Olivier BONHOMME wrote:
Hello Everybody,
I am writing on this mailing because I have got a problem to
understand how anaconda works with initrd.
Let me explain my problem.
I build a kernel package with rpmbuild using a custom SPEC file. This
kernel uses an initrd.img file in order to boot correctely. I decided
to use this kernel for creating an automatic installer for Fedora Core
6 using anaconda.
I build our distro also with a custom kernel built with a custom SPEC file.
I built my CD sucessfully and tried to boot on it. Anaconda starts
sucessfully and the installation is OK.
If anaconda starts successfully and installation is ok, then the problem
is NOT from Anaconda's kernel installation, if it was, Anaconda would
probably not boot at all.
After the installation, the system reboots and at this moment I see
that the initrd line is not added in GRUB. If I try to boot, the
system restarts after saying that it is impossible to open the initial
console.
After investigation, I found that the initrd file was not present on
the destination system and I undserstood why.
I've had a somewhat similar problem in my distro building episodes. I
used to use a custom build process which I kept updating as things
changed from FC3, FC4, FC5, etc, when I had this problem recently, I
discovered that some rpms where NOT being installed on my target machine
default installs, basically 'mkinitrd' and 'initscripts' where not being
installed, at this point, after much head scratching and related staring
into space (and then some more head scratching), I discovered and
switched to using 'pungi', and currently, I don't have that problem
anymore... My problem back then was that mkinitrd and initscripts were
missing from the pkgorder file that buildinstall was creating, I still
don't know what was wrong, but using pungi now, i no more have that problem.
In my RPM, I have a postinst directive which says to create the initrd
file and update the GRUB entry using commands new-kernel-pkg and
mkinitrd. But on the stage2 file system these commands are not present.
Can you boot into system rescue mode and try to manually install your
kernel again, you'll then see any errors that are preventing your kernel
from being properly installed during the CD installation or at least,
you'll get a clue.
But, on a Fedora Default Install, we have a custom with an initrd.img
file. So the thing I would want to understand is how and when anaconda
creates the initrd file and how and when the GRUB entry is updated
because I didn't find out where was done these operations.
these should happen when the kernel is being installed, but if
dependencies are missing, for instance, mkinitrd is not installed,
BadThings(tm) will happen.
Thank you for your answers
Best Regards,
Olivier BONHOMME
hope that helps.
cheers,
Essien
_______________________________________________
Anaconda-devel-list mailing list
Anaconda-devel-list@xxxxxxxxxx
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/anaconda-devel-list
