On p615, noninteractive network installation is blocked because DHCP cannot be configured successfully

[Wang Nan Chen]

Hardware Environment: p615; Software Environment: RHEL3 Update1 for
pSeries.
After setting up dhcp/nfs/tftp on install server, I triggered the network
installation. But installation is blocked here:
        +--------------------+ Configure TCP/IP +--------------------+

        | Please enter the IP configuration for this machine. Each    |
        | item should be entered as an IP address in dotted-decimal   |
        | notation (for example, 1.2.3.4).                            |
        |        [*] Use dynamic IP configuration (BOOTP/DHCP)        |
        |           IP address:           ________________            |
        |           Netmask:              ________________            |
        |           Default gateway (IP): ________________            |
        |           Primary nameserver:   ________________            |
        |            +----+                       +------+            |
        |            | OK |                       | Back |            |
        |            +----+                       +------+            |
        +-------------------------------------------------------------+
If I select "OK", the installation continues and completes successfully.

There is no DHCPREQUEST & DHCPACK in /var/log/messages. It seems that
DHCPOFFER is not received or DHCPREQUEST is not sent out by anaconda.

My question is:
1) Is there any option or kernel parameter I can longthen dhcp timeout?
   (some option like dhcptimeout for SuSE)
2) How can I work it around?(e.g. have anaconada imitate pressing "OK")
3) Does anybody run into such a situation before? How did you solve it?
   (For me, this ONLY occurs on p615.)
Thanks!

=============================================================================
                       Additional Informations
=============================================================================
On install server, dumped messages from /var/log/messages:
"...
Mar 10 07:27:20 c550mgrs in.tftpd[21741]: RRQ from 9.114.86.47 filename
csm/ks3-ppc64-zImage.initrd
Mar 10 02:28:51 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:09:6b:be:30:c9 via
eth0
Mar 10 02:28:51 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 9.114.86.47 to
00:09:6b:be:30:c9
via eth0
Mar 10 02:28:51 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:09:6b:be:30:c9 via
eth0
Mar 10 02:28:51 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 9.114.86.47 to
00:09:6b:be:30:c9
via eth0
"

On other hardware such as p630/p690, with the same software configuration,
DHCP can be configured successfully. The dumped messages from
/var/log/messages
look like:
"...
Mar 10 02:10:46 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:09:6b:be:30:c9 via
eth0
Mar 10 02:10:46 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 9.114.86.47 to
00:09:6b:be:30:c9
via eth0
Mar 10 02:10:46 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:09:6b:be:30:c9 via
eth0
Mar 10 02:10:46 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 9.114.86.47 to
00:09:6b:be:30:c9
via eth0
Mar 10 02:10:46 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPREQUEST for 9.114.86.47 (9.114.86.253)
from 00:09:6b:be:30:c9 via eth0
Mar 10 02:10:46 c550mgrs dhcpd: DHCPACK on 9.114.86.47 to 00:09:6b:be:30:c9

via eth0
...
"
Note: The last two lines(DHCPREQUEST & DHCPACK) in blue text are missing
from
logs of p615.

A defect has been opened on LTC bugzilla to track this problem:
      https://bugzilla.linux.ibm.com/show_bug.cgi?id=6776



 Yours Sincerely,
 Chen, Wang Nan

 IBM China Software Development Laboratory
 4/F, DeShi Building, No.9, East Road, ShangDi, Haidian District,  Beijng
100085, PRC
 Tel: 86-10-82782244 x 2801    Fax: 86-10-82782244-2887    Email:
chenwn at cn.ibm.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listman.redhat.com/archives/kickstart-list/attachments/20040319/334d6d2c/attachment.htm>