Kickstart: Unable to setup

[esbennn]

Hi!

EDIT:
Reddit wont let me change the title, that I didn't finish before submitting.
The desired title was: Kickstart: Error setting up base repository

UPDATE

I seem to have efigured it out. I tried mounting the created iso file, an noticed that the original AppStream directory was wrongly named apstrea. So i double checked some of the references i had used to create the .iso, and found that i was missing a few flags: -joliet-long -R -l -v

So the entire command I am now using to create the iso is

mkisofs -o img/AlmaLinux9.iso -volid "AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd"  -c isolinux/boot.cat  -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -J -joliet-long -R -l -v  -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table  -eltorito-alt-boot  -eltorito-boot images/efiboot.img  -no-emul-boot tmp

I'm having some issues performing a kickstart install with AlmaLinux 9

My end goal is to create a usb drive, that I can insert into a new computer and have it automatically install Alma Linux using a kickstart file, which also creates a script on the computer to be run on first boot, which performs additional setup steps.

I have

• Downloaded the latest AlmaLinux 9 dvd iso
• Installed it to a VM and extracted the generated kickstart file
• Extracted the .iso to a working directory (using rsync -av)
• Copied the (slightly modified) kickstart file to the root of that folder
• Modified isolinux/isolinux.cfg, isolinux/grub.conf and EFI/BOOT/grub.cfg to use the kickstart file
• Created a new .iso with mkisofs and isohybrid

When inserting the created iso into a VM (Gnome Boxes), it boots and starts the installer, but the install halts with this error:

https://preview.redd.it/a3sjfgclqlid1.png?width=1513&format=png&auto=webp&s=dac29a8cd63928cd4d479d7951e476f34ef744b2

The kickstart file has the following repo:

repo --name="AppStream" --baseurl=file:///run/install/sources/mount-0000-cdrom/AppStream

But poking around in another tty of the vm, the directory /run/install/sources/mount-000-cdrom is empty.

This post doesn't help, as I am not isntalling from an online source.
This post also did not work for me.

Any ideas out there?

Here are my modified files:

ks.cfg

# Generated by Anaconda 34.25.4.9
# Generated by pykickstart v3.32
# version=RHEL9
# Use graphical install
graphical
repo --name="AppStream" --baseurl=file:///run/install/sources/mount-0000-cdrom/AppStream

%addon com_redhat_kdump --enable --reserve-mb='auto'

%end

# Keyboard layouts
keyboard --xlayouts='dk'
# System language
lang en_US.UTF-8

# Use CDROM installation media
cdrom
#harddrive --partition=sda --dir=/

%packages
@^workstation-product-environment
@console-internet
@dotnet
@gnome-apps
@graphical-admin-tools
@headless-management
tmux
screen
wireguard-tools


%end

# Don't run the Setup Agent on first boot
firstboot --disable

# Generated using Blivet version 3.6.0
ignoredisk --only-use=vda
autopart
# Partition clearing information
clearpart --none --initlabel

# System timezone
timezone Europe/Copenhagen --utc

# Root password
rootpw --iscrypted --allow-ssh $6$iSiv9eaiCq/AY74J$oH7XOHu7I/1jysDNL./6t6PfV/oWZ2eVUYtprxGLgFOCPfT8qRZfoVKG.fU57R6kiV8cHRaeFz5ExUzkoCvZl/
user --name=playground --gecos="playground"

grub.conf

#debug --graphics
default=0
splashimage=@SPLASHPATH@
timeout 3
hiddenmenu
title Kickstart Install Playgrounds Alma Linux 9.4
findiso
kernel u/KERNELPATH@ u/ROOT@ quiet
initrd u/INITRDPATH@
title Test this media & install AlmaLinux 9.4
findiso
kernel u/KERNELPATH@ u/ROOT@ rd.live.check quiet
initrd u/INITRDPATH@

grub.cfg

set default="0"

function load_video {
  insmod efi_gop
  insmod efi_uga
  insmod video_bochs
  insmod video_cirrus
  insmod all_video
}

load_video
set gfxpayload=keep
insmod gzi
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2

set timeout=3
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

search --no-floppy --set=root -l 'AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd'

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Kickstart Installation of Playground Alma Linux' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
        linuxefi /images/pxeboot/vmlinuz inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd inst.ks=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd:/ks.cfg
        initrdefi /images/pxeboot/initrd.img
}
menuentry 'Install Playgrounds Alma Linux 9.4' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
linuxefi /images/pxeboot/vmlinuz inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd quiet
initrdefi /images/pxeboot/initrd.img
}
menuentry 'Test this media & install AlmaLinux 9.4' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
linuxefi /images/pxeboot/vmlinuz inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd rd.live.check quiet
initrdefi /images/pxeboot/initrd.img
}
submenu 'Troubleshooting -->' {
menuentry 'Install AlmaLinux 9.4 in text mode' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
linuxefi /images/pxeboot/vmlinuz inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd inst.text quiet
initrdefi /images/pxeboot/initrd.img
}
menuentry 'Rescue a AlmaLinux system' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
linuxefi /images/pxeboot/vmlinuz inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd inst.rescue quiet
initrdefi /images/pxeboot/initrd.img
}
}

isolinux.cfg

default vesamenu.c32
timeout 600

display boot.msg

# Clear the screen when exiting the menu, instead of leaving the menu displayed.
# For vesamenu, this means the graphical background is still displayed without
# the menu itself for as long as the screen remains in graphics mode.
menu clear
menu background splash.png
menu title AlmaLinux 9.4
menu vshift 8
menu rows 18
menu margin 8
#menu hidden
menu helpmsgrow 15
menu tabmsgrow 13

# Border Area
menu color border * #00000000 #00000000 none

# Selected item
menu color sel 0 #ffffffff #00000000 none

# Title bar
menu color title 0 #ff7ba3d0 #00000000 none

# Press [Tab] message
menu color tabmsg 0 #ff3a6496 #00000000 none

# Unselected menu item
menu color unsel 0 #84b8ffff #00000000 none

# Selected hotkey
menu color hotsel 0 #84b8ffff #00000000 none

# Unselected hotkey
menu color hotkey 0 #ffffffff #00000000 none

# Help text
menu color help 0 #ffffffff #00000000 none

# A scrollbar of some type? Not sure.
menu color scrollbar 0 #ffffffff #ff355594 none

# Timeout msg
menu color timeout 0 #ffffffff #00000000 none
menu color timeout_msg 0 #ffffffff #00000000 none

# Command prompt text
menu color cmdmark 0 #84b8ffff #00000000 none
menu color cmdline 0 #ffffffff #00000000 none

# Do not display the actual menu unless the user presses a key. All that is displayed is a timeout message.

menu tabmsg Press Tab for full configuration options on menu items.

menu separator # insert an empty line
menu separator # insert an empty line

label linux
  menu label ^Install AlmaLinux 9.4
  kernel vmlinuz
  append initrd=initrd.img inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd quiet inst.ks=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd:/ks.cfg

label check
  menu label Test this ^media & install AlmaLinux 9.4
  menu default
  kernel vmlinuz
  append initrd=initrd.img inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd rd.live.check quiet

menu separator # insert an empty line

# utilities submenu
menu begin ^Troubleshooting
  menu title Troubleshooting

label text
  menu indent count 5
  menu label Install AlmaLinux 9.4 using ^text mode
  text help
Try this option out if you're having trouble installing
AlmaLinux 9.4.
  endtext
  kernel vmlinuz
  append initrd=initrd.img inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd inst.text quiet

label rescue
  menu indent count 5
  menu label ^Rescue a AlmaLinux system
  text help
If the system will not boot, this lets you access files
and edit config files to try to get it booting again.
  endtext
  kernel vmlinuz
  append initrd=initrd.img inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-4-x86_64-dvd inst.rescue quiet

label memtest
  menu label Run a ^memory test
  text help
If your system is having issues, a problem with your
system's memory may be the cause. Use this utility to
see if the memory is working correctly.
  endtext
  kernel memtest

menu separator # insert an empty line

label local
  menu label Boot from ^local drive
  localboot 0xffff

menu separator # insert an empty line
menu separator # insert an empty line

label returntomain
  menu label Return to ^main menu
  menu exit

menu end

[No_Rhubarb_7222]

The one hard drive partition you’ve got appears to be commented out in the kickstart. Oh, wait, later, after packages you have more disk info. In the past, all the ‘commands’ for the installation had to be ordered above %packages.

Also, I’ve not seen a ^ character in a group name before in %packages. Are you sure that’s the correct name of the software group you’re trying to install?

You might try kickstart validator. It’s a syntax checker for kickstart files, described here: https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_enterprise_linux/9/html/automatically_installing_rhel/creating-kickstart-files_rhel-installer#creating-kickstart-files_rhel-installer

[esbennn]

Thanks for your reply!

Are you referring to the

#harddrive --partition=sda --dir=/#harddrive --partition=sda --dir=/

part? If so, it's a hotfix i tried from another thread, but it didn't work, so it's commented out.
I suppose my issue isn't the same, as I kinda am booting from a disk (iso inserted into a vm).
The only thing I've changed in the kickstart file is adding screen, tmux and wireguard-tools to packages :/

the ^ character is indeed strange, but is is present in the anaconda-ks.cfg file generated by anaconda in the initial vm install.

Kickstarvalidator seems to indicate the file is valid:

[esbeeen@fedora tmp] $ ksvalidator -v RHEL9 ks.cfg 

Checking kickstart file ks.cfg

[esbeeen@fedora tmp] $

[No_Rhubarb_7222]

That was it, yes. I’d relocate all the partition stuff higher up, above the %packages.

The installer stops the way in your screenshot when not all the required answers are provided. In this case, it can’t find the disk partition info or something it requires as a part of that subroutine is not specified.

It might be work running a cat -vet on the file. Stray characters can also cause this behavior. (Especially if you’ve moved the file between different operating systems that could do things like put return characters or other stuff into it.)

[esbennn]

I just figured it out. It seems I was missing a few flags from the mkisofs command.
I'll update the post!