Offline "fog"

[Foglalt]

Hello!

Is there a method I can use to use the image we have in daily usage to image few computers in a far site where building a fog environment is not an option in short time? I mean I have the populated /image dir with images, i have the database in fog about the images and can have a relatively easy method to use them to image those far computers (ofc image transition is possible, like on a usb disk or something)

[george1421]

If I understand what you are asking…??
Possibly you need a mobile FOG deployment server. This is where you would install FOG on a laptop and then take FOG to a remote location and plug it into the local network.

If this is what you are asking, there are a few things you need to do to the FOG server.

1. Install DNSMASQ on the Linux OS, and configure it for FOG. This dnsmasq will automatically provide the pxe boot information for any subnet where the FOG server is connected. You do not need to change the local infrastructure for FOG to work if DNSMASQ is used.
2. There is a script written by another MOD that makes the hard coded bits of FOG a bit more dynamic. In that traditionally FOG doesn’t like its IP address changed after FOG is installed. This script will dynamically change the hard coded bits to make FOG more dynamic and a mobile deployment server possible.

[Foglalt]

Well, if no other way is possible i would have to do this way, but it is the worst case for me (location is far, isolated, time is short as always, etc). Actually i was wondering if i can use something like live clonezilla or so, putting fog created image files under its reach and use it somehow. That is a lot less problematic atm as i dont have to be there to oevrsee it etc.

[george1421]

@foglalt Clonezilla is going to be your best chance then. You will have to recapture your image with clonezilla. While both tools (FOG and Clonezilla use partclone to grab the disk image, FOG uses ZSTD compression which is not compatible with Clonezilla). The quickest way is to just deploy your image to a target computer (but don’t let it reboot after image deployment) then turn around and capture with clonezilla.

[Foglalt]

@george1421 Yes, seems like it. But worth a question and a few googling thx anyway (still open for other solution, if anyone reads this topic later)

[Foglalt]

As time goes, time to time i turn back to my previous things for refreshing memories, getting new ideas, whatever. So it happened to this topic.

I am again thinking about fully offline cases. We here discussed that zstd compression is not compatible with clonezilla so i have to recapture image to use tools like clonezilla which uses same image taking tool. But… as now i have read, clonezilla now capable using zstd compression (er… whatever it means exactly btw).

Let me ask if it is still true or not to use already taken images (by for) deploy from a live clonezilla-like tool without recapturing? Anyone tested maybe?