Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

General support questions including new installations
mcrider
Posts: 6
Joined: 2006/01/16 21:12:12

Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by mcrider » 2009/04/01 03:00:28

I downloaded the CDs for both i386 and x86_64 builds of 5.3, and created a local repository, as I have done for previous releases. Using the netinstall CD, I was successful in installing the x86_64 build on a brand new computer (no previous installs). However, using the i386 netinstall CD, I was unable to complete installation on a PC that was previously running 5.2. I performed a text install, and used HTTP to access both my local repository and the mirror at ftp.osuosl.org, with the same results. I told the installer to replace all existing partitions with the default layout, and got as far as specifying a root password. After that it "retrieved installation information", and the progress bar went all the way to 100%. That was followed immediately by this traceback:
Traceback (most recent call first):
File "/usr/lib/python2.4/subprocess.py", line 975, in _execute_child
raise child_exception
File "/usr/lib/python2.4/subprocess.py", line 542, in __init__
errread, errwrite)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/iutil.py", line 488, in inVmware
proc = subprocess.Popen(lspci, stdout = subprocess.PIPE)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/yuminstall.py", line 860, in doGroupSetup
if iutil.inXen() or iutil.inVmware() or \
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/yuminstall.py", line 942, in doRepoSetup
self.doGroupSetup()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/backend.py", line 172, in doRepoSetup
anaconda.backend.doRepoSetup(anaconda)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/dispatch.py", line 201, in moveStep
rc = stepFunc(self.anaconda)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/dispatch.py", line 124, in gotoNext
self.moveStep()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/text.py", line 721, in run
anaconda.dispatch.gotoNext()
File "/usr/bin/anaconda", line 1006, in ?
anaconda.intf.run(anaconda)
OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

pschaff
Retired Moderator
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Joined: 2006/12/13 20:15:34
Location: Tidewater, Virginia, North America
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Re: Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by pschaff » 2009/04/01 15:01:40

I know netinstalls were tested during the QA process and no such problems were encountered. I just tried a fresh install like you describe, overwriting existing partitions with the default setup, in VMware Server 1.0.8 using
http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/centos/5/os/i386/

Hasn't finished yet, but has gotten well past the point you described - if I understand correctly. Currently at 45% through a default install.

EDIT: Finished without problems. Another i386 netinstall reinstall test on a VirtualBox platform also worked. Can you try a different install method? Perhaps there are hardware problems.

mcrider
Posts: 6
Joined: 2006/01/16 21:12:12

Re: Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by mcrider » 2009/04/01 20:55:44

I thought it might be hardware as well, given the age of the machine. However, I burned the first CD and started the installation over from that. At the point where the network install failed, the CD install continued to the package selection screen. I guess I'll revisit this later when I need to install another i386 machine.

SteveHnk
Posts: 2
Joined: 2009/04/01 21:08:01
Contact:

Re: Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by SteveHnk » 2009/04/01 21:21:54

The same thing just happened to me.
I received the same Exception Occurred message and contents as mentioned above.
The target machine is an IBM Netvista 6649, P3, 863MHz with 256MB of RAM.
I have installed 5.2 on many of these machines for small Asterisk VoIP servers and have had no problems.
Any help would be appreciated.
While I am thinking and waiting, I am going to see what happens on an Intel Atom MB with a Realtek NIC chip.

SteveHnk
Posts: 2
Joined: 2009/04/01 21:08:01
Contact:

Re: Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by SteveHnk » 2009/04/01 22:47:44

On IRC "tru_tru" bet on this being an out of memory problem so I put in another 128MB stick for a total of 384MB.
He was right. It now runs past the crash.
Too bad for all of my old machines.

mcrider
Posts: 6
Joined: 2006/01/16 21:12:12

Re: Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by mcrider » 2009/04/02 11:23:34

You're right - my machine had 256 MB RAM as well. However, a CD install works fine on this amount of memory.

pthoma
Posts: 10
Joined: 2007/06/14 09:00:03

Re: Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by pthoma » 2009/04/09 13:47:20

Yes,

i am encountering the same problem.

5.3 netinstall over local http of i386. No previous installation. (it is a vmware machine that installed 5.2 without hassle, but 5.3 seems to crash it)

I resized the internal memory to 1024MB, what does the trick. 256 and 512MB both don't work.

I exported the errorlog to a floppy.

Traceback (most recent call first):
File "/usr/lib/python2.4/subprocess.py", line 975, in _execute_child
raise child_exception
File "/usr/lib/python2.4/subprocess.py", line 542, in __init__
errread, errwrite)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/iutil.py", line 488, in inVmware
proc = subprocess.Popen(lspci, stdout = subprocess.PIPE)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/yuminstall.py", line 860, in doGroupSetup
if iutil.inXen() or iutil.inVmware() or \
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/yuminstall.py", line 942, in doRepoSetup
self.doGroupSetup()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/backend.py", line 172, in doRepoSetup
anaconda.backend.doRepoSetup(anaconda)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/dispatch.py", line 201, in moveStep
rc = stepFunc(self.anaconda)
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/dispatch.py", line 124, in gotoNext
self.moveStep()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/dispatch.py", line 223, in currentStep
self.gotoNext()
File "/usr/lib/anaconda/text.py", line 672, in run
(step, instance) = anaconda.dispatch.currentStep()
File "/usr/bin/anaconda", line 1006, in ?
anaconda.intf.run(anaconda)
OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

Local variables in innermost frame:
executable: lspci
child_exception: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
errpipe_read: 24
p2cread: None
errread: None
startupinfo: None
errpipe_write: 25
c2pread: 22
args: ['lspci', '-vvv']
errwrite: None
cwd: None
self:
shell: False
p2cwrite: None
env: None
close_fds: False
c2pwrite: 23
data: (iexceptions
OSError
p0
(dp1
S'errno'
p2
I2
sS'args'
p3
(I2
S'No such file or directory'
p4
tp5
sS'strerror'
p6
g4
sS'child_traceback'
p7
S'Traceback (most recent call last):\n File "/usr/lib/python2.4/subprocess.py", line 943, in _execute_child\n os.execvp(executable, args)\n File "/usr/lib/python2.4/os.py", line 341, in execvp\n _execvpe(file, args)\n File "/usr/lib/python2.4/os.py", line 379, in _execvpe\n func(fullname, *argrest)\nOSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory\n'
p8
sS'filename'
p9
Nsb.
creationflags: 0
preexec_fn: None
universal_newlines: False


12:46:17 DEBUG : DiskSet.skippedDisks: []
12:46:17 DEBUG : done starting mpaths. Drivelist: ['sda']
12:46:18 DEBUG : adding drive sda to disk list
12:46:19 INFO : formatting swap as swap
12:46:19 INFO : moving (1) to step bootloadersetup
12:46:19 INFO : moving (1) to step networkdevicecheck
12:46:19 INFO : moving (1) to step reposetup
12:46:19 WARNING : /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/snack.py:250: DeprecationWarning: integer argument expected, got float
self.w = _snack.scale(width, total)

12:46:19 WARNING : /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/snack.py:247: DeprecationWarning: integer argument expected, got float
self.w.scaleSet(amount)

12:46:19 DEBUG : repo time: 0.004
12:46:19 DEBUG : Setting up Package Sacks
12:46:22 DEBUG : pkgsack time: 3.378
12:46:22 DEBUG : Reading Local RPMDB
12:46:22 DEBUG : rpmdb time: 0.000
12:46:22 DEBUG : Getting group metadata
12:46:22 WARNING : /usr/lib/python2.4/site-packages/yum/repos.py:68: RuntimeWarning: YumProgress.progressbar called when popped
self.callback.progressbar(num, len(repos), repo.id)

12:46:23 DEBUG : group time: 0.460

todd_dsm
Posts: 26
Joined: 2008/04/29 17:13:16
Contact:

Re: Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by todd_dsm » 2009/06/04 19:46:15

[quote]
SteveHnk wrote:
On IRC "tru_tru" bet on this being an out of memory problem so I put in another 128MB stick for a total of 384MB.
He was right. It now runs past the crash.
Too bad for all of my old machines.[/quote]

This seems to be in question below. So, is more memory the answer?

[quote]
You're right - my machine had 256 MB RAM as well. However, a CD install works fine on this amount of memory.[/quote]

todd_dsm
Posts: 26
Joined: 2008/04/29 17:13:16
Contact:

Re: Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by todd_dsm » 2009/06/04 22:19:19

Never mind, I just ran out for memory: I upgraded the box from 256MB to 512 ($20!) and I have a successful install.

After searching I found the system requirements in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Installation Guide:

[url=http://www.centos.org/docs/5/html/5.2/Installation_Guide/ch-ent-table.html]Chapter 3. System Specifications List[/url] although it doesn't say anything about kickstart installs on this page it did cost me $20 to find out that these are (probably) the requirements for those as well.

Looks like our girl's gettin fat; she needs 512 just to install!!!

sigfried
Posts: 1
Joined: 2009/07/18 02:08:12
Contact:

Re: Netinstall problem with 5.3 i386

Post by sigfried » 2009/07/18 02:27:32

Hi,

I was just wondering...is there some kind of workaround for anaconda where I could somehow trim down it's memory usage...?
Or perhaps you could have anaconda utilize the swap space created during the disk partitioning phase...would that be possible?

I knew of this project called SLINKY, http://www.fzk.at/SLINKY/ , wich was designed to enable Fedora Core install on low end machines, but it seems development has stalled
at Fedora Core 5.

kind regards,

sigfried

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