Installing Debian on an Alix 2d3 using PXE
in [Debian]
|
Prev: OOmon 2.2 'make' Error
Next: 4gb seg fixup
From: David Goodenough on 7 Oct 2009 09:10 On Wednesday 07 October 2009, Urs Hunkeler wrote: > Hi, > > I'm trying to install Debian on an Alix 2d3 board (installing from > network using PXE, the installer runs in a serial console). When I > select a mirror, the installer tells me that it is going to verify the > mirror, and then immediately gives me an error message saying that the > mirror is invalid. A tcpdump on the relaying computer shows that there > was absolutely no traffic on the network (ie. the installer is not > trying to access the network at all, not even dns lookup). When I open > the console and use netcat (nc, as ping, ifconfig and other such tools > are not available in the minimalistic environment), I can access > different servers without any problems, so I have to assume that the > network setup is working. > > What is going on? Why doesn't the installer use the network? How can I > debug this? > > I managed to boot the Debian text installer over PXE on an Alix 2d3. The > Alix does not have a graphics card, so the installation has to be done > using a serial console. Also, since so far I only got the basic > installer running, I have a very limited system running, which > unfortunately limits the debugging options. > > Any help is appreciated! > > Cheers, > Urs I have never used PXE for a PcEngines board, but always done it by building the CF image using a USB-CF adapter and then moving the CF to the Wrap board (as it was then). That works quite happily. I built the CF image using debootstrap in a chroot. I did have some difficulty getting Grub2 to work with the serial console, but that is a different story (I stuck to Lilo in the end) and may be different with a more up to date copy, and with the Alix board. David -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org
From: Urs Hunkeler on 7 Oct 2009 17:00 Hi, Thanks for all the help! In the end I added the domain-name-servers option to the dhcp server configuration, and now it works. For those who misunderstood my mail, tftp and bootp (basically PXE) worked before and the kernel and the initramdisk got loaded. The problam was with the installer not being able to access the mirrors. Apparently even though the installer asked me to provide a name server, it did not use it :-(. Why use PXE? Well, I always wanted to do that. Also I have the nice little box for the Alix, and it becomes quite cumbersome if you have to unscrew everything, remove the CF card, install everything, then put it back. I am much in favor of automating things, and apparently so is Debian, why else would there be such handy features like preseeding (I'm still learning about it...)? Anyways, the installation seemed to complete successfully. Unfortunately Grub is not yet configured to use the serial console and crashes. Now I need to find a way to mount the partition in a recovery environment in order to change the Grub configuration... Cheers, Urs Urs Hunkeler wrote: > Hi, > > I'm trying to install Debian on an Alix 2d3 board (installing from > network using PXE, the installer runs in a serial console). When I > select a mirror, the installer tells me that it is going to verify the > mirror, and then immediately gives me an error message saying that the > mirror is invalid. A tcpdump on the relaying computer shows that there > was absolutely no traffic on the network (ie. the installer is not > trying to access the network at all, not even dns lookup). When I open > the console and use netcat (nc, as ping, ifconfig and other such tools > are not available in the minimalistic environment), I can access > different servers without any problems, so I have to assume that the > network setup is working. > > What is going on? Why doesn't the installer use the network? How can I > debug this? > > I managed to boot the Debian text installer over PXE on an Alix 2d3. The > Alix does not have a graphics card, so the installation has to be done > using a serial console. Also, since so far I only got the basic > installer running, I have a very limited system running, which > unfortunately limits the debugging options. > > Any help is appreciated! > > Cheers, > Urs > > -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org
From: David Goodenough on 7 Oct 2009 17:30 On Wednesday 07 October 2009, Urs Hunkeler wrote: > Hi, > > Thanks for all the help! > > In the end I added the domain-name-servers option to the dhcp server > configuration, and now it works. > > For those who misunderstood my mail, tftp and bootp (basically PXE) > worked before and the kernel and the initramdisk got loaded. The problam > was with the installer not being able to access the mirrors. Apparently > even though the installer asked me to provide a name server, it did not > use it :-(. > > Why use PXE? Well, I always wanted to do that. Also I have the nice > little box for the Alix, and it becomes quite cumbersome if you have to > unscrew everything, remove the CF card, install everything, then put it > back. I am much in favor of automating things, and apparently so is > Debian, why else would there be such handy features like preseeding (I'm > still learning about it...)? > > Anyways, the installation seemed to complete successfully. Unfortunately > Grub is not yet configured to use the serial console and crashes. Now I > need to find a way to mount the partition in a recovery environment in > order to change the Grub configuration... > > Cheers, > Urs > > Urs Hunkeler wrote: > > Hi, > > > > I'm trying to install Debian on an Alix 2d3 board (installing from > > network using PXE, the installer runs in a serial console). When I > > select a mirror, the installer tells me that it is going to verify the > > mirror, and then immediately gives me an error message saying that the > > mirror is invalid. A tcpdump on the relaying computer shows that there > > was absolutely no traffic on the network (ie. the installer is not > > trying to access the network at all, not even dns lookup). When I open > > the console and use netcat (nc, as ping, ifconfig and other such tools > > are not available in the minimalistic environment), I can access > > different servers without any problems, so I have to assume that the > > network setup is working. > > > > What is going on? Why doesn't the installer use the network? How can I > > debug this? > > > > I managed to boot the Debian text installer over PXE on an Alix 2d3. The > > Alix does not have a graphics card, so the installation has to be done > > using a serial console. Also, since so far I only got the basic > > installer running, I have a very limited system running, which > > unfortunately limits the debugging options. > > > > Any help is appreciated! > > > > Cheers, > > Urs Perhaps it would be useful if you could document what you do to get Grub working, and then it might be worth suggesting that the installer should either notice that it is being driven from a serial console and copy the parameters into the grub config, or it should ask whether this is what it wanted. Either way this will need to be documented as a wishlist item against the installer. David -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org
From: Tzafrir Cohen on 8 Oct 2009 01:50 On Wed, Oct 07, 2009 at 10:56:13PM +0200, Urs Hunkeler wrote: > Hi, > > Thanks for all the help! > > In the end I added the domain-name-servers option to the dhcp server > configuration, and now it works. > > For those who misunderstood my mail, tftp and bootp (basically PXE) > worked before and the kernel and the initramdisk got loaded. The problam > was with the installer not being able to access the mirrors. Apparently > even though the installer asked me to provide a name server, it did not > use it :-(. Wow. How did your network work before? (Hint: dnsmask is nice) > > Why use PXE? Well, I always wanted to do that. Also I have the nice > little box for the Alix, and it becomes quite cumbersome if you have to > unscrew everything, remove the CF card, install everything, then put it > back. I am much in favor of automating things, and apparently so is > Debian, why else would there be such handy features like preseeding (I'm > still learning about it...)? > > Anyways, the installation seemed to complete successfully. Unfortunately > Grub is not yet configured to use the serial console and crashes. Now I > need to find a way to mount the partition in a recovery environment in > order to change the Grub configuration... Boot the installer again, get into a shell. Mount and chroot. Note that you may need to progress in the installer up to the partitioning stage ot make sure all the drivers are loaded. -- Tzafrir Cohen | tzafrir(a)jabber.org | VIM is http://tzafrir.org.il | | a Mutt's tzafrir(a)cohens.org.il | | best ICQ# 16849754 | | friend -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org
From: Urs Hunkeler on 8 Oct 2009 14:10
Hi, I'm not sure this was a problem with the installer. The installer seemed to have set Grub up for the serial console, albeit with the wrong baud rate. However I did not get Grub 2 to run on the Alix. I even tried to install Grub with some modules preloaded (serial terminal and ext2). In the end all I got was "GRUB loading." and a couple of empty lines. Now I switched to Grub legacy and it work :-) Cheers, Urs > Perhaps it would be useful if you could document what you do to get Grub > working, and then it might be worth suggesting that the installer should > either notice that it is being driven from a serial console and copy the > parameters into the grub config, or it should ask whether this is what it > wanted. Either way this will need to be documented as a wishlist item > against the installer. > > David > > -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST(a)lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster(a)lists.debian.org |