
>
> The grub reconfiguration is triggered by the installation of a new
> kernel; whenever you install a new kernel it will be set to the
> default in grub.
>
>> Or does anyone have a better idea on how to get a 64 bit Ubuntu on
>> the server from a remote location?
>
> Do you have the 'rescue' environment that the above guide assumes?
> Without that you're a bit stuck, short of getting a KVM on there and
> booting from an installer CD.
>
> If you do have a rescue environment but don't need any of the current
> system I'd use debootstrap, if you do then that chroot's the best
> means I can think of.
>
> --
> Avi

Ah okay that explains a lot, thank you Avi.

There is no rescue environment yet. The box has an ILO but as far as i 
know that does not give you a full linux shell environment. There is 
also an unused disk, so I thought of using that. So now the general idea 
is to use debootstrap to install a chroot environment on the new disk 
first, then reboot into that, and repeat the process on the original 
boot partition to get the 64 bit stuff on there. (The extra disk is 
meant to be a swap disk eventually). Are there any things to watch out 
for (especially Grub-related things?)

It sounds like I should probably test this on a VM at home first, to 
get a bit more comfortable with the whole procedure. Especially Grub is 
something i'm not familiar with at all, but I'm glad it does not sound 
impossible :-)

Best regards,
Patrick Asselman