What version of RHEL are you trying to install? I believe you have two different problems here. The first is DHCP related, the second is with your RPM's. Isolate one problem at a time and life will be much easier. I'm not as familiar with the Alcatel switch, I'm a Cisco guy, but the problem you are describing regarding DHCP sounds like the portfast issue that we always see on this list. Basically, the NIC cycles itself 3 different times during a build. The first time is during pxeboot. After the pxe information is sent, the nic is recycled and must re-negotiate with the switch. If portfast is not enabled, then the request times out before spanning tree allows the NIC to begin communications. Steps you can take include assigning the IP on the boot: line instead of via DHCP, and using ethtool on the boot: line like this: ksdevice=eth0 eth0_ethtool="autoneg=off speed=100 duplex=full" or ksdevice=eth0 eth0_ethtool="speed=1000 autoneg=on duplex=full" Chip -----Original Message----- From: kickstart-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:kickstart-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Klaus Steden Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 1:08 PM To: Discussion list about Kickstart Subject: Re: pump told us: No DHCP reply received Hello everyone, I am having a similar issue that is becoming quite confusing, and I am hoping that by throwing the topic out there, I might gain some insight from the rest of the community. So here goes ... I'm trying to kickstart a node in my render farm. It is connected into an Alcatel 6600 series L2+ switch, connected via LACP aggregate to main switch closet. Everything is on the same VLAN and subnet. If I start the bootstrap install procedure, if I have my machine connected to the 6600 switch, I get no link. Nada. Nothing. Zip. No DHCP broadcast is seen by the server (on the same subnet as the affected machine). I've even tried connecting the DHCP server physically to the same switch, and again, it doesn't even see a request from Kickstart. What makes it weird is that there are 14 other machines on this switch also using DHCP (although not from Kickstart), and they have no problems getting leases and communicating with the DHCP server. If I connect the affected machine to the main switch and try again, it will get an IP properly, but installation always crashes without fail while trying to install one of the OpenOffice RPMs. The RPM itself is fine, mind you, but Kickstart doesn't like it, and fails consistently at the same byte each and every time. If I get the machine to grab a lease by connecting it to the main switch, and then swap it back on to the Alcatel, it continues to communicate without trouble, but again, crashes out during installation of the OpenOffice RPM mentioned previously. I've tried a second NIC, with the same result. I've tried a different HDD with the same result. Even when connected to the Alcatel 6600 switch during the DHCP negotiation phase, I can see the NIC light up, I see it actually activate, and then it gets shut down again immediately after. This is extremely confusing. I have never seen a situation like this before, and I am running out of possible explanations. Has anyone else ever encountered anything like this before? cheers, Klaus _______________________________________________ Kickstart-list mailing list Kickstart-list@xxxxxxxxxx https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/kickstart-list
