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Creating a RedHat DVD from CDs

Introduction

As of this writing, the current RHEL release (5) is only available on CDs, not DVD. It is possible to create a bootable DVD ISO from these CDs using Chris Kloiber's mkdvdiso.sh script.

Method 1

Script mkdvdiso.sh

Insert this in a mkdvdiso.sh file:

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#!/bin/bash

# by Chris Kloiber <ckloiber@redhat.com>

# A quick hack that will create a bootable DVD iso of a Red Hat Linux
# Distribution. Feed it either a directory containing the downloaded
# iso files of a distribution, or point it at a directory containing
# the "RedHat", "isolinux", and "images" directories.

# This version only works with "isolinux" based Red Hat Linux versions.

# Lots of disk space required to work, 3X the distribution size at least.

# GPL version 2 applies. No warranties, yadda, yadda. Have fun.


if [ $# -lt 2 ]; then
    echo "Usage: `basename $0` source /destination/DVD.iso"
    echo ""
    echo "        The 'source' can be either a directory containing a single"
    echo "        set of isos, or an exploded tree like an ftp site."
    exit 1
fi

cleanup() {
[ ${LOOP:=/tmp/loop} = "/" ] && echo "LOOP mount point = /, dying!" && exit
[ -d $LOOP ] && rm -rf $LOOP 
[ ${DVD:=~/mkrhdvd} = "/" ] && echo "DVD data location is /, dying!" && exit
[ -d $DVD ] && rm -rf $DVD 
}

cleanup
mkdir -p $LOOP
mkdir -p $DVD

if [ !`ls $1/*.iso 2>&1>/dev/null ; echo $?` ]; then
    echo "Found ISO CD images..."
    CDS=`expr 0`
    DISKS="1"

    for f in `ls $1/*.iso`; do
        mount -o loop $f $LOOP
        cp -av $LOOP/* $DVD
        if [ -f $LOOP/.discinfo ]; then
            cp -av $LOOP/.discinfo $DVD
            CDS=`expr $CDS + 1`
            if [ $CDS != 1 ] ; then
                            DISKS=`echo ${DISKS},${CDS}`
                    fi
        fi
        umount $LOOP
    done
    if [ -e $DVD/.discinfo ]; then
        awk '{ if ( NR == 4 ) { print disks } else { print ; } }' disks="$DISKS" $DVD/.discinfo > $DVD/.discinfo.new
        mv $DVD/.discinfo.new $DVD/.discinfo
    fi
else
    echo "Found FTP-like tree..."
    cp -av $1/* $DVD
    [ -e $1/.discinfo ] && cp -av $1/.discinfo $DVD
fi

rm -rf $DVD/isolinux/boot.cat
find $DVD -name TRANS.TBL | xargs rm -f

cd $DVD
mkisofs -J -R -v -T -o $2 -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table .
/usr/lib/anaconda-runtime/implantisomd5 --force $2

cleanup
echo ""
echo "Process Complete!"
echo ""

Install the anaconda-runtime

Prerequisite package and its dependencies:

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yum -y install anaconda-run || timerpm -q anaconda-runtime

Make DVD

Place the CD ISO files and mkdvdiso.sh in a directory, and run the mkdvdiso.sh script.

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chmod 755 ./mkdvdiso.sh && ./mkdvdiso.sh

The following command creates a RHEL bootable DVD ISO:

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./mkdvdiso.sh . $(pwd)/RedHat-dvd.iso

The file .discinfo should look like:

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1170972069.396645
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5
i386
1,2,3,4,5
Server/base
Server/RPMS
Server/pixmaps

Method 2

Create folders:

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mkdir /mnt/cd{1,2,3,4,5}

Mount every iso image with:

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mount -o loop cd1.iso /mnt/cd1

Copy the minimum:

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cp -a cd1/isolinux cd1/.discinfo .

Edit the .discinfo and replace 1 with:

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1,2,3,4,5

Do this for all your CDs. Then:

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mkisofs -o redhat.iso -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -R -m TRANS.TBL -x \
/mnt/cd1/.discinfo -x /mnt/cd1/isolinux -graft-points /mnt/cd1 .discinfo=.discinfo isolinux/=isolinux RedHat/=/mnt/cd2/RedHat RedHat/=/mnt/cd3/RedHat \
RedHat/=/mnt/cd4/RedHat RedHat/=/mnt/cd5/RedHat

Adapt this for your specific needs.