nfs kickstart network install

[s.davison at computer.org]

What you are seeing sounds similar to
a problem we encountered.  We would get
a dialog box titled "Error" with the 
message "That directory could not be
mounted from the server."

If you acknowledge the error box by
pressing the space bar, you then get
another dialog box titled "NFS Setup".
That box has keyin fields for the
server IP address and directory.  The
fields should contain the values
from the nfs line of the kickstart
file.

In our case, we could use the tab key
to toggle to the OK and dismiss the box,
not changing either the IP address or
the directory path.  Anaconda would
try again.  Sometimes we had to go 
through those steps several times
(up to five, worst case), but 
eventually anaconda would find the
server and connect to it.

I don't know if that's the problem
you're seeing -- the key is whether
you see the same values in the 
"NFS Setup" dialog as you specified 
on the nfs line in the kickstart file.
If so, I suspect you are having the 
same problem we did.  If not, I
suspect a syntax problem in the
kickstart file.

The problem I have described above
is one that is well known.  It was 
discussed at some length on this list
a few months ago.  It is a bug in
anaconda.  Some high-speed ethernet
switches go through a fairly lengthy
initialization procedure when an
ethernet card first starts up.
Anaconda times out too soon, and
gives up on trying to make the
connection.

You can be sure that's the problem
if the connection is successfully
made after you retry as described
above.

We dealt with the problem by 
hacking anaconda -- applying a
patch that was provided by a 
contributor to this list.  If that's
the problem I can probably find the
posting and refer you to it.

Stowe Davison





>-----Original Message-----
>From: LAWRENCE.SORRILLO at HAMPTONU.EDU [mailto:LAWRENCE.SORRILLO at HAMPTONU.EDU]
>Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 02:06 PM
>To: kickstart-list at redhat.com
>Subject: RE: nfs kickstart network install
>
>I boot from floppy
>Then at the boot prompt:
>
>linux ks=http://x.x.x.x/dirs/test.fs.cfg dd (when I do not supply a
>driver disk the system forces me to manually choose one as it complains
>that it is unable to find devices of the type needed for this
>installation.)
>
>when asked, I insert the drvnet.img floppy to chose the network card
>driver.
>After I choose the a driver the web server logs shows where the
>test.ks.cfg file is accessed.
>
>The client install still asks for the nfs server though, but all the
>other options as far as partitioning and package options are read from
>the Kickstart file correctly.
>
>Its interesting that I just realized that the NIC driver I choose at
>installtion time is not the one that the system uses when it is
>completely installed.
>
>It seems then the root of the problem is correctly supplying the correct
>NIC driver for the system.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com
>[mailto:kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Shabazian, Chip
>Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 12:45 PM
>To: Discussion list about Kickstart
>Subject: RE: nfs kickstart network install
>
>I too don't use the = although the documentation says you can....
>
>Is the ONLY interactive prompt you are getting for the nfs source?
>Specifically, are you getting network information prompts as well?
>How are you loading your kickstart?  NFS?  HTTP?  Floppy?  Embeded?
>
>The nfs option does NOT have to be in any particular place, as long as
>it's in the command section.  In our kickstart file, it's actually the
>first uncommented line so that admins don't have to look past the first
>10 lines of the kickstart file if they wish to make changes.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com
>[mailto:kickstart-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of
>Elizabeth.Brosch at thomson.com
>Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 10:39 AM
>To: kickstart-list at redhat.com
>Subject: RE: nfs kickstart network install
>
>This may not even be an issue but I have my entry as:
>
>nfs --server 10.xxx.xxx.xxx --dir /usr/osdist/rhas4
>
>notice I do not have "=".  
>
>
>
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