Bug 447182 - unexpected behaviour using stage2= option
Summary: unexpected behaviour using stage2= option
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED RAWHIDE
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: anaconda
Version: 9
Hardware: i386
OS: Linux
low
low
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Anaconda Maintenance Team
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2008-05-18 16:01 UTC by Keith Dixon
Modified: 2011-10-12 08:14 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2009-02-16 20:32:15 UTC
Type: ---
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)
anaconda.log (46.50 KB, text/plain)
2008-05-18 16:01 UTC, Keith Dixon
no flags Details
libuser.1cl3rf (235 bytes, text/plain)
2008-05-18 16:03 UTC, Keith Dixon
no flags Details
lvmout (55 bytes, text/plain)
2008-05-18 16:03 UTC, Keith Dixon
no flags Details
syslog (25.02 KB, text/plain)
2008-05-18 16:04 UTC, Keith Dixon
no flags Details
X.log (36.57 KB, text/plain)
2008-05-18 16:04 UTC, Keith Dixon
no flags Details
XConfig.test (556 bytes, text/plain)
2008-05-18 16:05 UTC, Keith Dixon
no flags Details

Description Keith Dixon 2008-05-18 16:01:29 UTC
Description of problem:
I may have misunderstood the purpose of the new stage2= option in anaconda but
this is what I have been trying to do.

I wish to do a network install from a mirror in the UK (mirrorservice.org)
without using installation media so I downloaded Fedora-9-i386-netinst.iso to a
partition I use for holding distribution isos (sda13) then copied from it the
files isolinux/vmlinuz and isolinux/initrd.img to /boot and the file
images/stage2.img to my iso partition.  I was hoping to save a second download
of stage2.img, which is over 100MB, during the install.  I then used the
following entry in grub.conf to boot the installation kernel:-

title Fedora Installation
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /vmlinuz-install lang=en_GB.UTF-8 keymap=uk ip=dhcp noipv6
method=ftp://ftp.mirrorservice.org/sites/download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/9/Fedora/i386/os/
stage2=hd:sda13:/stage2.img
        initrd /initrd.img-install

This works up to the stage after the boot loader configuration and after:-

Transferring install image to hard drive...

when it displays the error:-

Unable to read package metadata. This may be due to a missing repodata
directory.  Please ensure that your install tree has been correctly generated.  

Cannot retrieve repository metadata (repomd.xml) for repository: 
anaconda-Fedora-200805072150.i386. Please verify its path and try again.

        Exit installer   Edit   Retry

I was expecting that this information would be obtained from the mirror
specified in the method= option but my router leds showed no network activity at
this point.  

The 'Edit Repository' dialog displayed using the 'Edit' button contains:-

   Repository name : Fedora
 * Repository URL
ftp://ftp.mirrorservice.org/sites/download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/9/Fedora/i386/os/
stage2=hd:sda13:/stage2.img
   Repository Mirror

I do not understand the difference between 'Repository URL' and 'Repository
Mirror' but moving the url to the latter and selecting it made no difference.

Removing the stage2= option from the kernel line makes the installation behave
as for Fedora 8 and downloads stage2.img from the mirror. 

I have not yet completed the install of Fedora 9 as I am waiting for the period
when I get unrestricted downloads, (0000-0800Hrs).


Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
11.4.0.82

How reproducible:
always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.
  
Actual results:
failure to read package metadata

Expected results:
get package metadata from specified mirror

Additional info:
contents of /tmp in attachments

Comment 1 Keith Dixon 2008-05-18 16:01:29 UTC
Created attachment 305857 [details]
anaconda.log

Comment 2 Keith Dixon 2008-05-18 16:03:02 UTC
Created attachment 305858 [details]
libuser.1cl3rf

Comment 3 Keith Dixon 2008-05-18 16:03:42 UTC
Created attachment 305859 [details]
lvmout

Comment 4 Keith Dixon 2008-05-18 16:04:09 UTC
Created attachment 305860 [details]
syslog

Comment 5 Keith Dixon 2008-05-18 16:04:36 UTC
Created attachment 305861 [details]
X.log

Comment 6 Keith Dixon 2008-05-18 16:05:12 UTC
Created attachment 305862 [details]
XConfig.test

Comment 7 Keith Dixon 2008-05-19 07:57:58 UTC
I tried an install this morning without the stage2= option and everything worked
fine, but I had to abort it as I ran out of time.  The install of Fedora 8 took
5 hours so it looks as though that behaviour is the same.  This may be a problem
with my ISP throttling ftp.  I may try http instead.

There were two further issues:-

1) Without the stage2= option, Network Configuration comes up with IPv6 disabled
in accordance with the kernel parameter.  With the stage2= option, IPv6 was auto.

2) When I selected 'Additional Fedora Software' under Software Selection I got
the error:-

Unable to read package metadata. This may be due to a missing repodata 
directory.  Please ensure that your install tree has been correctly generated.  

Error getting repository data for AdditionalFedoraSotware, repository not found


and indeed many packages were not available under the customization menus.


Comment 8 Keith Dixon 2008-05-19 08:20:18 UTC
I just noticed an error in my original post. The 'Edit Repository' dialog should
have read:-

   Repository name : Fedora
 * Repository URL
ftp://ftp.mirrorservice.org/sites/download.fedora.redhat.com/pub/fedora/linux/releases/9/Fedora/i386/os/
   Repository Mirror


Comment 9 Carl Roth 2008-05-19 15:28:13 UTC
This technique works fine for the 'rescue' boot entry but not for the 'install'
entries.  I also tried adding a 'kickstart' entry to the usb stick and it also
failed with "cannot find install media".  Odd.


Comment 10 Keith Dixon 2008-05-21 08:48:33 UTC
I have now made a successful network install by ftp without the stage2= option.
 The 'Additional Fedora Software' problem described in Comment #7 did not recur.


Comment 11 Chris Lumens 2008-06-19 19:42:43 UTC
Please test this again with rawhide as I have recently committed a large number
of changes in this area.

Comment 12 Giri 2011-10-12 07:05:57 UTC
I am trying to do network install for fc14. I am getting the exactly the error as commented in COMMENT # 1
please help me how to get rid of this issue

Thanks & Regards
Giri

Comment 13 Giri 2011-10-12 07:19:06 UTC
Also i only specified 'kernel' command with vmlinuz and 'repo=<path>' and 'initrd' commands in grub.conf file. i am not using stage2= option. actually i hope in FC14, we had "install.img" instead of "stage2.img" under /images directory. but anaconda is looking for only stage2.img file. so can u please say how to make anaconda to pick install.img instead of stage2.img?

Comment 14 Giri 2011-10-12 08:14:06 UTC
Also i only specified 'kernel' command with vmlinuz and 'repo=<path>' and 'initrd' commands in grub.conf file. i am not using stage2= option. actually i hope in FC14, we had "install.img" instead of "stage2.img" under /images directory. but anaconda is looking for only stage2.img file. so can u please say how to make anaconda to pick install.img instead of stage2.img?


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