AlmaLinux 9 Kickstart ISO Builder

Automated bash script to build a customized AlmaLinux 9 ISO with unattended installation via Kickstart configuration.

Features

✅ Automated Download – Fetches latest AlmaLinux 9 ISO from official mirrors
✅ Customizable Installation – Integrate your Kickstart configuration
✅ Dual Boot Support – BIOS (Legacy) and UEFI boot options included
✅ Colored Output – Clear, scannable progress with color-coded logging
✅ Error Handling – Comprehensive validation and automatic cleanup on failure
✅ Dependency Checking – Verifies all required tools before execution
✅ Sudo Management – Pre-flight sudo access validation

Prerequisites

System Requirements

OS: Linux (tested on AlmaLinux, RHEL, Fedora, Ubuntu)
Storage: ~15 GB free space (ISO + working directory)
User: Sudo access (required for mount/unmount operations)

Required Tools

wget      # For downloading the ISO
rsync     # For efficient directory copying
xorriso   # For ISO image generation
sudo      # For privileged operations

Installation of Dependencies

AlmaLinux / RHEL / Fedora:

sudo dnf install -y wget rsync xorriso

Ubuntu / Debian:

sudo apt-get install -y wget rsync xorriso

Installation

Clone the repository (or download the script):

git clone https://github.com/GenXStreamer/AlmaLinuxKickstartBuilder.git
cd AlmaLinuxKickstartBuilder

Make the script executable:

chmod +x build.sh

Create your Kickstart configuration: There is a ks-example.cfg to get you going

Usage

Basic Build

./build.sh

The script will:

✓ Check for all dependencies
✓ Validate Kickstart file (ks.cfg)
✓ Download AlmaLinux 9 ISO if not present
✓ Mount the ISO and copy contents
✓ Add your Kickstart configuration
✓ Update GRUB bootloader with kickstart entry
✓ Generate a new ISO with both BIOS and UEFI boot support
✓ Output: AlmaLinux-9-latest-kickstart.iso

Expected Output

╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║                                                           ║
║        AlmaLinux 9 Kickstart ISO Builder                 ║
║                                                           ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

[ℹ] Checking sudo access...
[✓] sudo access confirmed (no password required)

[ℹ] Checking required files...
[✓] Kickstart file found: ks.cfg
[✓] ISO file found: AlmaLinux-9-latest-x86_64-dvd.iso

... (build process) ...

[✓] Kickstart ISO created successfully!

  Output:       /home/user/AlmaKickstart/tmp/../AlmaLinux-9-latest-kickstart.iso
  Size:         5.2G
  Bootable:     Yes (BIOS + UEFI)

[✓] All done!

Configuration

Script Variables

Edit these in build.sh to customize:

BASE_URL="https://mirrors.ukfast.co.uk/sites/almalinux.org/9/isos/x86_64/"
ISO="AlmaLinux-9-latest-x86_64-dvd.iso"
KS="ks.cfg"
WORKDIR="${HOME}/AlmaKickstart/tmp"
MOUNTDIR="${HOME}/AlmaKickstart/mount"
OUTPUT="AlmaLinux-9-latest-kickstart.iso"

Kickstart File

The ks.cfg file controls the unattended installation. Example configurations:

Minimal Server (no GUI):

text
network --bootproto=dhcp --activate
rootpw --plaintext password123
firewall --disabled
selinux --disabled
timezone UTC
bootloader --location=mbr
zerombr
clearpart --all --initlabel
autopart --type=lvm
%packages
@core
openssh-server
%end

Full Production Setup:

text
network --bootproto=static --ip=192.168.1.10 --netmask=255.255.255.0 --gateway=192.168.1.1 --nameserver=8.8.8.8 --activate
rootpw --plaintext rootpass123
user --name=deploy --password=deploypass --uid=1001 --groups=wheel
firewall --service=ssh
selinux --disabled
timezone UTC --utc
bootloader --location=mbr --append="rhgb quiet"
zerombr
clearpart --all --initlabel
part /boot --fstype=xfs --size=500
part / --fstype=xfs --size=10000 --grow
%packages
@core
@development
openssh-server
curl
wget
git
vim
%end
%post
echo "Post-installation tasks..."
%end

For comprehensive Kickstart documentation, see Red Hat Kickstart Documentation.

How It Works

ISO Download – Fetches the latest AlmaLinux 9 ISO from official mirrors
Mount & Copy – Mounts ISO in loop mode and copies all contents to working directory
Configuration – Embeds your ks.cfg Kickstart file into the ISO
Boot Entry – Adds a GRUB menu entry that automatically uses the Kickstart config
ISO Generation – Uses xorriso to rebuild the ISO with both BIOS and UEFI support
Cleanup – Removes temporary working directories

Booting from Kickstart ISO

USB Drive

# Linux/Mac
sudo dd if=AlmaLinux-9-latest-kickstart.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
sudo sync

# Or use Etcher: https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Virtual Machine (KVM/VMware/VirtualBox)

Simply attach the ISO as a boot device. The system will boot into the Kickstart installation menu with your custom entry available.

Physical Server (iLO/iDRAC/IPMI)

Upload the ISO through your server's remote management interface.

Troubleshooting

ISO Mount Failed

[✗] Failed to mount ISO

Solution: Ensure loop module is loaded:

sudo modprobe loop

xorriso Not Found

[✗] xorriso not found - please install it

Solution: Install xorriso package (see Prerequisites)

Permission Denied

[✗] sudo access required but not available

Solution: Configure passwordless sudo or run script as root:

sudo ./build.sh

Insufficient Disk Space

Solution: Ensure 15+ GB free space in your working directory:

df -h ${HOME}/AlmaKickstart/

Broken Grub Entry

If the kickstart boot entry doesn't appear:

Check WORKDIR/EFI/BOOT/grub.cfg exists
Verify kickstart syntax: ksvalidator ks.cfg
Manually edit the backup: GRUBCFG.orig

Project Structure

.
├── build.sh              # Main build script
├── ks.cfg               # Your Kickstart configuration
├── README.md            # This file
└── LICENSE              # MIT License

Advanced Usage

Custom Mirror

Change the BASE_URL to use a different mirror:

BASE_URL="https://mirrors.almalinux.org/almalinux/9/isos/x86_64/"

Keep Working Files

Comment out the cleanup line to inspect intermediate files:

# sudo rm -rf "$WORKDIR" "$MOUNTDIR"

Validate Kickstart

Before building, validate your configuration:

ksvalidator ks.cfg

Re-customize Existing ISO

If you only need to modify the Kickstart file:

# Edit ks.cfg
cp ks.cfg "$WORKDIR/ks.cfg"
cd "$WORKDIR"
# Rebuild ISO with xorriso command from build.sh

Performance Notes

Download: 5–15 minutes (varies by bandwidth)
ISO Build: 5–10 minutes (depends on disk speed)
Total Time: 10–25 minutes first run

Using an SSD and a good internet connection significantly speeds up the process.

Limitations

UEFI Only Systems: Script includes BIOS + UEFI boot; works on both
RHEL 8/9 Compatible: Modifications needed for other major versions
Sudo Required: Some operations require elevated privileges
Linux Only: Designed for Linux hosts (not macOS/Windows directly)

Contributing

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please open an issue or submit a pull request!

License

MIT License – see LICENSE file for details.

Related Resources

Author

Created for automated AlmaLinux deployments on infrastructure requiring unattended installation.

Questions? Open an issue on GitHub or check the Troubleshooting section above.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 8 Commits
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
build.sh		build.sh
ks-example.cfg		ks-example.cfg

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