[et-mgmt-tools] Re: cobbler check question

[Michael DeHaan]

Tom Diehl wrote:
> On Fri, 8 Dec 2006, Michael DeHaan wrote:
>
>> Michael DeHaan wrote:
>>> Michael DeHaan wrote:
>>>> Tom Diehl wrote:
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> I am just starting to use cobbler and so far it is working well. 
>>>>> One thing
>>>>> I have noticed is that cobbler check gets confused by the fact 
>>>>> that I have
>>>>> "server_args -s /tftpboot" the xinetd config and tftpboot: 
>>>>> /tftpboot/pxe
>>>>> in /var/lib/cobbler/services.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have a /tftpboot that looks something like this:
>>>>>
>>>>> (rocky pts4) # ls -d /tftpboot/*
>>>>> /tftpboot/cisco/ /tftpboot/pxe/
>>>>> (rocky pts4) #
>>>>>
>>>>> Is there a better way to do this or should I just continue to 
>>>>> ignore the
>>>>> cobbler error?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>
>>>> The PXE components shouldn't work with the way you have it 
>>>> configured, so the check result seems correct based on what 
>>>> information you've given so far.
>>>>
>>>> Explanation -- TFTP runs chroot, so your tftp root is configured as 
>>>> "/tftpboot". However, you're telling cobbler to write files in 
>>>> "/tftpboot/pxe", so files in pxelinux.cfg referencing 
>>>> "/images/blah" would be looking in "/tftpboot/blah" on your 
>>>> filesystem when the files are actually being stored in 
>>>> "/tftpboot/pxe/blah".
>>>>
>>>> Recent versions of cobbler do not delete contents of "/tftpboot" 
>>>> they do not own when syncing, so if you set tftpboot in 
>>>> /var/lib/cobbler/settings back to the value you are using in 
>>>> xinetd.d, it should be good to go. Cobbler will write the files 
>>>> where it needs to write them relative to TFTP root, and you're free 
>>>> to use the rest of the directory for other things. The reason the 
>>>> tftpboot setting is there at all in settings is to accomodate for 
>>>> TFTP installs that might not want to use the partition mounted on 
>>>> "/" for hosting tftp content.
>>>>
>>>> FYI, The directories/items cobbler will modify in /tftpboot are:
>>>>
>>>> pxelinux.cfg (directory)
>>>> images (directory)
>>>> pxelinux.0 (file)
>>>> elilo-3.6-ia64.efi (file)
>>>>
>>>> --Michael
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> et-mgmt-tools at redhat.com
>>>> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/et-mgmt-tools
>>> I should add, namespacing files used by PXE by creating a 
>>> subdirectory under /tftpboot is a really good idea, and I'll make 
>>> that "cobbler sync" do that
>>> in the future.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> Actually, I probably don't want to namespace files in /tftpboot after 
>> all, now that I think about it.
>
> Would you please explain the term "namespacing files"? I do not 
> understand
> that.
Making a "/cobbler" subdirectory under tftproot.
>
>> One reason for this is that most folks when setting up dhcpd.conf 
>> assume pxelinux.0 is in tftproot, and probably wouldn't know to 
>> change that -- it would break users already using the dhcp templating 
>> features, for instance. Just dropping the bootloaders in "/" and 
>> leaving everything else in the two image directories is enough to 
>> keep from clobbering other uses of the tftp root.
>
> As I said in my previous message, a long time ago when I first setup 
> pxe I
> configured dhcpd to look for pxelinux.0 in /pxe. I guess I am the 
> exception. :-)
Righto, namely I do like the idea, though I don't want to break all of 
the non-exceptions.
>
> Maybe cobbler should check dhcpd.conf to be sure what is the correct 
> place for
> pxelinux.0? Then again if the dhcp server is not on the cobbler 
> machine that
> might not be possible. 

Right.

Cobbler can generate dhcpd.conf too -- see the part about "manage_dhcp" 
in the manpages, which is off by default (disclaimer: do backup your 
existing copy before turning this on). In the case of IA64 support, 
cobbler will write out system-specific configurations that use elilo. 
Cobbler knows the right location for pxelinux.0, elilo's IA64 port, and 
so forth -- and fills in the URLs for each system based on what they 
need to PXE.

>
> Oh, well, for now I will ignore the warning. At least now, I 
> understand what is
> happening.
Yes, it sounds like you're fine in this case. Cobbler check is there to 
make a good guess as to whether your initial config is set up correctly, 
and you're free to not run "check" at all if you like.

> Regards,
>