Automate RHEL Installation with Kickstart

#version=RHEL10
lang en_US.UTF-8
keyboard us
timezone Asia/Kolkata --utc
eula --agreed

rhsm --organization=ORG_ID --activation-key=ACTIVATION_KEY_NAME

network --bootproto=static --device=08:00:27:7b:9e:bd --ip=192.168.56.156 --netmask=255.255.255.0 --gateway=192.168.56.116 --nameserver=192.168.56.116,8.8.8.8 --activate
network --bootproto=dhcp --device=eth1 --no-activate
network --hostname=vm2.lab.example

network --device=bond0 --bootproto=static --ip=192.168.56.220 --netmask=255.255.255.0 --bondslaves=eth2,eth3 --bondopts=mode=active-backup,miimon=100 --nodefroute --activate --vlanid=56 --interfacename=bond0.56
network --device=bond0.56 --bootproto=static --ip=192.168.56.221 --netmask=255.255.255.0 --nodefroute --activate

ignoredisk --drives=sdb
zerombr
clearpart --all --initlabel --drives=sda
autopart --type=lvm --nohome

authselect select sssd with-fingerprint --force
rootpw --lock
user --name=admin --groups=wheel --password=CHANGEME --plaintext
sshkey --username=admin "ssh-ed25519 AAAA...comment"

%packages --ignoremissing
@^graphical-server-environment
openssh-server
chrony
-vim-enhanced
%end

dnf group list --hidden | grep -iE 'minimal|graphical|server'

bootloader --location=mbr --append="crashkernel=auto"
firewall --enabled --ssh
selinux --enforcing
services --enabled=chronyd,sshd
firstboot --disable
reboot

%pre --log=/tmp/kickstart_pre.log
#!/bin/bash
lsblk >> /tmp/kickstart_pre.log
%end

%post --erroronfail --log=/var/log/kickstart_post.log
echo "kickstart-post-ok" > /root/ks-lab-marker.txt
%end

%addon com_redhat_kdump --enable --reserve-mb=auto
%end

/root/anaconda-ks.cfg

sudo ls -l /root/anaconda-ks.cfg

ksvalidator /var/www/html/ks/rhel10-lab.cfg

#version=RHEL10
# GoLinuxCloud lab harness — full PXE test (RHEL 10.2 vm2)
# PXE: bootif (IPAPPEND 2) + net.ifnames=0 -> eth0=lab, eth1=NAT, eth2+eth3=bond slaves
# Disk: sda 20GB LVM autopart; sdb 10GB ignored
# GUI: @^graphical-server-environment — vm2 RAM 6 GiB+ recommended

lang en_US.UTF-8
eula --agreed
keyboard us
timezone Asia/Kolkata --utc
timesource --ntp-server 0.rhel.pool.ntp.org

network --bootproto=static --device=08:00:27:7b:9e:bd --ip=192.168.56.156 --netmask=255.255.255.0 --gateway=192.168.56.116 --nameserver=192.168.56.116,8.8.8.8 --activate
network --bootproto=dhcp --device=eth1 --no-activate
network --device=bond0 --bootproto=static --ip=192.168.56.220 --netmask=255.255.255.0 --bondslaves=eth2,eth3 --bondopts=mode=active-backup,miimon=100 --nodefroute --activate --vlanid=56 --interfacename=bond0.56
network --device=bond0.56 --bootproto=static --ip=192.168.56.221 --netmask=255.255.255.0 --nodefroute --activate
network --hostname=vm2.lab.example

authselect select sssd with-fingerprint --force
rootpw CHANGEME_ROOT --plaintext
user --name=admin --groups=wheel --password=CHANGEME --plaintext
sshkey --username=admin "ssh-ed25519 AAAA...admin-key-comment"
sshkey --username=admin "ssh-ed25519 AAAA...second-key-comment"
sshkey --username=root "ssh-ed25519 AAAA...admin-key-comment"
sshkey --username=root "ssh-ed25519 AAAA...second-key-comment"

ignoredisk --drives=sdb
zerombr
clearpart --all --initlabel --drives=sda
autopart --type=lvm --nohome

bootloader --location=mbr --append="crashkernel=auto"
firewall --enabled --ssh
selinux --enforcing
services --enabled=chronyd,sshd
firstboot --disable

rhsm --organization=ORG_ID --activation-key=ACTIVATION_KEY_NAME
reboot

%packages --ignoremissing
@^graphical-server-environment
htop
vim-enhanced
tree
bind-utils
tmux
bash-completion
%end

%addon com_redhat_kdump --enable --reserve-mb=auto
%end

%pre --log=/tmp/kickstart_pre.log
#!/bin/bash
set -x
RUN_TAG="ks-lab-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
echo "RUN_TAG=${RUN_TAG}"
echo "=== %pre $(date -Is) ==="
echo "--- lsblk ---"
lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINT
for n in /sys/class/net/*; do
  name=$(basename "$n")
  [[ "$name" == "lo" ]] && continue
  mac=$(cat "$n/address")
  drv=$(basename "$(readlink -f "$n/device/driver" 2>/dev/null)" 2>/dev/null || echo "?")
  echo "NIC ${name} mac=${mac} driver=${drv}"
done
ip -br link
ip -br addr
echo "BOOTIF=${BOOTIF:-unset}"
df -Th
free -m
touch /tmp/pre-no-log-marker
echo "${RUN_TAG}" > /tmp/ks-lab-run-tag
INSTALL_DISK=sda
udevadm settle
if [[ -b /dev/${INSTALL_DISK} ]]; then
  vgchange -an 2>/dev/null || true
  dmsetup remove_all 2>/dev/null || true
  wipefs -af "/dev/${INSTALL_DISK}" || true
  for part in /dev/${INSTALL_DISK}*; do
    [[ -b "$part" ]] && wipefs -af "$part" || true
  done
  lsblk "/dev/${INSTALL_DISK}"
fi
%end

%pre-install --log=/tmp/kickstart_pre_install.log
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== %pre-install $(date -Is) ==="
df -Th
lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINT
mount | grep sysimage || true
%end

%post --erroronfail --log=/var/log/kickstart_post.log
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== %post chroot $(date -Is) ==="
df -Th
hostname -f
lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINT
ip -br addr
nmcli -t -f DEVICE,TYPE,STATE,CONNECTION device status 2>/dev/null || true
echo "kickstart-post-ok" > /root/ks-lab-marker.txt
echo "graphical-server-environment" > /root/ks-lab-environment.txt
echo "bond+bond0.56 vlan" > /root/ks-lab-network.txt
systemctl enable chronyd
systemctl enable gdm
systemctl set-default graphical.target
cat > /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/01-lab-ssh.conf << 'SSHEOF'
# Lab harness: rootpw plus sshkey for password and key login (not for production)
PermitRootLogin yes
PasswordAuthentication yes
PubkeyAuthentication yes
SSHEOF
cat > /root/ks-lab-verify.sh << 'VERIFY'
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== ks-lab verification $(date -Is) ==="
ls -la /var/log/kickstart* /var/log/pre-no-log-marker 2>/dev/null
lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINT
ip -br addr
nmcli con show 2>/dev/null | grep -E "bond|vlan|NAME" || true
ip -d link show bond0 2>/dev/null || true
cat /root/ks-lab-marker.txt /root/ks-lab-environment.txt /root/ks-lab-network.txt 2>/dev/null
cat /etc/redhat-release
VERIFY
chmod +x /root/ks-lab-verify.sh
%end

%post --nochroot --log=/mnt/sysimage/var/log/kickstart_post_nochroot.log
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== %post --nochroot $(date -Is) ==="
INSTALLER_LOGS="/tmp/anaconda.log /tmp/storage.log /tmp/packaging.log /tmp/program.log /tmp/syslog /tmp/ks-lab-run-tag"
for f in $INSTALLER_LOGS /tmp/kickstart_pre.log /tmp/kickstart_pre_install.log /tmp/pre-no-log-marker /tmp/pre-without-log-marker; do
  [[ -f "$f" ]] && cp -av "$f" /mnt/sysimage/var/log/
done
[[ -d /tmp/anaconda ]] && cp -av /tmp/anaconda /mnt/sysimage/var/log/anaconda-installer-tmp 2>/dev/null || true
df -Th
ip -br link
%end

%post --interpreter=/usr/bin/bash --log=/var/log/kickstart_bash_post.log
echo "bash interpreter %post on $(hostname -f) at $(date -Is)"
%end

%post --interpreter=/usr/libexec/platform-python --log=/var/log/kickstart_python_post.log
print("python interpreter %post at", __import__("datetime").datetime.now().isoformat())
%end

%pre
#!/bin/bash
touch /tmp/pre-without-log-marker
%end

%post --log=/var/log/kickstart_post_no_erroronfail.log
#!/bin/bash
echo "post section without --erroronfail $(date -Is)"
if [[ -f /var/log/pre-no-log-marker ]]; then echo "pre-no-log-marker copied"; fi
if [[ -f /var/log/pre-without-log-marker ]]; then echo "pre-without-log-marker copied"; fi
%end

inst.ks=http://192.168.56.116/ks/rhel10-lab.cfg inst.text ip=dhcp net.ifnames=0 inst.stage2=http://192.168.56.116/rhel10/BaseOS/x86_64/os/

ssh admin@vm2.lab.example

cat /etc/redhat-release

test -f /root/ks-lab-marker.txt && cat /root/ks-lab-marker.txt

sudo /root/ks-lab-verify.sh

systemctl get-default

sudo subscription-manager status
sudo dnf grouplist --installed

systemctl get-default
rpm -q gdm

/tmp/anaconda.log
/tmp/storage.log
/tmp/packaging.log
/tmp/pre.log
/tmp/post.log