cobbler PXE boot problem -- can't get rid of /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS*.repo

[Joe Linoff]

Hi:

I am hoping that someone can help me.

I recently started using cobbler and find it really, really useful but I
have a problem.

I am using cobbler to PXE provision Xen dom0 servers in my lab. These
dom0 machines are NOT connected to the internet and the automated
process fails. The reason that fails appears to be because the
/etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS*.repo files exist with references to external
web addresses which confuses the kickstart.

I have created a complete set of repos locally using "cobbler repo add",
"cobbler reposync" and "cobbler profile edit--name=<name>
--repos="<repo1> <repo2> ... <repon>". I have verified that they show up
on the PXE configured machines. I have also verified that they work
properly by manually interrupting the boot process, logging in, removing
the /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS*.repo files and then running the updates
myself.

I am currently experimenting with removing those files in the kickstart
but I was hoping that there was a more elegant solution. I would like to
tell cobbler not to install the default CentOS-Base.repo and
CentOS-Media.repo for a specific system or profile.

Thank you,

Joe

[Scott Henson]

On Sat, 1 Jan 2011 21:31:27 -0800, "Joe Linoff"  wrote:
> I am currently experimenting with removing those files in the kickstart
> but I was hoping that there was a more elegant solution. I would like to
> tell cobbler not to install the default CentOS-Base.repo and
> CentOS-Media.repo for a specific system or profile.

I'm pretty sure anaconda is dropping those file in place.  Having
anaconda not drop those files would be a question for anaconda
or the CentOS devs.

[Joe Linoff]

Hi Scott:

Thank you for the suggestion. I will look into that.

Cheers,

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Henson [mailto:[e-mail]] 
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2011 10:03 PM
To: Joe Linoff; [e-mail]
Subject: Re: cobbler PXE boot problem -- can't get rid of
/etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS*.repo

On Sat, 1 Jan 2011 21:31:27 -0800, "Joe Linoff" 
wrote:
> I am currently experimenting with removing those files in the 
> kickstart but I was hoping that there was a more elegant solution. I 
> would like to tell cobbler not to install the default CentOS-Base.repo
> and CentOS-Media.repo for a specific system or profile.

I'm pretty sure anaconda is dropping those file in place.  Having
anaconda not drop those files would be a question for anaconda or the
CentOS devs.

--
Scott Henson
Red Hat CIS Operator
WVU Alum BSAE/BSME

[Chris Ess]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256

On Sun, 2 Jan 2011, Scott Henson wrote:
> On Sat, 1 Jan 2011 21:31:27 -0800, "Joe Linoff"  wrote:
> > I am currently experimenting with removing those files in the kickstart
> > but I was hoping that there was a more elegant solution. I would like to
> > tell cobbler not to install the default CentOS-Base.repo and
> > CentOS-Media.repo for a specific system or profile.
>
> I'm pretty sure anaconda is dropping those file in place.  Having
> anaconda not drop those files would be a question for anaconda
> or the CentOS devs.

It looks like these files are being added by the centos-release package:

$ sudo rpm -qf /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Base.repo
centos-release-5-5.el5.centos

However, given the list of files in the centos-release package, I don't
recommend removing it.  So if you don't want these files present for
certain systems/profiles, you'll need to modify the appropriate kickstart
scripts accordingly as you are already doing.

What I don't understand is why these files would be causing issues during
your kickstart script.  None of my installations at $WORK start on a
network that can get out to the internet and yet they work fine.  Are you
using yum in the post-install script?

Sincerely,

Chris Ess
System Administrator / CDTT (Certified Duct Tape Technician)
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[Joe Linoff]

Hi Chris:
> So if you don't want these files present for
> certain systems/profiles, you'll need to modify the appropriate

kickstart
> scripts accordingly as you are already doing.

That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.
> What I don't understand is why these files would be causing issues

during
> your kickstart script.  None of my installations at $WORK start on a
> network that can get out to the internet and yet they work fine.  Are

you
> using yum in the post-install script?

That is very interesting. When I log into the machine, I cannot update
any packages if those files (CentOS-*.repo) are present. But when I run
'yum grouplist' it shows that the packages did install correctly. That
supports your argument.

I am not using yum directly in the post-install script. I am only using
the %packages section in anaconda to get the 'Virtualization' group and
the 'koan' package.

I don't have much experience with cobbler so it is very likely that I am
doing something bone-headed. Can you suggest some ideas for debugging? I
am already scanning through the logs in /root/ and in /var/log/ but I
must be missing something.

Cheers,

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Ess [mailto:[e-mail]] 
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2011 11:02 PM
To: cobbler mailing list
Cc: Joe Linoff
Subject: Re: cobbler PXE boot problem -- can't get rid of
/etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS*.repo
Importance: Low

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256

On Sun, 2 Jan 2011, Scott Henson wrote:
> On Sat, 1 Jan 2011 21:31:27 -0800, "Joe Linoff"

wrote:
> > I am currently experimenting with removing those files in the

kickstart
> > but I was hoping that there was a more elegant solution. I would

like to
> > tell cobbler not to install the default CentOS-Base.repo and
> > CentOS-Media.repo for a specific system or profile.
>
> I'm pretty sure anaconda is dropping those file in place.  Having
> anaconda not drop those files would be a question for anaconda
> or the CentOS devs.

It looks like these files are being added by the centos-release package:

$ sudo rpm -qf /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Base.repo
centos-release-5-5.el5.centos

However, given the list of files in the centos-release package, I don't
recommend removing it.  So if you don't want these files present for
certain systems/profiles, you'll need to modify the appropriate
kickstart
scripts accordingly as you are already doing.

What I don't understand is why these files would be causing issues
during
your kickstart script.  None of my installations at $WORK start on a
network that can get out to the internet and yet they work fine.  Are
you
using yum in the post-install script?

Sincerely,

Chris Ess
System Administrator / CDTT (Certified Duct Tape Technician)
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[Chris Ess]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA256

On Sat, 1 Jan 2011, Joe Linoff wrote:
> That is very interesting. When I log into the machine, I cannot update
> any packages if those files (CentOS-*.repo) are present. But when I run
> 'yum grouplist' it shows that the packages did install correctly. That
> supports your argument.

At $WORK, when I install a server that won't have internet access, I
overwrite the CentOS-Base.repo file with one that points to the designated
repository server.  Updates to the centos-release package do not overwrite
this -- or at least have not so far.

There is probably a better way to do this but I've not looked deeply into
it.
> I don't have much experience with cobbler so it is very likely that I am
> doing something bone-headed. Can you suggest some ideas for debugging? I
> am already scanning through the logs in /root/ and in /var/log/ but I
> must be missing something.

This isn't as much cobbler behavior as yum behavior.  When you run yum
update, it will check all enabled repositories it knows about.  If it's
still using the stock CentOS-Base.repo, it will check those repositories
using the external URLs.

Sincerely,

Chris Ess
System Administrator / CDTT (Certified Duct Tape Technician)
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[Glenn Bailey]

> > > I am currently experimenting with removing those files in the
>
> kickstart
> > > but I was hoping that there was a more elegant solution. I would
>
> like to
> > > tell cobbler not to install the default CentOS-Base.repo and
> > > CentOS-Media.repo for a specific system or profile.
> >
> > I'm pretty sure anaconda is dropping those file in place.  Having
> > anaconda not drop those files would be a question for anaconda
> > or the CentOS devs.
>
> It looks like these files are being added by the centos-release
> package:
>
> $ sudo rpm -qf /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Base.repo
> centos-release-5-5.el5.centos
>
> However, given the list of files in the centos-release package, I don't
> recommend removing it.  So if you don't want these files present for
> certain systems/profiles, you'll need to modify the appropriate
> kickstart
> scripts accordingly as you are already doing.

I was having issues with the centos-release package re-adding those repo's which was causing yum to time out on updates as we manage local repo's and the systems don't have access to the public internet. In my build scripts I basically whacked the repo files, touched them, and then chattr +i each file. Is a hack, but it works ..

glenn - terremark

[Joe Linoff]

Hi Glenn:
> In my build scripts I basically whacked the repo files

That is an excellent idea.

How do you do that?

I tried removing them in the anaconda %post section (Fedora, RHEL,
CentOS) but they don't go away or, possibly, they magically re-appear.

Cheers,

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: [e-mail]
[mailto:[e-mail]] On Behalf Of Glenn
Bailey
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2011 11:18 AM
To: cobbler mailing list
Subject: RE: cobbler PXE boot problem -- can't get rid
of/etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS*.repo
> > > I am currently experimenting with removing those files in the
>
> kickstart
> > > but I was hoping that there was a more elegant solution. I would
>
> like to
> > > tell cobbler not to install the default CentOS-Base.repo and
> > > CentOS-Media.repo for a specific system or profile.
> >
> > I'm pretty sure anaconda is dropping those file in place.  Having
> > anaconda not drop those files would be a question for anaconda
> > or the CentOS devs.
>
> It looks like these files are being added by the centos-release
> package:
>
> $ sudo rpm -qf /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Base.repo
> centos-release-5-5.el5.centos
>
> However, given the list of files in the centos-release package, I

don't
> recommend removing it.  So if you don't want these files present for
> certain systems/profiles, you'll need to modify the appropriate
> kickstart
> scripts accordingly as you are already doing.

I was having issues with the centos-release package re-adding those
repo's which was causing yum to time out on updates as we manage local
repo's and the systems don't have access to the public internet. In my
build scripts I basically whacked the repo files, touched them, and then
chattr +i each file. Is a hack, but it works ..

glenn - terremark
_______________________________________________
cobbler mailing list
[e-mail]
https://fedorahosted.org/mailman/listinfo/cobbler

[Joe Linoff]

Sorry about this. Please ignore it. It was meant for another mailing
group.

Regards,

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Linoff 
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2011 2:51 PM
To: cobbler mailing list
Cc: Joe Linoff
Subject: RE: cobbler PXE boot problem -- can't get rid
of/etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS*.repo

Hi Glenn:
> In my build scripts I basically whacked the repo files

That is an excellent idea.

How do you do that?

I tried removing them in the anaconda %post section (Fedora, RHEL,
CentOS) but they don't go away or, possibly, they magically re-appear.

Cheers,

Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: [e-mail]
[mailto:[e-mail]] On Behalf Of Glenn
Bailey
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2011 11:18 AM
To: cobbler mailing list
Subject: RE: cobbler PXE boot problem -- can't get rid
of/etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS*.repo
> > > I am currently experimenting with removing those files in the
>
> kickstart
> > > but I was hoping that there was a more elegant solution. I would
>
> like to
> > > tell cobbler not to install the default CentOS-Base.repo and
> > > CentOS-Media.repo for a specific system or profile.
> >
> > I'm pretty sure anaconda is dropping those file in place.  Having
> > anaconda not drop those files would be a question for anaconda
> > or the CentOS devs.
>
> It looks like these files are being added by the centos-release
> package:
>
> $ sudo rpm -qf /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Base.repo
> centos-release-5-5.el5.centos
>
> However, given the list of files in the centos-release package, I

don't
> recommend removing it.  So if you don't want these files present for
> certain systems/profiles, you'll need to modify the appropriate
> kickstart
> scripts accordingly as you are already doing.

I was having issues with the centos-release package re-adding those
repo's which was causing yum to time out on updates as we manage local
repo's and the systems don't have access to the public internet. In my
build scripts I basically whacked the repo files, touched them, and then
chattr +i each file. Is a hack, but it works ..

glenn - terremark
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cobbler mailing list
[e-mail]
https://fedorahosted.org/mailman/listinfo/cobbler