Troubleshooting install issue

[jnojr]

Installing 7 with a boot ISO that joins the network, grabs a kickstart file from a web server, and in that kickstart file has

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url --url=http://my.repo/path/to/repo

I get to the Installation Summary page, and Source Selection says "Source changed - please verify" Then "An unknown error has occurred" with a huge dump of info. In there, I see lots of ERRs about multipath (which I'm not using) and WARNINGs about systemd cannot add dependency for job.

I know that step one is to get to virtual consoles to look through log messages and stuff, but I have not been able to find a way to do that in the web console for vCenter Server. Googling suggested Ctrl-Alt-Space Fx, but that changes the console of my host.

I could use some ideas as to how to proceed.

[ancientnoise]

Is there a reason why you are using a boot ISO and not PXE?

[CaViCcHi]

I have noticed a bunch of bugs in the CentOS7 pyanaconda while doing text installations in the end I had to modify the python by hand

it often though helped opening the list of sources and without changing anything clicking continue and refresh, then the source would be selected.

[jnojr]

Is there a reason why you are using a boot ISO and not PXE?

DHCP is not part of our environment. I did just cheat a little and add a DHCP server on a Solaris box for jumpstart, maybe I'll go ahead and either try that for RHEL as well, or add a segment to use a RHEL DHCP/PXE solution.

[jnojr]

I have noticed a bunch of bugs in the CentOS7 pyanaconda while doing text installations in the end I had to modify the python by hand

Bleh, I remember doing that about ten years ago, tricking anaconda into not ejecting the CD-ROM on me!

it often though helped opening the list of sources and without changing anything clicking continue and refresh, then the source would be selected.

Before I get a chance to do that, I get a huge python dump. Part of my issue is not having the right magic sauce to switch virtual consoles in the web console to get to a console with a shell to start poking around in the logs

[CaViCcHi]

if anaconda has started you should just be able to switch to tty2 CTRL+ALT+F2 / F3 /F4 /F5

then what you can do is simply

ps aux | grep anaconda and kill the anaconda process, poke around in the code, and you can start it again

you should check out the logs, I think either in /tmp or /run (I don't remember, it's been a few months) the anaconda.storage

one thing that helps is modifying your install image and place in there some good aliases or create them at runtime. at that point you can also rename the /etc/ssh/sshd_config.anaconda in sshd_config and start sshd so you can work remotely (that also helps a lot!)

[jnojr]

if anaconda has started you should just be able to switch to tty2 CTRL+ALT+F2 / F3 /F4 /F5

I agree, I should! However, I'm working with a virtual machine running on a vCenter cluster. I'm viewing it through the web console with Firefox running on a RHEL 7 laptop. Ctrl+Alt+Fx changes virtual consoles on my laptop, which doesn't help. Googling turns up several references to Ctrl+Alt+Space, then release space an hit Fx but that still changes consoles on my laptop.

I know I'm not the first person on Earth to do this, so i'm hoping someone can give me a key combo that works to change virtual consoles in my VM.

[TrevorH]

CentOS 7's installer post-7.2 uses tmux to display and control the various screens. You should be able to fund the tmux hotkeys via google.

[jnojr]

https://access.redhat.com/documentation ... n-x86.html

The terminal multiplexer is running in virtual console 1. To switch from the graphical installation environment to tmux, press Ctrl+Alt+F1. To go back to the main installation interface which runs in virtual console 6, press Ctrl+Alt+F6.

So that wasn't particularly helpful!

They also mention Ctrl+b+n but that doesn't seem to go through the web console, either.

[CaViCcHi]

since you're having problems my a-bit-more-complex suggestion would be to manually edit your install.img or LiveOS.img (whichever of many squashed image), and enable sshd directly in there... youll find a /etc/ssh/sshd_config.anaconda to start from (ssh is open 100% passwordless root)

at that point connect to it and do what you must from there