Bug 862653

Summary: kickstart installation asks for UI mode
Product: [Fedora] Fedora Reporter: Jan Stodola <jstodola>
Component: anacondaAssignee: David Cantrell <dcantrell>
Status: CLOSED CURRENTRELEASE QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance <extras-qa>
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: 18CC: g.kaviyarasu, jonathan, mbanas, vanmeeuwen+fedora
Target Milestone: ---   
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: Bug Fix
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Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: 2012-11-02 13:41:30 UTC Type: Bug
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
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Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:
Attachments:
Description Flags
anaconda.log
none
program.log
none
storage.log
none
ks.cfg none

Description Jan Stodola 2012-10-03 12:04:09 UTC 
Description of problem:
When running kickstart installation, anaconda waits until user selects vnc or text mode before continuing:

...
Starting installer, one moment...
anaconda 18.11 for Fedora 18-Beta-TC1 (pre-release) started.
================================================================================
================================================================================
VNC

Text mode provides a limited set of installation options. It does not allow you 
to specify your own partitioning layout or package selections. Would you like to
 use VNC mode instead?

 1) Start VNC

 2) Use text mode

  Please make your choice from above ['q' to quit | 'c' to continue]: 2
Starting automated install...
...


According to http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Kickstart#graphical , graphical mode is the default when no UI mode is specified.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
anaconda 18.11

How reproducible:
always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. prepare kickstart, do not specify UI mode
2. start installation using prepared kickstart
  
Actual results:
user interaction is required to finish the install

Expected results:
anaconda installs without user interaction, graphical UI mode is used for the install (according to http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Kickstart#graphical)
Comment 1 Jan Stodola 2012-10-03 12:05:06 UTC 
Created attachment 620792 [details]
anaconda.log
Comment 2 Jan Stodola 2012-10-03 12:05:36 UTC 
Created attachment 620793 [details]
program.log
Comment 3 Jan Stodola 2012-10-03 12:06:01 UTC 
Created attachment 620794 [details]
storage.log
Comment 5 Jan Stodola 2012-10-03 12:07:09 UTC 
Created attachment 620796 [details]
ks.cfg
Comment 6 Jan Stodola 2012-10-03 14:45:08 UTC 
Hmmm, the reason why anaconda didn't start in graphical mode is that boot command line contained "console=ttyS0,115200". Retested in a KVM guest without specifying "console=..." and installation finished correctly in graphical mode. I'm sorry for the confusion on this.


Anyway, when installing with "console=ttyS0,..." command line boot parameter and without any UI options, anaconda should install in text mode.

See http://wwoods.fedorapeople.org/doc/boot-options.html#console about "console" parameter:
This is a kernel option that specifies what device to use as the primary console.
...
Using this option implies text.


This is also how anaconda in RHEL-6 works - switch to text mode without asking to use vnc.
Comment 7 Jesse Keating 2012-10-03 16:02:01 UTC 
Hrm, your kickstart doesn't have a preference listed for display mode, no "graphical" or "text" or "vnc" or even "cmdline".  Without a choice there, we don't know what your intention is.  That's why you were prompted.  console= description is a tad misleading.  It starts the install over the specified console, but can still lead to a VNC install.

If you put one of "cmdline" or "text" in your kickstart does it work as intended?
Comment 8 Jan Stodola 2012-10-04 12:17:46 UTC 
Well, if using "console=..." implies text (as stated on the page from comment 6), anaconda should use text mode automatically when no UI is scpecified.

If using "console=..." does not imply text and UI mode has to be specified, then documentation needs updating not to confuse users.

The problem is that anaconda behaviour and documentation of boot options differ.

(In reply to comment #7)
> If you put one of "cmdline" or "text" in your kickstart does it work as
> intended?

Yes, it works fine.
Comment 9 Jesse Keating 2012-10-04 17:10:54 UTC 
Ah sorry, didn't notice you were looking at wwoods' draft docs.  I'll work with wwoods to update those to reflect current reality.
Comment 10 Jan Stodola 2012-11-02 13:41:30 UTC 
Retested with anaconda-18.22, kickstart installation starts in text mode when console=... is specified on kernel command line and no UI mode is specified in kickstart or kernel command line.

Closing this bug.