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AIMS OS

Lab deployment

This page gives the broad picture of how an AIMS lab deploys and administers its fixed machines with AIMS OS. Addresses, server names, detailed procedures and access details live in the IT team’s internal runbook (private repository), not here.

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

One campus server hosts four services, each in its own container:

  • FOG: network boot (PXE), AIMS OS installation without a USB stick, capture of a golden machine and cloning of a whole room (multicast). FOG never does DHCP: the campus firewall stays the only DHCP server.
  • APT cache: a machine downloads a Debian package once, the next ones get it from the LAN. Machines detect it automatically and work without it off campus.
  • FreeIPA directory: student and teacher accounts, passwords, groups, and machine access rules.
  • Remote access for the IT team, behind an upstream authentication; nothing is exposed directly to the Internet.

Preparing a machine

Section titled “Preparing a machine”

Machines must boot in UEFI only (legacy boot off, Secure Boot off, network card first in the boot order). Per-model details are in the internal runbook.

Installing and cloning

Section titled “Installing and cloning”
  1. The machine boots from the network and shows the FOG menu; one entry starts the AIMS OS installer (current ISO served by the server).
  2. The golden machine then gets the aims-os-centre-senegal-labo package (key-only SSH for the IT team, never suspends, clock in sync) and is captured in FOG.
  3. Every clone is then enrolled in the directory with its own identity. The golden machine is never enrolled before capture.

Accounts and machines

Section titled “Accounts and machines”

Every student has one login, valid on the machine assigned to them and only there; teachers log in anywhere. The home directory is created at first login and a forgotten password is reset from the directory UI. Every login is logged (who, which machine, when), which keeps the hardware follow-up reliable. Assignment, release and the login report are done with the aims-labo tool on the server.

Known traps

Section titled “Known traps”
  • FOG menu then “Boot from SAN device failed” or GRUB4DOS: the machine is in legacy mode. Set the BIOS back to UEFI only.
  • Kernel panic with “Initramfs unpacking failed” right after the FOG menu: the FOG exit type must be exit, not rEFInd.
  • Machine that does not power off at the end of a network-started install: fixed in AIMS OS 2.1.2 (immediate restart).
  • Dates in Wolof after installation: fixed in AIMS OS 2.1.3 (fr_FR locale forced at first boot).
  • Machine installed before AIMS OS 2.1.3 without aims-os-desktop: run sudo apt install aims-os-desktop once.