Waiting for the Linux Installer to Boot

DavidW 2019-09-06 17:51:34 UTC #1

Any ideas on why the system “waits” for several minutes at this point booting the RHEL8 Linux installer? It eventually boots and starts the deployment, but I need to eliminate the 15-20 minute wait.

MarianoF 2019-09-09 08:53:54 UTC #3

Hi David,
RHEL8 is not officially supported.
I suppose you are installing a setup image by PXE boot.
Is your target machine UEFI or BIOS?
What is the version of your Bare Metal Server?
Can you share your profile configuration?
Thanks

DavidW 2019-09-09 12:31:47 UTC #4

The target machine is a Legacy Bios VM which we regularly deploy to and capture from. We are using a simple kickstart file. I believe the installer has to boot-up first in order for the setup deployment step scripts to run.

JasonWalker 2019-09-09 14:37:05 UTC #5

Is this occuring during Bigfix OSD? Are you booting from PXE, or OSD USB/ISO media – or is this just during a normal Red Hat install from Red Hat media? I’m not real clear on whether you’re even using Bigfix at this point…

MarianoF 2019-09-09 14:49:01 UTC #6

I tried to deploy a RHEL8 setup image on a BIOS target on VMWare vers. 5.5.
I could not replicate the issue. You lost minutes on the screenshot you posted, am I correct?
What is your VM software?

DavidW 2019-09-09 15:18:38 UTC #7

Deploying a setup RHEL8 profile from the Binding menu. As described earlier, The wait is occurring in the RHEL8 Linux Installer boot. None of the deployment tasks have started at this point.

DavidW 2019-09-09 15:21:16 UTC #8

May try and add Installer Kernel Options to debug Dracut.

DavidW 2019-09-09 15:28:15 UTC #9

The screenshot shows the point where it "wait"s. It eventually resumes and the deployment completes after 15-20 minutes. I believe it is VMware 6.5 Version 13

DavidW 2019-09-09 15:31:34 UTC #10

… or attempt to reproduce on VM outside of BFOSD using media.

DavidW 2019-09-09 18:32:42 UTC #11

I added a couple of Installer Kernel Parameters, “net.ifnames=0” and “biosdevname=0”, to try and disable “consistent network device naming”. Apparently these were causing the wait. I removed them and did not experience the wait.

Unfortunately without these parameters the old network device names are not detected and configured correctly from the Installer Kernel.

After the deployment the newly installed kernel boots and does not experience any wait when these two parameters are used, regardless of whether the Installer used them or not.