Why does initramfs of older Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 release getting corrupted during dual boot installation of new release?

Solution Verified - Updated -

Issue

  • The system is installed with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 with the following partitioning.
zerombr
clearpart --all --drives=sda
part /boot --fstype=ext3 --size=1024 --ondisk=sda --asprimary
part pv.01 --size=62464 --grow --ondisk=sda --asprimary
volgroup sysvg pv.01
logvol swap --vgname=sysvg --name=swap --fstype=swap --size=2048
logvol / --vgname=sysvg --name=root1 --fstype=ext4 --size=24576
logvol /root/unused --vgname=sysvg --name=root2 --fstype=ext4 --size=24576
logvol /home --vgname=sysvg --name=home --fstype=ext4 --size=10240
  • Have an unused logical volume called root2.
  • Then installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.6 into this using a kickstart with disk setup like this:
part /boot --noformat --onpart=sda1
part pv.01 --noformat --onpart=sda2
volgroup sysvg --noformat
logvol swap --vgname=sysvg --name=swap --useexisting
logvol /root/unused --vgname=sysvg --name=root1 --noformat
logvol / --vgname=sysvg --name=root2 --fstype=ext4 --useexisting
logvol /home --vgname=sysvg --name=home --noformat
  • Only swap and the root2 volume get reformatted and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.6 is installed into root2.
  • When done, root1 has Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 and root2 has Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.6.
  • Then the file /boot/grub/grub.conf file is modified to have the 6.5 and 6.6 entries so one can boot either OS since /boot partition contains the boot files for both.
  • The problem is seen when installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.6 into root2 volume. During the install, the /boot/initramfs* file for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 is recreated but since it cannot get to the kernel modules under /lib, this file is not complete and when trying to boot to 6.5, one get a panic.
  • Why the install of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.6 try to rebuild the 6.5 initramfs file?
  • Is there a way to keep this from happening during the install of another OS version?

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5/6.6
  • Kickstart

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