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FAI (Fully Automatic Installation)

fai-project.org

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Spec score 8.0 #9 of 28 in Bare Metal Provisioning Software

What it is

FAI (Fully Automatic Installation) automates unattended deployment and configuration of Linux systems and software on physical computers and virtual machines. It is free software under GNU GPL version 2 or later and can scale from a few computers to several thousand. The project lists Debian, Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Linux Mint, RHEL, and SUSE among supported distributions. Installations can use PXE network boot or unattended CD media, retrieving configuration through HTTP, NFS, SVN, or Git. Classes group similar machines, while hooks customize installation stages. FAI can partition disks, create file systems, and configure software RAID or LVM. It automates virtual-machine installation and customized cloud images for OpenStack, KVM, Azure, EC2, and GCE. FAI.me builds custom installation or live media and bootable disk images without local FAI installation, with settings for SSH keys, repositories, packages, scripts, and first-boot actions. Targets include desktops, servers, notebooks, clusters, server farms, and Linux labs or classrooms. The default large CD image includes full Debian XFCE and GNOME packages but fetches many other distribution packages over the network.

Spec sheet

Purpose
FAI automates unattended mass deployment and configuration of Linux systems and software on computers and virtual machines.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Integrations
The maker documents receiving configuration over HTTP, NFS, SVN or Git, and adding SSH public keys from GitHub, GitLab, Debian Salsa or a custom URL in FAI.me.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Security
FAI packages are signed with Thomas Lange's GPG key, and the project lists Secure Boot support in FAI release 6.5.7.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Support
The project directs questions to its mailing list and bugs to the Debian Bug Tracking System, and says commercial support is available worldwide from the author.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Founded
1999Read 28 Sep 2026 · fai-project.org
Configuration
FAI uses classes to group similar machines and hooks to customize installation stages.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Deployment scale
FAI is described as scaling from a few computers to several thousand machines.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
FAI.me
FAI.me is a web service for building custom installation or live media and bootable disk images without installing FAI locally.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
FAI.me options
The image builder exposes settings for SSH keys, partitioning, repositories, desktop and packages, custom scripts, and first boot actions.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Installation media limit
The default large FAI CD image includes packages for Debian XFCE and GNOME but only base files for several other listed distributions, whose remaining packages are fetched over the network.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Installation methods
Installations can use PXE network boot or unattended CD media, with configuration data retrieved through HTTP, NFS, SVN or Git.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Intended environments
The maker lists desktops, servers, notebooks, clusters, server farms, and Linux labs or classrooms as installation targets.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Operating systems
The project lists Debian, Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Linux Mint, RHEL and SUSE among supported Linux distributions.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Storage
The project lists software RAID and LVM setup, disk partitioning, and file system creation as installation capabilities.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org
Virtualization and cloud
FAI supports automated virtual machine installation and customized cloud images for platforms including OpenStack, KVM, Azure, EC2 and GCE.Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org

Plans and prices

FAI Free Free software under GNU GPL version 2 or later Read 7 Oct 2026 · fai-project.org

Every FAI (Fully Automatic Installation) plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free GNU GPL software
  • Scales to several thousand machines
  • Supports PXE and unattended CD media
  • Automates RAID, LVM, and partitioning
  • Builds custom media through FAI.me

Limits

  • Primarily supports Linux environments
  • Large CD image needs network packages
  • Configuration requires classes and hooks
  • Commercial support is separate

Who it suits

It suits administrators deploying Linux across desktops, servers, virtual machines, clusters, or classrooms. It is designed for unattended, repeatable installations from small groups to several thousand systems.

Verdict

FAI provides broad Linux deployment automation, configuration sources, storage setup, virtualization, and cloud-image creation. FAI.me offers a web-based image builder when installing FAI locally is undesirable.

Where Specifiction places it

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