Installer failing to look for kickstart file on nfs server...

tdbabar · 09-18-2007, 06:47 AM

I am trying to install the RHEL 4.5 from NFS server using kickstart, but the installer doesn't look for (or get) the ks file located on the same nfs server.
the default file entry for pxeboot look like following:

label linux
kernel vmlinuz
append ksdevice=eth0 ip=10.0.11.41 netmask=255.255.255.0 load-ramdisk=32000 initrd=initrd.img_rhel4_u5_32bit ks=nfs:10.0.11.36:RHEL/ks.cfg

I tried with ip=dhcp too. Also, even if I use the CD to boot the server, and mention the ks=nfs:10.0.11.36:/RHEL/ks.cfg at boot prompt, the installer doesn't get the ks file.

The NFS server is perfect becoz same mount point can be used to install, or can be mounted from any other system.

What could be possible issues behind this??

ech310n · 09-19-2007, 05:22 PM

Its possisble that what the installer is detecting as eth0 isn't actually what your lan cable is plugged into. If you've got DHCP running on your network, boot using DHCP then when it's doing it's thang, hit CTRL+ALT+F4 to see kernel messages or some crap anyway, but you'll see the DHCP lease request appear and the lease information come back if there is any given. If not, try changing the ksdevice to eth1, eth2 etc etc

tdbabar · 09-19-2007, 11:25 PM

I have tried with the all available NICs & are connected to LAN. The strange thing is that, while installer looking for an IP to get the KS file, there is no DHCP request is seen on the DHCP server. Whereas the same server makes it boot via PXE/tftp.
All consoles are not acccessible to me via DRAC so I could not get the messages on the other consoles

Any other inputs???

tdbabar · 09-25-2007, 12:21 AM

Hi,

caught the problem & resolved.
The issue was the network was not ready immediately after the module gets loaded because of CISCO switch. It takes some time to initialize the port & meantime installer goes through with KS file search & doesn't get it.
I given the dns in default file which made installer to wait for about 30 secs to look for a hostname from the dns server & in meantime the network got ready & ks file was found...
The new default file entry is:
label linux
kernel vmlinuz
append ksdevice=eth0 ip=10.0.11.41 netmask=255.255.255.0 dns=10.0.11.100 load-ramdisk=32000 initrd=initrd.img_rhel4_u5_32bit ks=nfs:10.0.11.36:RHEL/ks.cfg