Using FAI to install a "root Server"

[Torsten Schlabach]

Little update in case anyone is following this tread:

Pitfall #1:

On the FAI server, double-check that /srv/fai/nfsroot/etc/hosts has a 
proper name and IP address for the FAI server. When the FAI install 
kernel on the install client boots and mounts the root FS via NFS, it 
does not have any DNS services configured, at least not in my case. (It 
might have gotten DNS servers through DHCP but I don't have DHCP.) So it 
has to rely on /etc/hosts to be able to find the install server.

Once I fixed that, I was able to see the install client not only mount 
/srv/fai/nfsroot but also /src/fai/config!

Unfortunately, still no SSH on the install client despite FAI_FLAGS=sshd.

So Tip #2:

To follow on the install server what the install client might be doing 
(or not) start rpc.nfsd with the -l (as in logging) option to receive a 
log of all files that the install client reads from the server.

I can see there that it reads this in my case:

May 14 17:11:12 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/config/class/10-base-classes
May 14 17:11:13 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/config/class/20-hwdetect.source
May 14 17:11:24 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/config/class/50-host-classes
May 14 17:11:25 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/config/class/FAIBASE.var

So after it got this, interesting enough, here is what is happening next:

May 14 17:11:26 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/nfsroot/usr/lib/fai/load_keymap_cons
olechars
May 14 17:11:26 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/nfsroot/bin/loadkeys
May 14 17:11:26 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/nfsroot/lib/libcfont.so.0.0.0
May 14 17:11:27 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/nfsroot/usr/share/keymaps/i386/qwert
y/us-latin1.kmap.gz
May 14 17:11:27 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/nfsroot/bin/gunzip
May 14 17:11:27 localhost nfsd[20230]: 217.20.118.216 < 
/srv/fai/nfsroot/bin/sleep

After the sleep, nothing happens anymore .... And as I said, no sshd 
running on the install client. So I cannot login there to read anything 
from /tmp.

Ok, on to the next round.

As I know now that the install client has a proper network config (as it 
is able to NFS from userland), I might experiment a bit with netcat to 
try and send some logging output from the install client to the install 
server.

I will keep the list posted.

Regards,
Torsten



Thomas Lange schrieb:
>>>>>>On Fri, 11 May 2007 17:37:46 +0200, Torsten Schlabach <tschlabach at gmx.net> said:
> 
> 
>     > But what we know for sure is:
> 
>     > It mounted the root filesystem via NFS from the FAI server.
>     > I just checked, even a regular kernel would then start init which would 
>     > in turn execute /etc/init.d/rcS; which would be coming from the NFS root 
> 
> rcS is a symlink /srv/fai/nfsroot/etc/init.d/rcS -> /usr/sbin/fai
> 
> 
>     > Is it correct to assume that when I mount /srv/fai/nfsroot as /, then 
>     > the install client will be chrooted and see /srv/fai/nfsroot as /, so if 
>     > init is looking for /etc/init.d/rcS, this will map to 
>     > /srv/fai/nfsroot/etc/init.d/rcS on the server?
> Yep. And that should be a symlink to fai.
> 
>     > Does the FAI kernel have ext2/ext3 filesystem support? 
> Only as a module.
> 
>     > Is it built with netconsole support?
> Waht is netconsole?
> 
>     > What does the -m option mean on the kernel command line?
> ?? You mean make-fai-bootfloppy -m? Read the man page.
>