The GUI project - One CD boots them all*

An overview

The goal of the Grand Unified Installer project, is to create one CD, which can help install Linux/Windows on a single hard disk, and also function as a rescue disk for these operating systems. In addition, this CD can also be used to backup the harddisk to tape, and restore the hard disk from the tape. The starting point is a very useful utility called ISOLINUX, which functions as a boot loader for CD based Operating Systems. Obviously, we need to be able to boot into Linux, Windows (Recovery Console) and DOS (to install Windows/troubleshoot Win9x). Backing up a hard disk, entails copying the harddisk to tape.

Requirements

This CD should be able to boot into many operating systems. As we keep upgrading our software/os distribution, we dont want to keep changing the CD. So the installation images, should be Network Aware. Once this is accomplished, any software/os upgradation can be done on the network. This network share can be used to upgrade software installs on existing machines. Also, any new machines will automatically get the latest version of the software. Since we also want this to be a rescue CD, it should have minimal versions of the operating systems, together with a whole lot of utilities. Since it is going to be network aware it can use more utilities by mounting a network file system.

Various images on the CD

The CD contains many different images to choose from. Some drop you into a shell on the appropriate OS (linux,DOS,Windows). Others install an OS, backup/restore the current system... Since most of these scripts are on the network (web server to be more precise), they can be modified whenever we want. For the current set of images click here.

The pieces of the puzzle

What the different scripts actually do

A typical use of the CD

Future plans

*Title inspired by GUT and LOTR.
Murali krishnan GANAPATHY
Last modified: Fri Feb 6 12:19:45 CST 2004