Remote access partition and install Linux. With a Near Zero skilled operator at the remote site.

[djgoku]

On Jan 23, 2008 6:20 AM, Oren Beck <orenbeck at gmail.com> wrote:
> The reasons for this situation are several at more than one location.
>
> The overview is to remotely install Linux on computers owned by non tool
> users, zero skills presumed of them.
>
> What I am seeking is several methods for making the process just plain work.
> Initial customer is my mother in Berkeley, and her social groups may join
> in.
> The minimal cold start scene will be a Knoppix or Damn small tested computer
> and net connection.
> The defined factors are: DSL or cable modem set up as DHCP. Hardware approx
> 2000 or newer.
> Working OS of XP or  installed Knoppix or both.in most cases.  Very Few
> sites with no OS.
> Internal HD swaps are a non starter as most of these folks are non tool
> using mundanes.
> The rest of the story is they almost all are politically or socially
> desiring to use Linux.by choice!
> With a few skeptics that "want to be shown"-more about the net than Linux as
> they still use TYPEWRITERS!
> And they often have little to no computer skills to unlearn.
> Short of my doing some major frequent flier miles tripping,KCLUG may be
> their salvation.

LiveCD needs:
   Base system
   SSH Client
   OpenSSHD

I would create individual public/private key pairs for each install.
Once the CD is booted it will ask the user to insert CD/Thumb
drive/floppy with the needed certs, the certs will be copied to
~/.ssh/authorized_keys on localhost so we can remote back. After this
it will setup a SSH reverse tunnel:

   ssh -R 1100:localhost:22 user at remote.com

This sets up a tunnel on the remote host on port 1100 that will
forward to the local SSHD on port 22.

So we are now able to remote install.

Jonathan