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This HOWTO lets you change the language and the keyboard layout to GERMAN in ZENworks 6.5 (SP2) and 7 imaging environment.

Things to know:

ZENworks 6.5 (SP2) / 7 imaging uses linuxrc during the boot process. Linuxrc uses the file linuxrc.config located in the / (root) of the initrd file for some configuration settings. In this file additional parameters can be set to change the system language and keyboard layout.

Things you need:

A Linux System for mounting the initrd file

How To

The following steps are based on this section of the documentation to mount the initrd and apply changes to it (I added additional steps).

1. Create a directory (e.g. zenpxe) in the linux filesystem.
2. Copy the initrd file from your tftp/boot server directory to the directory created in Step 1.
3. Rename initrd to initrd.gz, enter:
   cp initrd initrd.gz
4. Unzip the initrd.gz file, enter:
   gunzip initrd.gz
5. Create another working directory for use as a mount point in the subsequent steps, enter:
   mkdir work
6. Mount the initrd file system to the /work directory, enter:
   mount -o loop initrd work
7. Change to the mount directory: cd work
8. Now you can change the language and keyboard layout by editing the file linuxrc.config, enter:
   vi linuxrc.config (or any other editor)
9. Add the required parameters to the file (press "i" to edit the file), insert at the end of the file:
   Language: de_DE
   Keytable: de-lat1-nd
10. Save and close the linuxrc.config, enter (for vi):
    press "ESC"
    press ":x"
    press "enter"
11. Now unmount the initrd file system, enter:
    umount work
12. Zip the new initrd file, enter:
    gzip -v9c initrd > initrd.gz
13. Rename initrd.gz back to initrd, enter:
    cp initrd.gz initrd
14. Copy the modified initrd file back to your ZENworks imaging Server (tftp/boot).

Now you should have a German keyboard layout when booting the imaging engine.

I think other languages and keytables should work, but haven't tested so far.

Disclaimer: As with everything else at Cool Solutions, this content is definitely not supported by Novell (so don't even think of calling Support if you try something and it blows up).

It was contributed by a community member and is published "as is." It seems to have worked for at least one person, and might work for you. But please be sure to test, test, test before you do anything drastic with it.