Red Hat Satellite installer fails with error Failed to load feature test for posix: can't find user for 0.

Solution Verified - Updated -

Environment

  • Red Hat Satellite 6
  • Red Hat Capsule
  • Puppet

Issue

  • Satellite installer failing with following logs in /var/log/foreman-installer/satellite.log:

    [ERROR 2019-03-18T09:53:04 main]  Systemd start for puppetserver failed!
[ERROR 2019-03-18T09:53:04 main] journalctl log for puppetserver:
[ERROR 2019-03-18T09:53:04 main] -- Logs begin at Tue 2019-03-12 17:09:35 CDT, end at Mon 2019-03-18 09:53:04 CDT. --
[ERROR 2019-03-18T09:53:04 main] Mar 18 09:52:24 satellite.example.com systemd[1]: Starting puppetserver Service...
[ERROR 2019-03-18T09:53:04 main] Mar 18 09:53:03 satellite.example.com puppetserver[16361]: Failed to load feature test for posix: can't find user for 0

  • On the Capsule server, the installer failed with following logs in /var/log/foreman-installer/capsule.log:

    [ERROR ] [configure] Systemd start for puppetserver failed!
[ERROR ] [configure] journalctl log for puppetserver:
[ERROR ] [configure] -- Logs begin at Fri 2025-10-17 02:48:01 CDT, end at Fri 2025-10-17 03:04:21 CDT. --
[ERROR ] [configure] Oct 17 02:59:26 capsule.example.com puppetserver[24876]: Failed to load feature test for posix: can't find user for 0
[ERROR ] [configure] Oct 17 02:59:26 capsule.example.com puppetserver[24876]: Execution error (RuntimeError) at RUBY/<main> (/opt/puppetlabs/puppet/lib/ruby/vendor_ruby/puppet/feature/base.rb:21).
[ERROR ] [configure] Oct 17 02:59:26 capsule.example.com puppetserver[24876]: (Error) Cannot determine basic system flavour
[ERROR ] [configure] Oct 17 02:59:26 capsule.example.com puppetserver[24876]: Full report at: /var/tmp/clojure-8931420440555426946.edn
[ERROR ] [configure] /Stage[main]/Puppet::Server::Service/Service[puppetserver]/ensure: change from 'stopped' to 'running' failed: Systemd start for puppetserver failed!
[ERROR ] [configure] Oct 17 02:59:26 capsule.example.com puppetserver[24876]: Failed to load feature test for posix: can't find user for 0

Resolution

Root Cause

  • Puppet Server will not function if noexec permission is set on the temporary mount point that Java uses.

Diagnostic Steps

  • Hardening parameters set for /tmp:

    [root@satellite]# mount | grep '/tmp' | grep -i noexec
/dev/mapper/system-tmp on /tmp type xfs (rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,seclabel,attr2,inode64,noquota) [tmp]

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