syncing with latest cobbler.github.io posts

Author: sus-admin

_posts/2024-12-02-Cobbler-v3.3.7-Debian-Deployment-Guide.md

@@ -22,19 +22,15 @@ Starting where the [Beginner's guide](/blog/2024/Cobbler-v3.3.6-Beginners-Guide/
 
 - Along the same lines as the [Beginner's guide](/blog/2024/Cobbler-v3.3.6-Beginners-Guide/) I prefer to locally host/mirror the base OS repo to alleviate public internet availability and bandwidth dependencies during network installations.
 
-- using the `cobbler check` CLI command, the output recommends installing the **debmirror** package in order to manage Debian deployments and repos with Cobbler. Instead, we will simply import the Debian source installation media (.iso file) and use that as the local repo mirror to install over the network, similarly to the [Beginner's guide](/blog/2024/Cobbler-v3.3.6-Beginners-Guide/).
+- This guide details 2 distinct approaches to deploying Debian with Cobbler
 
-    - This method is not the Cobbler official method, and Debian actually [recommends](https://www.debian.org/mirror/ftpmirror) using something like "apt-cacher-ng" or "squid proxy"
+    - The first method is *my* preferred approach since it's more similar to the [Beginner's guide](/blog/2024/Cobbler-v3.3.6-Beginners-Guide/) and generally has less requirements.
 
-    - The Main Debian repo for the latest release of Debian is about 100 GB at the time of writing, which is why this is *my* preferred method over using **debmirror**, as it only requires the data from a single Debian installer DVD (.iso file)
+        - This method does require a fairly complicated fix to a bug in the `debian-installer` source code, caused by the **unsigned** repo mirror (imported from the CD/DVD/ISO installation media) failing security verification (more info in the **Tips & Troubleshooting** section below).
 
-        - For completeness however, the **debmirror** method will be detailed towards the bottom of this guide, in the **Mirroring with debmirror** section.
+    - For completeness, the Cobbler-recommended method of using `debmirror` (seen in the output of the `cobbler check` CLI command) will be detailed towards the bottom of this guide, in the **Mirroring with debmirror** section.
 
-- This guide provides a workaround to an issue that is encountered when installing Debian 11 & 12 over the network from an **unsigned or self-signed repo** where the PXE client (`debian-installer`) does not trust the installation source *(Since Debian developers DO NOT sign the software/repos packaged into official CD/DVD/ISO releases: [https://wiki.debian.org/SecureApt](https://wiki.debian.org/SecureApt) )*.
-
-    - This appears to be a bug in the `debian-installer` (`d-i`); more info provided in the **Tips & Troubleshooting** section below.
-
-    - This issue should not arise when mirroring an official Debian mirror using the **debmirror** method, as recommended by Cobbler
+        - Debian actually [recommends](https://www.debian.org/mirror/ftpmirror) using something like "apt-cacher-ng" or "squid proxy"
 
 ## Cobbler Server Prep
 
@@ -273,6 +269,8 @@ Now the **PXE Client** should be able to boot from a generic/random MAC address
 
     - A bug has been filed with the Debian Bug Tracking System for this.
 
+    - Debian developers do NOT sign the software/repos packaged into official CD/DVD/ISO releases: [https://wiki.debian.org/SecureApt](https://wiki.debian.org/SecureApt)
+
 1. References
 
     - [https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=157991](https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=157991)
@@ -328,4 +326,3 @@ Now the **PXE Client** should be able to boot from a generic/random MAC address
             - [https://debian-handbook.info/browse/wheezy/sect.package-authentication.html](https://debian-handbook.info/browse/wheezy/sect.package-authentication.html)
         - [https://serverfault.com/questions/337278/debian-how-can-i-securely-get-debian-archive-keyring-so-that-i-can-do-an-apt-g](https://serverfault.com/questions/337278/debian-how-can-i-securely-get-debian-archive-keyring-so-that-i-can-do-an-apt-g)
         - [https://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-2217665.html](https://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-2217665.html)
-

_posts/2025-04-14-Cobbler-v3.3.7-Windows-Deployment-Guide.md

@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ cobbler system add --name Win10 --profile Win10-x86_64 --mac-address "aa:bb:cc:d
 cobbler sync
 ```
 
-The **PXE Client** VM can now be powered on, and should automatically boot to PXE and install Windows 10 to the VM HDD using the "autounattended.xml" answerfile template.
+The **PXE Client** VM can now be powered on, and should automatically boot to PXE and install Windows 10 to the VM HDD using the "autounattended.xml" answerfile.
 
 - See the Tips & Troubleshooting section below for a fix for an issue encountered on the PXE client during the start-net.cmd script on both VirualBox and VMWare VMs
 
@@ -198,13 +198,13 @@ The **PXE Client** VM can now be powered on, and should automatically boot to PX
 
             - By default, the autoinstall file (post-install script) `/var/lib/cobbler/templates/win.ks` has no effect. 
 
-    - The `autoinstall-meta` parameters *(used to specify the boot files and how to download them, answerfile and post_install templates if performing unattended install, as well as set firmware/partitioning mode)* can be configured at the `cobbler system` (or `profile`) level and given unique names to generate different files for use by diffrent profiles or systems, but neither the `answerfile.template` or `post_inst_cmd.template` files are system-level aware, they only consist of **profile-level** settings.
+    - The `autoinstall-meta` parameters *(used to specify the boot files and how to download them, answerfile and post_install templates for unattended installations, as well as set firmware/partitioning mode)* can be configured at the `cobbler system` (or `profile`) level and given unique names to generate different files for use by diffrent profiles or systems, but neither the `answerfile.template` or `post_inst_cmd.template` files are system-level aware, they only consist of **profile-level** settings.
 
-    - Windows is limited in the [ways to provide an Answerfile](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/windows-setup-automation-overview#implicit-answer-file-search-order), it cannot be specified in boot/kernel parameters like many linux distros
+        - Only MAC address and other DHCP-related options will be used for *Windows* `cobbler system` items, in addition to the above `autoinstall-meta` parameters, which have limited functionality for Systems.
 
-    - Only  MAC address and other DHCP-related options are used from *Windows* `cobbler system` items (as well as `autoinstall-meta` parameters mentioned above, which have limited functionality for Systems).
+    - Windows is limited in the [ways to provide an Answerfile](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/windows-setup-automation-overview#implicit-answer-file-search-order), it cannot be specified in boot/kernel parameters like many linux distros
 
-    - This is all only *default* behavior in cobbler, and it would be possible to program additional logic into the `startnet.cmd` or `post_install.cmd` to, for instance, retrieve a diffent answerfile or post-install script based on the hostname (configuratble through DHCP) or MAC address, for instance, but that would come with additional limitations and requirements beyond the scope of this guide.
+    - This is all only *default* behavior in cobbler, and it would be possible to program additional logic into the `startnet.cmd` or `post_install.cmd` scripts, for instance, to retrieve a diffent answerfile or post-install script based on the hostname (configurable through DHCP) or MAC address. However, that would come with additional limitations and requirements beyond the scope of this guide.
 
 1. **VirtualBox Issues**