Why does RHEL7 kickstart installation fail to install using anaconda root=live network location ?

Solution Verified - Updated -

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.1
  • Kickstart

Issue

  • Since the deprecation of the asknetwork option in anaconda, experiencing issues installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 using a network located root (append root=live:http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/rhel7/LiveOS/squashfs.img) when the first network port (decided by dracut) is not connected.

  • This means even if the first network interface worked and downloaded the squashfs.img, it would move on to the second interface and fail and kill the install. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.0 at least worked if the first interface was able to connect to the network. If there is only one network interface, and it is able to connect to the network, it will download and continue the install. This is replicated across physicals and virtual infrastructure.

  • Old way of doing it pre Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.1 (making sure eth1 was being used)
label custom
  kernel vmlinuz
  append root=live:http://test/rhel7/LiveOS/squashfs.img inst.ks=cdrom:/kickstart.cfg ip=192.168.0.100 gateway=192.168.0.254 netmask=255.255.255.0 initrd=initrd.img text"
  • With the multi NIC format
label custom
  kernel vmlinuz
  append root=live:http://test/rhel7/LiveOS/squashfs.img inst.ks=cdrom:/kickstart.cfg ip=192.168.0.100::192.168.0.254:255.255.255.0:networktest.example::off initrd=initrd.img text
  • Both these examples fail.

Resolution

  • Provide bootdev=link should activate the first working NIC and start downloading from it.
  • Try the following anaconda boot parameters.
append inst.stage2=http://test/rhel7/ inst.ks=cdrom:/kickstart.cfg ip=192.168.0.100::192.168.0.254:255.255.255.0:networktest.example::off initrd=initrd.img text biosdevname=0 net.ifnames=0 bootdev=link
  • Or
append inst.stage2=http://test/rhel7/ inst.ks=cdrom:/kickstart.cfg ip=192.168.0.100 gateway=192.168.0.254 netmask=255.255.255.0 initrd=initrd.img text bootdev=link biosdevname=0 net.ifnames=0

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