AutoYaST - Automated installation from openSUSE 12.3 DVD does not work

[Sebastian Siebert]

Hi folks,

I am helping someone that he want to use the automated installation with
AutoYaST and the openSUSE installation DVD. The issue is that YaST could
not find the DVD YaST2 repository.

We went as follows:

1. Download the openSUSE 12.3 DVD ISO

2. Install the "ISO master" from Packman

3. Modify the ISO: add the AutoYaST file to /autoinst.xml

4. Modify the ISO: add boot parameter in the file
/boot/x86_64/loader/isolinux.cfg: install=cd autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml

The hint comes from:
<http://users.suse.com/~ug/AutoYaST_FAQ.html#a6>

5. Save the new ISO content

6. Boot the ISO in VirtualBox for test. AutoYaST starts automatically.

7. While system probing we get an error message:
--- START ---
Unable to create repository
from URL 'cd:/?devices=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-VBOX_CD-ROM-VB2-01700376'.

Details:
[|] Valid metadata not found at specified URL
History:
- [|] Repository type can't be determined.
Try again?
--- END ---

We had tried following boot parameter:
1. install=cd autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml
2. autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml
3. autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml install=cd
4. install=cd:/ autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml
5. install=cd:/?devices=sr0 autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml
6. install=cd:/?devices=sr* autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml
7. namescheme="" autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml
8. namescheme="" install=cd autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml


But none of them works.


Interesting issue is if we select "Source HTTP" instead "Source DVD" in
the boot menu. YaST adds the online OSS repository but it could not find
the AutoYaST file anymore. It is so weird.

The error message is:
--- START ---
An error occured while fetching the profile:
Reading file on /var/adm/mount//autoinst.xml filed.
Reading file on /autoinst.xml failed.
Reading a file on CD failed: /tmp/YaST-02942-IMvaKW/tmp_mount//autoinst.xml.
--- END ---

The question is: How we can fixed it in the boot parameter for the
openSUSE 12.3 DVD installation?

Thanks for any advice on this problem.

[Thomas Fehr]

Hi Sebastian,

Post by Sebastian Siebert
Hi folks,
I am helping someone that he want to use the automated installation with
AutoYaST and the openSUSE installation DVD. The issue is that YaST could
not find the DVD YaST2 repository.
1. Download the openSUSE 12.3 DVD ISO
2. Install the "ISO master" from Packman
3. Modify the ISO: add the AutoYaST file to /autoinst.xml
4. Modify the ISO: add boot parameter in the file
/boot/x86_64/loader/isolinux.cfg: install=cd autoyast=file:///autoinst.xml
<http://users.suse.com/~ug/AutoYaST_FAQ.html#a6>
5. Save the new ISO content
6. Boot the ISO in VirtualBox for test. AutoYaST starts automatically.
--- START ---
Unable to create repository
from URL 'cd:/?devices=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-VBOX_CD-ROM-VB2-01700376'.
[|] Valid metadata not found at specified URL
- [|] Repository type can't be determined.
Try again?
--- END ---

Sorry for late reply. I was on vacation.

I tried whay you did and could reproduce your problem here.
It seems isomaster creates broken images.

When I look at the content of path /media.1/products on the
iso image created by isomaster it contains:

f134:~ # cat /mnt/media.1/products
ϽS���I"j�Z�d�.Cq
f134:~ #

while the original iso image contains:

Lagrange:~ # cat /mnt/media.1/products
/ openSUSE 12.3-1.7
Lagrange:~ #

Post by Sebastian Siebert
Interesting issue is if we select "Source HTTP" instead "Source DVD" in
the boot menu. YaST adds the online OSS repository but it could not find
the AutoYaST file anymore. It is so weird.

If you install via http anyway, you should also use an http url for autoyast
file (e.g. something like autoyast=http://10.120.4.28/autoinst.xml) the http
server for autoyast xml file needs not be the same as for installed suse system.
When installinx via http, linuxrc needs to fetch every single file, it sinply
does not know that there should be a file named autoinst.xml put into root fs
of installation system.

Post by Sebastian Siebert
--- START ---
Reading file on /var/adm/mount//autoinst.xml filed.
Reading file on /autoinst.xml failed.
Reading a file on CD failed: /tmp/YaST-02942-IMvaKW/tmp_mount//autoinst.xml.
--- END ---
The question is: How we can fixed it in the boot parameter for the
openSUSE 12.3 DVD installation?

Boot parameter are fine I expect you encounted the same broken iso image
created by isomaster as I did. You can check this easily by mounting
both iso images and compare them:

mount -oloop /scratch/testay_123.iso /tmp/m1
mount -oloop /scratch/test_123.iso /tmp/m2
diff -ur /tmp/m1 /tmp/m2

When I do this I see unexpected complaints about differing files between
the two images.

Bye,
Thomas Fehr