Using any VNC viewer software, you can remotely control the installation
of openSUSE from virtually any operating system. This section
introduces the setup using a VNC viewer application or a Web browser.
Preparing for VNC Installation
All you need to do on the installation target to prepare for a VNC
installation is to provide the appropriate boot options at the initial
boot for installation (see
Section 1.4.2, Using Custom Boot Options).
The target system boots into a text-based environment and waits for a
VNC client to connect to the installation program.
The installation program announces the IP address and display number
needed to connect for installation. If you have physical access to the
target system, this information is provided right after the system
booted for installation. Enter this data when your VNC client software
prompts for it and provide your VNC password.
Because the installation target announces itself via OpenSLP, you can
retrieve the address information of the installation target via an SLP
browser without the need for any physical contact to the installation
itself provided your network setup and all machines support OpenSLP:
-
Start the KDE file and Web browser Konqueror.
-
Enter service://yast.installation.suse in the
location bar. The target system then appears as an icon in the
Konqueror screen. Clicking this icon launches the KDE VNC viewer in
which to perform the installation. Alternatively, run your VNC viewer
software with the IP address provided and add :1
at the end of the IP address for the display the installation is
running on.
Connecting to the Installation Program
Basically, there are two ways to connect to a VNC server (the
installation target in this case). You can either start an independent
VNC viewer application on any operating system or connect using a
Java-enabled Web browser.
Using VNC, you can control the installation of a Linux system from any
other operating system, including other Linux flavors, Windows, or Mac
OS.
On a Linux machine, make sure that the package
tightvnc is installed. On a Windows machine,
install the Windows port of this application, which can be obtained at
the TightVNC home page
(https://www.tightvnc.com/download.html).
To connect to the installation program running on the target machine,
proceed as follows:
-
Start the VNC viewer.
-
Enter the IP address and display number of the installation target as
provided by the SLP browser or the installation program itself:
ip_address:display_number
A window opens on your desktop displaying the YaST screens as in a
normal local installation.
Using a Web browser to connect to the installation program makes you
totally independent of any VNC software or the underlying operating
system. As long as the browser application has Java support enabled,
you can use any browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Konqueror, Opera,
etc.) to perform the installation of your Linux system.
To perform a VNC installation, proceed as follows:
-
Launch your preferred Web browser.
-
Enter the following at the address prompt:
https://ip_address_of_target:5801
-
Enter your VNC password when prompted to do so. The browser window
now displays the YaST screens as in a normal local installation.
