January 2004 - openSUSE Autoinstall - openSUSE Mailing Lists

Re: [suse-autoinstall] example for sles8 + sp3 install server setup?
by Joachim Jordan 02 Feb '04

02 Feb '04

Hi everyone, it works for me to it that way. I added the SP3 just as another source to the installation tree. Here is my script i'm using to setup the distribution: ------------------------------------------------------- #!/bin/sh # Script to setup SLES netinstall source if [ $# -lt 1 ] then echo "Please provide the path of the new driver as parameter!" exit 1 fi cd $1 # check if in correct directory! if [ ! -f suse/CD1/content ] then echo "Error: Looks like wrong directory!" exit 1 fi # remove previous configurations if [ -d yast ] then rm -r yast fi if [ -d boot ] then rm -r boot fi if [ -d media.1 ] then rm -r media.1 fi if [ -f content ] then rm content fi if [ -f driverupdate ] then rm driverupdate fi # Now we have to move some data around to make this # a multiple source directory # # first we copy the order directory described above. mkdir yast cp suse/CD1/content yast/ cp suse/CD1/content . # Then the boot directory with the installation image cp -a suse/CD1/boot . # The content file and the media directory cp -a suse/CD1/media.1 . if [ -f media.1/info.txt ] then rm media.1/info.txt fi # Now we copy the description files from SLES to the order directory as # described earlier. mkdir -p yast/suse/suse/setup/descr cp -a suse/CD1/suse/setup/descr yast/suse/suse/setup cp suse/CD1/content yast/suse/ cp -a suse/CD1/media.1 yast/suse/ cp -a suse/CD2/media.2 yast/suse/ cp -a suse/CD3/media.3 yast/suse/ # Same applies for supplementary mkdir -p yast/sup/suse/setup/descr cp -a supplementary/CD1/suse/setup/descr yast/sup/suse/setup cp supplementary/CD1/content yast/sup/ cp -a supplementary/CD1/media.1 yast/sup/ cp -a supplementary/CD2/media.2 yast/sup/ # Do the same for Service Pack 3 mkdir -p yast/sp3/suse/setup/descr cp -LRp sp3/CD1/suse/setup/descr yast/sp3/suse/setup cp sp3/CD1/content yast/sp3/ cp -a sp3/CD1/media.1 yast/sp3/ cp -a sp3/CD2/media.2 yast/sp3/ # overwrite the old file in the boot directory with new ones cp -a sp3/CD1/boot . # copy driverupdate file cp sp3/CD1/driverupdate . # Do the same for Addons mkdir -p yast/ad/addons/setup/descr cp -a Addons/addons/setup/descr yast/ad/addons/setup cp Addons/content yast/ad/ cp -a Addons/media.1 yast/ad/ # We are almost done.. # Now we'll adapt the order files. # Fields of the order files are TAB delimited cat << EOF > yast/order /yast/ad Addons /yast/sp3 sp3/CD1 /yast/suse suse/CD1 /yast/sup supplementary/CD1 EOF cat << EOF > yast/instorder /yast/sup /yast/suse /yast/sp3 /yast/ad EOF # final stuff #cp ../Code/root/root.neu boot/root chown -R wwwrun:nogroup . # End ------------------------------------------------------------------- I even added another source for my own packages. For that i reused the content and media.1 files from the SLES distribution and changed them. I'm using HTTP as installation protocol and this is for an Power PC based installation for JS20 blades. But it is more or less the same for Intel. Just one thing about the SP3, to get all the Yast fixes included in the installation process( for example necessary for HTTP support, HTTP is broken in the SLES8 and fixed with the code in the SP3), you have to copy the driverupdate file to the root of your new multi source distribution(or if you use NFS, you can also copy the subdirectory containing all from the CD to the root). For me, the driverupdate file does not work. If i use it, yast dies in the middle of the installation with an segfault. If i copy all files from the driverupdate file into the root file manually, it works. Best regards, Joachim Jordan Linux IT Architect, EMEA Linux Center of Competence IBM Laboratories, Dept.3300, Schoenaicherstr.220, D 71032 Boeblingen, Germany Sametime/e-mail: jordanj(a)de.ibm.com, Phone: +49-7031-16-4407; Fax: +49-7031-16-3232 Hal Wine <hal(a)reactivity.c To: suse-autoinstall(a)suse.com om> cc: Subject: [suse-autoinstall] example for sles8 + sp3 install server setup? 13.01.2004 18:32 Can anyone point me to an example install server layout for autoyast installations of sles 8 + service pack 3? I followed Anas' example laytout for my original installation server setup. I'ts unclear to me if I should: 1) replace the sles8 cd content with the content from sp3 cd's, or 2) add sp3 content as another source. If #2, I think I would place it at the end of the order file, and the beginning of the instorder. Is that correct? Finally, what do folks typically do to handle maintenance updates? I.e. where do they place the RPMs. Thanks, --Hal -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-autoinstall-unsubscribe(a)suse.com For additional commands, e-mail: suse-autoinstall-help(a)suse.com

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RE: [suse-autoinstall] BUG: SP3 CD: boot options only 180 chars
by Ness, Todd 30 Jan '04

30 Jan '04

Try using an info file. http://www.suse.de/~nashif/autoinstall/faq.html -----Original Message----- From: Hans Kamm [mailto:hans753@hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 11:42 AM To: suse-autoinstall(a)suse.com Subject: [suse-autoinstall] BUG: SP3 CD: boot options only 180 chars Hi, I had the idea to start installation via nfs, but there is a big Problem! boot options max length ist 180 chars (-instllation word = 168 chars) Ever tried to set such a boot option: boot options: netdevice=eth0 ip=192.168.1.210 netmask=255.255.255.0 gateway=192.168.1.1 insmod=pcnet32 autoyast=nfs://192.168.1.135/data-dir/linux/sles8/profiles/ install=nfs://192.168.1.135/data-dir/linux/sles8/ The Instllation will not start, it doesn' t find the NFS installserver (the install-server is set to: 192.168.1 the rest is missing) This is probably not the right mailing list? I' m still waiting for SP4 Hans _________________________________________________________________ Schützen Sie Ihren Posteingang vor unerwünschten E-Mails. http://www.msn.de/antispam/prevention/junkmailfilter Jetzt Hotmail-Junk-Filter aktivieren! -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-autoinstall-unsubscribe(a)suse.com For additional commands, e-mail: suse-autoinstall-help(a)suse.com

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BUG: SP3 CD: boot options only 180 chars
by Hans Kamm 30 Jan '04

30 Jan '04

Hi, I had the idea to start installation via nfs, but there is a big Problem! boot options max length ist 180 chars (-instllation word = 168 chars) Ever tried to set such a boot option: boot options: netdevice=eth0 ip=192.168.1.210 netmask=255.255.255.0 gateway=192.168.1.1 insmod=pcnet32 autoyast=nfs://192.168.1.135/data-dir/linux/sles8/profiles/ install=nfs://192.168.1.135/data-dir/linux/sles8/ The Instllation will not start, it doesn' t find the NFS installserver (the install-server is set to: 192.168.1 the rest is missing) This is probably not the right mailing list? I' m still waiting for SP4 Hans _________________________________________________________________ Schützen Sie Ihren Posteingang vor unerwünschten E-Mails. http://www.msn.de/antispam/prevention/junkmailfilter Jetzt Hotmail-Junk-Filter aktivieren!

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SuSE 9 and clone function
by Harald.Milz＠computacenter.com 30 Jan '04

30 Jan '04

Hi, I was looking for the "clone this system" function in autoyast2 on SuSE 9. I've used it a couple of times on SLES8 but I can't seem to find it on SuSE 9. Is it just me or is it actually missing? Mit freundlichen Gruessen - Best regards Harald Milz Senior Consultant CC CompuNet AG & Co. oHG A part of Computacenter plc Hoerselbergstrasse 7, 81677 Muenchen, Germany Phone: +49 (0)89 45712-161, Fax: -331, Mobile: +49 (0)173 3866604 E-Mail : Harald.Milz(a)computacenter.com Visit us on the Internet: http://www.computacenter.com Visit our Online-Shop: http://www.compunet.de/connect This email is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not disclose or use the information contained in it. If you have received this mail in error, please tell us immediately by return email and delete the document.

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searchable mailing list archive available [was Re: Problems customizing an install CD]
by Robert Pollak 30 Jan '04

30 Jan '04

I found a searchable archive of this list at <http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=suse-autoinstall>. The list FAQ also mentions Google: Prepend your search by "autoinstall site:lists.suse.com" (without quotes). The searchable archive at <http://www.netsys.com/#l#/index.html>, which is mentioned in the FAQ, is temporarily unavailable since 2003-10-07.

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Some bugs in AY2/SuSE 9.0
by Frank Steiner 30 Jan '04

30 Jan '04

Hi Anas, I'm using autoyast2 with SuSE 9.0. Here are some bugs that I found: - According to the dtds I cannot use classes anywhere. And indeed, wherever I tried to include classes, the xml validation failed, even when validating a profile generated with yast2. - When you specify lilo as boot loader but lilo is not in the software selection, no warning is issued, but the installation will hang after installing the packages with "creating initrd..." when configuring the bootloader. - The boot-loader device is ignored. On a host with /dev/hda and /dev/sda (via gdth module), I specified a partition table for /dev/sda and also <bootloader> <loader_device>/dev/sda</loader_device> <loader_type>lilo</loader_type> <location>mbr</location> </bootloader> Although the loader_device line made it into the final xml file (checked during and after install), the installation ends up with boot=/dev/hda in /etc/lilo.conf which prevented the system from booting. You can get the log file from the installation here: http://wwwtest.bio.informatik.uni-muenchen.de/tmp/y2log-1 Some errors in the online documentation for 9.0: - Section 4.2 Reporting: - order should be errors/messages/warnings to match dtd - order within these should be log/show/timeout At least my sgml validator tells me. I don't know if there is some relaxed xml which allows arbitrary ordering of elements on the same level. - 4.1: mouse specifies wrong id and an element device. Due to dtd, should only be id. - 4.3: - kernel_parameters is not defined as part of bootloader element in dtd - order should be: device, type, location - initrd_modules uses module_entry instead of initrd_module, module_args is not opened - 4.5.2: When adding your own packet selection, one needs to add the name in the suse/setup/descr/selections file, not just copy the selection there. At least that was necessary for me, otherwise autoyast would complain that it could not read from my selection... Hope this helps :-) Best regards, Frank -- Dipl.-Inform. Frank Steiner Mail: fst_at_bio.informatik.uni-muenchen.de Lehrstuhl f. Bioinformatik Phone: +49 89 2180-4049, Fax: -4054 LMU, Amalienstr. 17 http://www.informatik.uni-kiel.de/~fst/ 80333 Muenchen, Germany * Rekursion kann man erst verstehen, wenn man Rekursion verstanden hat. *

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Problem with selection file
by steven.cardinal＠adheris.com 30 Jan '04

30 Jan '04

I have tried creating this selection file in order to include the Samba3 rpms in my autoinstall: =Ver: 3.0 =Sel: Samba3 9.0 =Siz: 35448056 70000000 =Sum: Samba3 =Req: Minimal =Cat: addon =Vis: true =Ord: 01 +Ins: samba3 samba3-client samba3-winbind samba3-doc libsmbclient libsmbclient-devel -Ins: The docs don't say how to include it, but I tried using the 'Import' option and chose the .sel file - but it gave me an error "Error loading package list from /SUSE9/suse/setup/descr/Samba3.sel" I am also unable to load any of the .sel files included on the CDs, so I can't determine if my format is wrong. I placed the needed rpms in /SUSE9/suse/i586 The docs really didn't say what the 'Siz:' statement is for (some of the included .sel files do not use it). I assume it is to ensure that there is adequate space to copy the RPMs (the first field, I added the size of each of my files together) and perhaps enough space to install the software? (assume we can just put a ballpark guess) Any ideas?

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Re: [suse-autoinstall] Server without VGA graphics card - how to convince BIOS to continue booting
by Carl Peto 30 Jan '04

30 Jan '04

We cannot have a PCI graphics card because the box has only one PCI slot (and one AGP slot but we don't want to spend money just to get an AGP card for this server that will never be used) and that is needed for the RAID card. Interestingly enough your point about kernel panics - I've had quite a few and invariably the VGA doesn't work either, especially if the console has X running - completely hopeless in that case. In my experience, when the kernel kills scheduling (as it often seems to do if there's a misbehaving driver), only the SysRq mechanism does anything. I'd hoped that a serial console was the way out of that, so I could at least get proper oops messages to feed to ksymoops. Anyway we plan to run either Win 2003 Server or a very, very stable install of SuSE 8.2 on this box so kernel instability should not occur. The openbios project sounds interesting - my business partner and I were hoping that there might be something like that around, I'll look into that. Thanks for your help Simon and Frank. Carl Peto Linux Administrator Bookman Associates ----- Original Message ----- From: "Simon Thornton" <simon.thornton(a)swift.com> To: "'Carl Peto'" <carl(a)bookmanassociates.com> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 9:24 AM Subject: RE: [suse-autoinstall] Server without VGA graphics card - how to convince BIOS to continue booting > Hi Carlo, > > On some systems it is possible to disable the graphics card in the bios, > but for many you will get an error if it is removed. There is no harm in > leaving a card in, you don't have to connect anything to it. What I do > is get an old PCI card (5-$10) with limited capabilities and put that > in, I can then re-use the graphics card elsewhere. > > Overall, having the card maybe a life saver if there is a problem with > the system, you can then connect a monitor to see what the problem was. > A classic would be if there was a kernel panic/BSoD event; you r serial > console would be inoperative. Unlike Solaris machines, where the console > is always active, the PC requires a working OS to drive the serial port. > > One other thought, the linux bios project (also the openbios project) > have a replacement for the conventional BIOS. One feature of this is > serial console access at boot up. I've never tried this but it maybe > worth a look. > > Rgds, > > Simon > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Frank Steiner" <fst(a)bio.informatik.uni-muenchen.de> To: "Carl Peto" <carl(a)bookmanassociates.com> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 9:08 AM Subject: Re: [suse-autoinstall] Server without VGA graphics card - how to convince BIOS to continue booting > As far as I know, you cannot boot a PC-base computer without a graphics > card. It considers a graphics card as essential as e.g. memory. > > cu, > Frank > -- > Dipl.-Inform. Frank Steiner Mail: fst_at_bio.informatik.uni-muenchen.de > Lehrstuhl f. Bioinformatik Phone: +49 89 2180-4049, Fax: -4054 > LMU, Amalienstr. 17 http://www.informatik.uni-kiel.de/~fst/ > 80333 Muenchen, Germany > * Rekursion kann man erst verstehen, wenn man Rekursion verstanden hat. * >

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Server without VGA graphics card - how to convince BIOS to continue booting
by Carl Peto 29 Jan '04

29 Jan '04

We have a server that, for convoluted reasons, we are interested in running without any graphics cards. It is accessed purely over the network and needs no console input. Nevertheless I have read the Serial-Console documentation and am able to configure a Linux server to output all LILO and kernel messages to a dumb terminal on the serial port plus even allow root logins on that dumb terminal for administration purposes. Our Linux server will work fine like this, without a screen and it means we can tuck it in the corner and forget about it, which is nice! :) However the problem is that we want to remove the graphics card. When we do so the server seems to no longer boot. I can only assume that the BIOS is complaining (on a non-existant display?!?) and won't boot without at least a VGA graphics card. Does anyone have any experience of this annoying problem and could they give us some help? Regards, Carl Peto

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Problems customizing an install CD
by steven.cardinal＠adheris.com 29 Jan '04

29 Jan '04

I'm new to both SuSE and Autoyast. I've read through the autoinstall docs on the Suse site and find that I don't seem to know enough about autoyast in the first place to figure out what they are telling me. Here's what I've done and the problems I am having: I created a directory /SUSE9 and copied (cp -a /mnt/* /SUSE9/) all 5 CDs into this directory. I setup Yast to use this as a repository (I already used Yast update to patch this machine, so my yast utilities should be the latest available). I found that, using the GUI to select my source directory, if it appends a trailing / to the path (/SUSE9/) - it is not seen as a valid source. Finally figured that out and got autoyast to see the directory as well. I created a config for a server I am building. I used the Minimal+X11 selection plus added dhcp and bind. I setup some user accounts, etc. Everything seemed fine (the disks on this compaq dl360 show as /dev/ida/c0d0 so I had to hand-edit my config file afterwards). I then chose to build an ISO based on this config. It said it found all the necessary files and created an iso file, which I burned to media. First problem I had was that the compaq seems to have acpi issues, so I had to boot the cd with "linux acpi=off". Is there a way to configure autoyast to add those parameters by default? This CD will be used to rebuild the system should it die for some reason (hard drive crash or something) - it would be easier to hand off to my support people if they had very few ways of generating problems ;-) Second, I had an error installing grub (in the config file I told it to use the MBR and to replace what is there) The error was 'File not found'. I chose to reconfigure and retry and it worked ok - not sure if this is a problem with this particular machine or in my config. Any ideas? Next, it rebooted and went to install packages, but it suddenly couldn't find most of my packages and started prompting me for CD2. Shouldn't the 'Create ISO' setup the necessary paths in the iso image so that it works? Is there something I have to configure elsewhere? Once I get past this I'll hack away at adding extra packages (samba3, etc). I haven't had any luck getting autoyast to recognize my custom .sel file (it can't open any of my CD-provided .sel files either, so I don't understand how it works) Also, autoupdate pulls down patch.rpm files. Is there a way to apply these to my source directory so that my final build cd is patched already? Thanks Steve Oh, is there any plan to make the mailing list archives searchable?

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