Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

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AndrewKosV173
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Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

Post by AndrewKosV173 » 2018/10/11 12:35:22

Hello,
I have a specific problem with installation of current CentOS release 7-1804 from bootable USB installation media.
I am new here(CentOS forum), but not in work with/use of RedHat-based operation systems.

The thing is i was until now using Fedora 28 with Mate desktop and because too
much current kernels which were inappropriate for my older desktop pc and
it wasn't efficient to maintain it working correctly on my older hw without optimisation
of many system settings like kernels, graphics and audio drivers and such.
So i decided to stop using F28 and use something more friendly to older hw.
My desktop is Intel Core2Duo E8400 3GHz, 4 MB cache and ASUS MB, 4GB of DDR3 RAM.

The thing i tried was that to erase Fedora system from my pc, and to install CentOS 7-1804 x86-64 edition.
I used downloaded iso that was checked for SHA256 comparison against value provided on CentOs webpage,
then i used perfectly tried Rufus USB installation tool to create installation media.

One year and few months ago i installed it that way- from USB install media- Fedora 26 and later 28 without any problem.
The boot master is on Windows 7 SP1(x64), so i never needed to create specific /boot partition.

I am using the system based on LVM partition scheme nad create a named volume group where is all based from,
where i need only / (root) with ext4 and swap partion.

So since yesterday and today i tried unsuccesfully to do these things:

Booted from CentOS 7-1804 USB install media - success,
set the basic things like OS language, time zone, keyboard,
then type of DE and settings i want to have(chose development and graphical tools with Gnome) - success,
then i went to set my partitions - used same settings like i was having until now.

I wanted to try to recycle old VG/partitions i created for Fedora 28, but that wasn't possible, so i marked them for deletion.
By doing that i created new LVM scheme, created the / root with size of around 480 GiB,
created/named new VG according my taste, changed the xfs to ext4 and saved the settings- success.
Then created the swap with size of 8 GiB, saved - success.

With both necessary partitions created i doubleclick on done, but yellow warning appeared.
I tried to do the partitions in changed order first swap and then root, but it didnt accepted the partition settings
and i am not able to begin installation.
On some veterans pages about CentOS, RedHat and Fedora pages, blogs i found info that it possibly
/boot partition(as Standard partition) was needed to be created totally first
and then the LVM with VG and under it / root and swap.

I tried that also but still it didnt work.
I also tried the default recommended settings for LVM from CentOS 7 installator,
with same problem and yellow warning.
Other things like security policy and
my ethernet connection worked without any problem - success.

I have to mention that before the whole installation process i already read your FAQs and info about CentOS 7 release 1804
(Manual/Release info) and didnt find any specific difference in the way how to install and set up the system.
I was thinking where the problem can be, so i checked again the .iso image for CentOS7-1804 and even formatted and then freshly created the bootable USB installation media again and tried it with no success.

So i think that problem can be somewhere in the CentOS 7 installer, but i dont know where and if it can be set some way
that is possible to start the installation.

I tried to find answer why i am not able to begin installation process.
Can you tell me/give advice where is/what can be the problem, why it doesnt want to accept tried LVM partition settings.
Maybe i need to delete Fedora LVM VG and its partitions separately by using GParted and then install CentOS 7
or maybe should i use CentOS 7 installation DVD? (created it for purpose if CentOS7 USB media fails to launch installation)

I tried to find answer(-s) but found nothing nearly same
(same situation with solution) as my problem is about.

Please answer me as soon as you can, because i need CentOS7 to work right in current time
- i tried everything i know should be possible and/or what can be found from other veteran users on their webs and blogs..
but i am now at my wits end.

Thank you for all answers.

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TrevorH
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Re: Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

Post by TrevorH » 2018/10/11 14:50:21

Please retry making your USB media only this time, don't use Rufus, just use dd to directly copy the iso image file to the entire USB device (/dev/sdX not /dev/sdX1 etc). Many of these USB stick tools attempt to be clever and end up corrupting the iso image while they copy it. One of the main things they do is force it to boot in legacy bios mode even on hardware that's in UEFI mode. Things then get very confused. If you use dd then it will eliminate that as a possible cause.
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

AndrewKosV173
Posts: 4
Joined: 2018/10/11 11:32:53
Location: Slovakia

Re: Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

Post by AndrewKosV173 » 2018/10/12 08:14:33

Thanks for the reply on my problem,
but no, you did not understand me corretly,
i clearly explained that the image was not corrupted(checked the sha256 sum of .iso image against sum provided on download page
of CentOS 7 and also of the created bootable USB flash media),
and also explained which setups and partition choices i have tried.

Btw i do not now use any Linux OS because i deleted it(Fedora 28 volume and partitions) by using GParted USB stick to make free way
for CentOS 7 installation, but still i found only there must be some bug
in the installer and partition manager of CentOS 7.

Edit 12.10.18: cleaner explanation and corrections.

The DVD option of installation should be the surest way to install OS, even for older pcs(hw).
For that case i tried yesterday to use image burned properly into DVD(bootable installation disc with CentOS 7)
and got same results - the system and partitions were set but still the installer doesnt accepted them, so i could not begin with installation process.

I tried as 1st to create VG(with my custom name - not a long one [name: ce7os_vkuis321],
but more descriptive than default one: centos00) with / root partition in ext4 file system format
and the associated swap(this should be right order when creating LVM - used it that way in Fedora 26 and 28).
As 2nd option i tried swap and then / also for root i used ext4.
None of them worked and installation of OS cannot start.

I tried same 2 partition setups for LVM scheme, but with default named Volume group (VG) and xfs file system instead of ext4.

So i came only to a hint that bug is somewhere in installer and partition tool inside that itself.
Can you tell/explain me what to do, because the CentOS7 is not able to install the common way..

As far i can thank for your reply
and hoping/awaiting for better answer.

with Best regards.
Last edited by AndrewKosV173 on 2018/10/15 10:10:57, edited 3 times in total.

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TrevorH
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Re: Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

Post by TrevorH » 2018/10/12 10:26:49

I'm not sure I understand what you said. Did you mean that you sha256sum;ed the USB stick once it had been created and it agreed? If so then that's fine but my point is that Rufus has been known to corrupt the image as it copies it to the USB stick so you can check the sha256sum of the iso image file and then rufus mucks it up afterwards as it copies it. Hence the recommendation to use dd not rufus.
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

AndrewKosV173
Posts: 4
Joined: 2018/10/11 11:32:53
Location: Slovakia

Re: Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

Post by AndrewKosV173 » 2018/10/12 12:53:47

Thanks for your answer, but even if i omit Rufus completely
and used the DVD that i pre-created from uncorrupted .iso image for backup purpose if USB fails,
it still failed without any good reason to do.
I can specify that i Did Not Used the Live .iso, but normal CentOS 7-1804 DVD .iso.

Btw please read more carefully the second half of my previous post, i specified there what i did and tried.

I can re-create installation USB media as you said,
but i wanted to tell that even when i used installation DVD with CentOS 7 the installation could not begin.
It told me that something was not correctly set up (yellow warning at the bottom),
but i revieved it many times and it comes to me as only some internal problem in installer itself
or partition managing subprogram.

I am sure i am doing partitioning part right,
because i set up and worked on RedHat based OSes since 2012 (Linux generally much sooner, ca. 2007+-).

The LVM setup used before(recommended by Fedora 26 and 28) with F28 without any problem should also work in CentOS 7.
The is no other logic(which works correctly) how can be LVM set up to install and work alongside Windows 7.

Edit 1: I have to not created/need not /boot partition since Win7 manages the booting into Win or Linux OS and it is also unneccessary since LVM partition scheme and its own Volume Group creates swap and boot partition inside and manages the size of any of partitins if one to be sized up by some GiBs. Because the main purpose is to be able to change size of a partition as system according actual demands it,
without the need to manually to do it.
So for that, it is why i only need 1 VG, and 1 root partition and 1 swap partition(* or no swap at all) all under the LVM partition scheme.
I am not currently server admin or running my own virtual server.

But i need CentOS 7 to do devel work and mechatronics engineering (coding, computations and some simulations).

I stopped using Fedora mainly because of too bleeding kernels
and some system settings.

So can you please explain me, why i can not install the system even when using bootable DVD disc with current CentOS7 release.
I tried to find solution elsewhere by myself,
but found no technical reason (or where i did an error) why it can not install even
when it should be able to install correctly with settings.

with best regards
Last edited by AndrewKosV173 on 2018/10/15 09:32:22, edited 1 time in total.

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TrevorH
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Re: Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

Post by TrevorH » 2018/10/12 15:22:40

I have no /boot partition since win7 manages the booting into Win or Linux OS.
CentOS 7 requires it.
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

YBellefeuille
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Location: Ottawa

Re: Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

Post by YBellefeuille » 2018/10/12 18:28:34

To elaborate on what TrevorH said, on a UEFI system, you need a /boot/efi partition. More information here. And I'm pretty sure you'll have to install Grub rather than relying on Windows 7 to handle booting.

AndrewKosV173
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Joined: 2018/10/11 11:32:53
Location: Slovakia

Re: Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

Post by AndrewKosV173 » 2018/10/15 09:03:02

Hello pals,
Thanks for your answers guys(read them all carefully),
but i do have older pc with just BIOS not UEFI Bios.

(Side note: I have personal laptop with UEFI running Manjaro based on Arch,
there is a finicky setup with own partition and also there i use some nifty tool to nicely select OS,
but not for the case i need on this other work pc.)

Because of that first statement i do not need to create any /boot partition.

I have installed and used different Linux distros most for work purposes and some just for trying.
I am sure i can partition modern Linux distro, specifically in the LVM - i studied at least 4 current manuals
and books RedHat/Fedora about that topic (between 2016 and 2017) and did it also practically [both LVM and CVLM (clustered type)].

Please read what i described to you in my 2 previous posts.
I am sure i dont need specific /boot partition because it is irrational for LVM setup,
when i used(needed) it Not by previous and current release Fedora 26/28
as it needs for dualboot mode just root
and swap partition alongside with Win7 x64 SP1 as Windows manages boot process and OS selection.

That partition set up for LVM is explained in at least two documentations and manuals from RedHat..
So what are you telling me gives me no sense, because /boot in standard partition option
doesnt go well with other aprtitions created in LVM scheme - namely the / and swap(i also tried it without creating a separate swap as it is not necessary to make as LVM root contains and creates/manages that other partitions inside itself).

Desktop setting i choose for CentOS is of the mix of available options for development and creative workstation
(named that way by the CentOS installer).

I have tried it that it works with F26+ to create just / root in LVM and under one VG(with any reasonable name you give it).
I am not guessing things i just read when i have to, somaybe you should read some info from current RedHat too.
Maybe there is in works some specific problem associated just with CentOS 7.

So i just want to know from you, if there could be bug in CentOS 7 installer or
partitioner and what i have to do to be able to install it right way (begin installation).

P.S. I am not a newbie it is just i never needed to join any FOSS fora before, because i studied things before when i needed something to use/do
and mostly solved problems by myself without need to ask things from unknown guys.

i am a good guy so dont be angry at me, i may just appear harsh and cold,
with best regards

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TrevorH
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Re: Problem with installation of CentOS 7-1804 from USB installation medium

Post by TrevorH » 2018/10/15 14:55:58

Because of that first statement i do not need to create any /boot partition.
CentOS 7 requires that /boot be on a primary partition.
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

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