Linux – How to make a USB bootable stick for installing Fedora or Centos using VNC

I have a PC with no option for a keyboard. I have to install the operating systems without a keyboard or mouse.

I have to make a bootable USB stick which can allow me to connect to the PC from my Laptop with a VNC connection, then the complete installation using IP to IP. I did this with the following:

1. Download http://centos.arcticnetwork.ca/6.0/isos/i386/CentOS-6.0-i386-minimal.iso

2. Extract the files of .iso to my laptop

3. Add the manual file in CentOS-6.0-i386-minimal/isolinux/ks.cfg

   install
   lang en_US.UTF-8
   keyboard us
   timezone --utc Europe/Brussels
   rootpw  --iscrypted $6$i5qEWD.
   selinux --disabled
   authconfig --enableshadow --passalgo=sha512
   firewall --service=ssh
   bootloader --location=mbr --driveorder=sda --append="rhgb quiet"
   vnc --password=1234
   network --bootproto=static --ip=192.168.1.125 --netmask=255.255.255.0 --gateway=192.168.1.1 --nameserver=192.168.1.1
   

4. Copy and paste all files on my laptop to the USB stick

5. Unplug my USB and connect to the target PC

6. However it never boots to the USB, and then I checked the USB in my laptop, which is also the same as it's not yet a bootable USB

Any ideas how to fix this?

Note: I have followed:

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Kickstart#vnc

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Kickstart#Creating_a_Kickstart_Boot_CD-ROM
http://wiki.centos.org/TipsAndTricks/VncHeadlessInstall

http://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/5.2/Installation_Guide/s1-kickstart2-startinginstall.html

Follow up:

1. yum -y install unetbootin.i686

   This allows me to write the iso file to USB, disk or CD

2. mkisofs -o /tmp/cd.iso /home/sun/Downloads/centos/

   This allows you to modify your original iso files with the new contents and pack it as one .iso file

   3. Finally load unetbootin and burn to your USB or disk or CD

It works great now!