Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 179756
display IP address when asking vnc client viewer which hostname to connect
Last modified: 2007-11-30 17:11:22 EST
Description of problem: During VNC based install, the server (installing system) would ask the client viewer which "hostname:<display#>" to connect without including its IP address. The client viewer will not be able to connect simply by using hostname:<display#> without any naming service running (local DNS), that resolved hostname to IP address. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): anaconda-10.91.11-1 How reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Using kickstart config file setup the following: ks.cfg: vnc url --url ftp://192.168.3.30/mysrc/fed/x86_64 network --bootproto dhcp --hostname bahamas2 Assumption: client viewer has the source tree and kickstart file IP address: 192.168.3.30 kickstart: /mysrc/vnc/ks.cfg 2. During kernel boot-time prompt, type: linux ks=ftp://192.168.3.30/mysrc/vnc/ks.cfg 3. Wait until the installation has properly setup the VNC server and ask you to connect from the VNC client viewer. ================================== 11:42:07 INFO : The VNC server is now running. 11:42:07 INFO : Please connect to bahamas2:1 to begin the install... ================================= 4. Assuming that there is no local DNS running, from the client viewer type: vncviewer bahamas2:1 Actual results: The output will show ================================= unable to resolve host by name: Success (0) ================================= Expected results: The last line should at least identify the IP address rather than just the hostname i.e: ================================= 11:42:07 INFO : Please connect to 192.168.3.32:1 (bahamas2:1) to begin the install... ================================= So when you execute from the VNC client viewer: vncviewer 192.168.3.32:1 (assumed 192.168.3.32=>bahamas2) Connection will succeed and allow the installation to proceed! Additional info:
You only get a hostname if a reverse lookup works. If your environment doesn't have consistent DNS, then it is broken.
I don't think anaconda is verifying whether DNS is working before displaying the hostname in place of IP addr. Anaconda mistakenly think DNS is working if you defined the hostname in the kickstart file; thus, prompting you to connect to a hostname instead of IP addr. Remember, you can't set up the proper environment ahead of time for the client viewer to map hostname to IP address if the installing system uses DHCP. I think the quick fix would be to always display the IP address regardless of whether the hostname is defined or not. This is easy since the installing system always knows what IP address it has been assigned from DHCP. Otherwise, the user will have to dig into /tmp/syslog or ping the available address space which is cumbersome and time consuming. eric