Newsgroups: linux.redhat.install
Date: 2002-10-20 18:43:13 PST

>Is there an easy way, besides invoking the install process and writing
>them down, to discover exactly what packages are associated with the
>install type "laptop", "desktop", "server", etc?
>this is for Red Hat 8.0.

You can find this information in the /RedHat/base/comps.xml file on CD #1. It's a little harder to eyeball than the older format, but you should be able to parse it without too much trouble.

If you want to create a custom installation, you can install the redhat-config-kickstart package and use that program to make an anaconda script (to be used on a boot floppy or by an NFS server, for instance) that will perform the desired installation. If you need to add packages to that list you can add them to the %packages section after the groups you've selected. If you're unsure if the packages you're adding manually are going to work, you can try doing "rpm -qp —requires <file.rpm>" to see if you can resolve them.

I find that a good way of doing this is to get a box completely set up the way I like, with all the packages I want installed (you should keep to only packages contained on the CD's or install tree). Then go to a prompt and do:

rpm -qa --queryformat='%{NAME}\n' > /tmp/package-list

The contents of that package-list file can be substituted for the %packages part of the anaconda script and the dependencies should all work, since you were able to install them in the first place. You will find additional information about anaconda and Kickstart in the Red Hat Reference Guide in Part II, Chapters 6 and 7. Good luck and have fun.

Paul W. Frields, RHCE