Honest Guvnor wrote:
> Greetings. We are trying to convert our cluster to run SL 5.0 and seem
> to be having a problem doing something that a great many people must
> have done successfully namely downloading the kickstart file from the
> server when installing SL 5.0 on a node. We are new to SL and
> kickstart.
> 
> We initiate the network install using Etherboot on a floppy. This
> works in that DHCP supplies the network information and tftp downloads
> the kernel, initrd and boot command wrapped up by mknbi. Linux boots
> but eventually fails stating there was an error downloading the
> kickstart file. It prompts for a new ks parameter.
> 
> We have successfully performed an interactive ftp install on a
> different node so the main part of the network installation would seem
> to be no problem. We simply cannot get the kickstart file transferred.
> 
> Initially we tried various combinations of dhcp.conf edits and boot
> parameters trying to use ftp to transfer the kickstart but without
> success. The manual does not seem to list ftp as an option anymore for
> transferring the kickstart file. Is this an omission in the manual or
> has this option been removed? (We have seen that system-config-netboot
> it refers to appears to be missing. How reliable is the manual?).
> 
> We have installed and tried NFS which appeared to be the preferred
> choice but again without success. We confirmed that we could NFS mount
> and access the kickstart file from other nodes.
> 
> We have not installed and tried http but suspect the method of
> transfer is probably not the problem. As nonsysadmins who have never
> used kickstart or SL it is likely we are simply missing something
> obvious and basic. Can someone please provide an example of a set of
> boot parameters and dhcp.conf entries that they are confident works
> for SL 5.0 and a remote kickstart file?
> 
> Any other thoughts or pointers gratefully received.

I do know that http ks works.  That is the only kind I do.  For SL 5, I make 
sure I have the "noipv6" in the same line.
If I'm booting off a network install CD I use the line

linux noipv6 ks=http://my.address.here/path/ks.cfg

We've had some problems here, where people are trying to access their kickstart 
file when they really can't.  They are often on a private network, and trying 
to access the kickstart file on the public network, where they can't reach.

Troy
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Troy Dawson  [log in to unmask]  (630)840-6468
Fermilab  ComputingDivision/LCSI/CSI DSS Group
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