cobbler kickstart does not pull in the http: ks file?

04-03-2008, 10:42 PM

I've been trying to get a kickstart working with cobbler for a while,
and it just isn't working. I am totally missing something, but what?

The target system: IBM x3850 M/T 8864
Trying to install RHEL 4.4

I added -vvvv flags to /etc/xinet.d/tftp to follow the progress of tftp

Apr 3 22:17:57 admin in.tftpd[3261]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172 filename
/pxelinux.0
Apr 3 22:17:57 admin in.tftpd[3261]: tftp: client does not accept options
Apr 3 22:17:57 admin in.tftpd[3262]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172 filename
/pxelinux.0
Apr 3 22:17:59 admin in.tftpd[3263]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172 filename
/pxelinux.cfg/01-00-14-5e-bc-69-e2
Apr 3 22:17:59 admin in.tftpd[3264]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172 filename
//images/rhel4.4/vmlinuz
Apr 3 22:17:59 admin in.tftpd[3265]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172 filename
//images/rhel4.4/initrd.img

-- which looks reasonable. All files listed above exist, and are
world-readable.

Contents of /pxelinux.cfg/01-00-14-5e-bc-69-e2

default linux
prompt 0
timeout 1
label linux
kernel /images/rhel4.4/vmlinuz
append ksdevice=eth0 lang=en_US text
syslog=192.168.63.57:25150 initrd=/images/rhel4.4/initrd.img
ks=http://192.168.63.57/cblr/kickstarts_sys/00:14:5e:bc:69:e2/ks.cfg

Now, when I put the
http://192.168.63.57/cblr/kickstarts_sys/00:14:5e:bc:69:e2/ks.cfg url
in my browser, it works. I also see a log entry at
/etc/http/logs/access_log when I request the page:

192.168.63.245 - - [03/Apr/2008:14:59:03 -0700] "GET
/cblr/kickstarts_sys/00:14:5e:bc:69:e2/ks.cfg HTTP/1.1" 200 1730 "-"
"Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.8.1.13) Gecko/20080325
Ubuntu/7.10 (gutsy) Firefox/2.0.0.13"

When I boot the server from the network, I do not see a log entry for
the kickstart file, and it requests a dynamic IP address in spite of
the kickstart file specifying a static IP address.

#System language
lang en_US
#Language modules to install
langsupport en_US
#System keyboard
keyboard us
#System mouse
mouse
#Sytem timezone
timezone --utc America/Los_Angeles
#Root password
rootpw changeme
#Reboot after installation
reboot
#Use text mode install
text
#Install OS instead of upgrade
install
#Use Web installation
url --url http://192.168.63.57/4.4/OneCd/
#System bootloader configuration
bootloader --location=mbr
#Clear the Master Boot Record
zerombr yes
#Partition clearing information
clearpart --all --initlabel
#Disk partitioning information
part / --fstype ext3 --size 5000
part /boot --fstype ext3 --size 300
part swap --size 10240
part /var --fstype ext3 --size 5120
part /home --fstype ext3 --size 3036
part /opt --fstype ext3 --size 3036
part /usr --fstype ext3 --size 1 --grow
#System authorization infomation
auth --useshadow --enablemd5
network --bootproto=static --ip=192.168.62.172 --netmask=255.255.254.0
--gateway=192.168.62.40 --nameserver=192.168.67.154 --device=eth0
--hostname=rac12.crm.bizsys.tmcs --onboot=on
#Firewall configuration
firewall --disabled
selinux --disabled
# disable the firstboot config
firstboot --disable
#Do not configure XWindows
skipx
#Package install information
%packages --resolvedeps
@ development-tools
@ admin-tools
@ system-tools
@ server-cfg
kernel-smp
grub
e2fsprogs
perl
lynx
postfix
sysstat
%post

hostname rac12.crm.bizsys.tmcs

rpm -e sendmail kudzu redhat-config-mouse kernel-pcmcia-cs ppp rp-pppoe
wvdial redhat-config-network-tui redhat-lsb

chkconfig keytable off
chkconfig rhnsd off
chkconfig iptables off
chkconfig xfs off
chkconfig gpm off
chkconfig --level 345 ntpd on
chkconfig --level 345 snmpd on
chkconfig --level 2345 postfix on

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

--
Terry McIntyre
UNIX for hire
Software Development, Systems Administration, Security
terry.mcintyre@gmail.com

_______________________________________________
et-mgmt-tools mailing list
et-mgmt-tools@redhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/et-mgmt-tools

04-04-2008, 02:43 PM

On Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:42:31 -0700
"Terry McIntyre" <terry.mcintyre@gmail.com> wrote:

> I've been trying to get a kickstart working with cobbler for a while,
> and it just isn't working. I am totally missing something, but what?
>
> The target system: IBM x3850 M/T 8864
> Trying to install RHEL 4.4
>

Does this machine have multiple NICs? What happens if you disable all
but one?

I had a similar problem, and that was my solution, documented here:
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/96509133/m/258002348831

HTH,
--
Alex Chekholko

_______________________________________________
et-mgmt-tools mailing list
et-mgmt-tools@redhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/et-mgmt-tools

04-04-2008, 03:58 PM

Thanks for the tips. I am using cobbler to manage the dhcp, it does
have the next-server lines, the dhcp and tftp logs ( using -vvvv )
switch show everything working up to the point of requesting the
htttp: kickstart file.

I did pull that file from another machine ( my laptop, using http ) on
the same network. Used the exact same URL cut-n-pasted from the
cobbler file. Therefore, the www server seems to be working fine, as
is the network.

Only one interface is connected to the network; there are four
interfaces. I do not set up the other three in the kickstart file, but
that probably does not matter, since the kickstart file is not being
used.

Am upgrading cobbler -- will try again shortly.

Thanks again!

_______________________________________________
et-mgmt-tools mailing list
et-mgmt-tools@redhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/et-mgmt-tools

04-04-2008, 10:59 PM

On Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 10:22 AM, Ben Riggs <rigg0022@umn.edu> wrote:
> To be sure that anaconda is using the card you want it to (I've noticed
> inconsistencies between the eth#s in bios, anaconda & 'normal' kernels), add
> --kopts="device=$nic_mac_address"

Ok, I used --kopts="device=", and it is reflected in the
/var/lib/cobbler/systems file:

depth: 2
interfaces:
intf0:
dhcp_tag: '
gateway: '192.168.62.40'
hostname: rac12
ip_address: '192.168.62.172'
mac_address: '00:15:17:3a:c2:78'
subnet: '
virt_bridge: '
intf1:
dhcp_tag: '
gateway: '
hostname: '
ip_address: '192.168.62.173'
mac_address: '00:14:5e:bc:69:e2'
subnet: '
virt_bridge: '
kernel_options:
device: '00:15:17:3a:c2:78'
kickstart: <<inherit>>
ks_meta:
hostname: rac12.crm.bizsys.tmcs
ip: '192.168.62.172'
name: '00:15:17:3a:c2:78'
netboot_enabled: True

Here's tail -f /var/log/messages:

Apr 4 15:39:22 admin dhcpd: dhcpd startup succeeded
Apr 4 15:39:22 admin dhcpd: dhcpd startup succeeded
Apr 4 15:42:52 admin dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:42:52 admin dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.62.172 to
00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:42:54 admin dhcpd: DHCPREQUEST for 192.168.62.172
(192.168.63.57) from 00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:42:54 admin dhcpd: DHCPACK on 192.168.62.172 to
00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 22:42:54 admin in.tftpd[19942]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172
filename /pxelinux.0
Apr 4 22:42:54 admin in.tftpd[19942]: tftp: client does not accept options
Apr 4 22:42:54 admin in.tftpd[19943]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172
filename /pxelinux.0
Apr 4 22:42:56 admin in.tftpd[19944]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172
filename /pxelinux.cfg/01-00-15-17-3a-c2-78
Apr 4 22:42:56 admin in.tftpd[19945]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172
filename //images/rhel4.4/vmlinuz
Apr 4 22:42:57 admin in.tftpd[19946]: RRQ from 192.168.62.172
filename //images/rhel4.4/initrd.img

At this point it is booting, I see an anaconda version, and /sbin/loader
next thing is a screen requesting IP address via dhcp.

Apr 4 15:43:23 admin dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:43:23 admin dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.62.172 to
00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:43:29 admin dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:43:29 admin dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.62.172 to
00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:43:40 admin dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:43:40 admin dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.62.172 to
00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:43:50 admin dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:43:50 admin dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.62.172 to
00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:43:50 admin dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0
Apr 4 15:43:50 admin dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.62.172 to
00:15:17:3a:c2:78 via eth0

Why is it looping?

After this loop, Anaconda then shows the "Use dynamic IP configuration" screen.

The kickstart file ( referenced here ) is not being requested, so far
as I can tell:

[root@admin pxelinux.cfg]# cat /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/01-00-15-17-3a-c2-78
default linux
prompt 0
timeout 1
label linux
kernel /images/rhel4.4/vmlinuz
append ksdevice=eth0 lang=en_US text
syslog=192.168.63.57:25150 device=00:15:17:3a:c2:78 kssendmac
initrd=/images/rhel4.4/initrd.img
ks=http://192.168.63.57/cblr/kickstarts_sys/00:15:17:3a:c2:78/ks.cfg

Oddly, there is no newline on the last line of this file.

I cut-n-pasted this url
http://192.168.63.57/cblr/kickstarts_sys/00:15:17:3a:c2:78/ks.cfg into
a browser on my laptop on the same network, and it worked properly.

/etc/httpd/logs/access_log shows my request ( by hand ); it shows no
previous request from anaconda.

I added a linefeed to the end of the pxelinux.cfg file and tried
again. No change in behavior.

_______________________________________________
et-mgmt-tools mailing list
et-mgmt-tools@redhat.com
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/et-mgmt-tools