cobbler import of a repo with only noarch packages in it

[Perry Myers]

I'm trying to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that only has 
noarch packages in it.  I'm using the import to create a minimal pxe boot 
environment without needing to mirror all of the packages (we just use 
external repos for the packages)

However, when I try to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that 
only contains noarch packages I get the following error:
>  + cobbler import --name=Fedora-10 --arch=x86_64
> --path=/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64
>  sending incremental file list
>  
>  sent 392 bytes  received 16 bytes  816.00 bytes/sec
>  total size is 134808812  speedup is 330413.75
>  Given arch (x86_64) not found on imported tree
> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/Packages
>  
>  - rsync -a  '/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/'
> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64 --exclude-from=/etc/cobbler/rsync.exclude
> --progress
>  ---------------- (adding distros)
>  - found content (breed=redhat) at
> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/images/pxeboot 
I know in the past we were able to import a directory structure with only 
noarch packages and still specify an arch (x86_64 or i386) and it didn't 
fail like above.  Is this a recent change or restriction?  Should we just 
add a single arch specific package to the directory structure to get 
around this?

Thanks,

Perry

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[James Cammarata]

On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:02:03 -0500, Perry Myers <pmyers(a)redhat.com&gt; wrote:
>  I'm trying to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that
> only has
>  noarch packages in it.  I'm using the import to create a minimal pxe boot
>  environment without needing to mirror all of the packages (we just use
>  external repos for the packages)
>  
>  However, when I try to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that
>  only contains noarch packages I get the following error:
> > + cobbler import --name=Fedora-10 --arch=x86_64
>  --path=/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64
> > sending incremental file list
> >
> > sent 392 bytes  received 16 bytes  816.00 bytes/sec
> > total size is 134808812  speedup is 330413.75
> > Given arch (x86_64) not found on imported tree
>  /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/Packages
> >
> > - rsync -a  '/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/'
>  /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64
>  --exclude-from=/etc/cobbler/rsync.exclude --progress
> > ---------------- (adding distros)
> > - found content (breed=redhat) at
>  /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/images/pxeboot
>  
>  I know in the past we were able to import a directory structure with only
>  noarch packages and still specify an arch (x86_64 or i386) and it didn't
>  fail like above.  Is this a recent change or restriction?  Should we just
>  add a single arch specific package to the directory structure to get
>  around this?
>  
>  Thanks,
>  
>  Perry 

What version of cobbler are you running?  I know there were a lot of
changes to the import stuff for debian recently, including how it detected
the arch from the tree automatically, it's possible if you're running a
newer version that functionality may have been broken inadvertently.

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[Perry Myers]

James Cammarata wrote:
>  On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:02:03 -0500, Perry Myers
> <pmyers(a)redhat.com&gt; wrote:
> > I'm trying to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that only has
> > noarch packages in it.  I'm using the import to create a minimal pxe boot
> > environment without needing to mirror all of the packages (we just use
> > external repos for the packages)
> >
> > However, when I try to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that
> > only contains noarch packages I get the following error:
> >> + cobbler import --name=Fedora-10 --arch=x86_64
> > --path=/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64
> >> sending incremental file list
> >>
> >> sent 392 bytes  received 16 bytes  816.00 bytes/sec
> >> total size is 134808812  speedup is 330413.75
> >> Given arch (x86_64) not found on imported tree
> > /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/Packages
> >> - rsync -a  '/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/'
> > /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64
> > --exclude-from=/etc/cobbler/rsync.exclude --progress
> >> ---------------- (adding distros)
> >> - found content (breed=redhat) at
> > /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/images/pxeboot
> >
> > I know in the past we were able to import a directory structure with only
> > noarch packages and still specify an arch (x86_64 or i386) and it didn't
> > fail like above.  Is this a recent change or restriction?  Should we just
> > add a single arch specific package to the directory structure to get
> > around this?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Perry
>  
>  
>  What version of cobbler are you running?  I know there were a lot of
>  changes to the import stuff for debian recently, including how it detected
>  the arch from the tree automatically, it's possible if you're running a
>  newer version that functionality may have been broken inadvertently.
>   
I'm running 1.4.0-2 and I think I found the problem... You're right it is 
with the arch detection.  Even though I pass --arch to the cobbler import 
manually, it still tries to verify the arch by looking specifically at the 
kernel-headers package located in the path that you are importing from. 
Problem is, our minimal tree didn't even have kernel-headers in it.

To fix the problem I'm just going to add kernel-headers package into our 
tree.  That seems to work.

Thanks,

Perry

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|=- GnuPG: E65E4F3D 88F9 F1C9 C2F3 1303 01FE 817C C5D2 8B91 E65E 4F3D -=|

[James Cammarata]

>  I'm running 1.4.0-2 and I think I found the problem... You're
> right it is
>  with the arch detection.  Even though I pass --arch to the cobbler import
>  manually, it still tries to verify the arch by looking specifically at 
the
>  kernel-headers package located in the path that you are importing
> from.
>  Problem is, our minimal tree didn't even have kernel-headers in it.
>  
>  To fix the problem I'm just going to add kernel-headers package into our
>  tree.  That seems to work.
>  
>  Thanks,
>  
>  Perry 
Yep, that's what I figured.  In 1.2.x, cobbler was more trusting and I
don't think it verified the arch if you specified it on the command line. 
It's a bit more strict now, though there should probably be some alternate
method to catch corner cases like yours.  I'd submit a trac bug for this
still so we can make the arch checking a bit more robust in the future.

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[Michael DeHaan]

Perry Myers wrote:
>  I'm trying to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that
> only has 
>  noarch packages in it.  I'm using the import to create a minimal pxe boot 
>  environment without needing to mirror all of the packages (we just use 
>  external repos for the packages)
>
>  However, when I try to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that 
>  only contains noarch packages I get the following error:
>    
> > + cobbler import --name=Fedora-10 --arch=x86_64
> --path=/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64
> > sending incremental file list
> >
> > sent 392 bytes  received 16 bytes  816.00 bytes/sec
> > total size is 134808812  speedup is 330413.75
> > Given arch (x86_64) not found on imported tree
> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/Packages
> >
> > - rsync -a  '/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/'
> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64 --exclude-from=/etc/cobbler/rsync.exclude
> --progress
> > ---------------- (adding distros)
> > - found content (breed=redhat) at
> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/images/pxeboot
> >     
>
>  I know in the past we were able to import a directory structure with only 
>  noarch packages and still specify an arch (x86_64 or i386) and it didn't 
>  fail like above.  Is this a recent change or restriction?  Should we just 
>  add a single arch specific package to the directory structure to get 
>  around this?
>
>  Thanks,
>
>  Perry
>
>     
It seems you want "cobbler repo add" and not "import", as you're
talking 
more about a noarch repo than an install tree.   I don't see how you 
could get an installable distribution with just noarch packages :)

Import is for install trees, which can also be used as repos, yes.

But repos are not == install trees.

Does that make sense or did I miss something?

If you're doing something really simple "cobbler distro add" alone might 
suffice, though I'd like to understand a little more about the use case 
to say for sure.

--Michael

[Ovirt-devel] Re: cobbler import of a repo with only noarch packages in it

[Perry Myers]

Michael DeHaan wrote:
>  Perry Myers wrote:
> > I'm trying to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that only 
> > has noarch packages in it.  I'm using the import to create a minimal 
> > pxe boot environment without needing to mirror all of the packages (we 
> > just use external repos for the packages)
> >
> > However, when I try to do a cobbler import of a directory structure 
> > that only contains noarch packages I get the following error:
> >  
> >> + cobbler import --name=Fedora-10 --arch=x86_64 
> >> --path=/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64
> >> sending incremental file list
> >>
> >> sent 392 bytes  received 16 bytes  816.00 bytes/sec
> >> total size is 134808812  speedup is 330413.75
> >> Given arch (x86_64) not found on imported tree 
> >> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/Packages
> >>
> >> - rsync -a  '/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/' 
> >> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64 
> >> --exclude-from=/etc/cobbler/rsync.exclude --progress
> >> ---------------- (adding distros)
> >> - found content (breed=redhat) at 
> >> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/images/pxeboot
> >>     
> >
> > I know in the past we were able to import a directory structure with 
> > only noarch packages and still specify an arch (x86_64 or i386) and it 
> > didn't fail like above.  Is this a recent change or restriction?  
> > Should we just add a single arch specific package to the directory 
> > structure to get around this?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Perry
> >
> >   
>  
>  It seems you want "cobbler repo add" and not "import", as you're
> talking 
>  more about a noarch repo than an install tree.   I don't see how you 
>  could get an installable distribution with just noarch packages :)
>  
>  Import is for install trees, which can also be used as repos, yes.
>  
>  But repos are not == install trees.
>  
>  Does that make sense or did I miss something?
>  
>  If you're doing something really simple "cobbler distro add" alone might 
>  suffice, though I'd like to understand a little more about the use case 
>  to say for sure. 
We wanted to set up a distro and profile for using cobbler to install 
Fedora over pxe but without needing to put any of the rpms in our local 
cobbler install.

i.e. our distro is just the kernel and initrd and the other images to do 
an anaconda install.  But the kickstart uses all remote repos for packages.

That make sense?  It's sort of a niche use case.  We just wanted to 
provide on the oVirt Appliance a minimal cobbler setup so people could 
immediately deploy Fedora on oVirt Guests w/o needing to put the entire 
Fedora DVD into the appliance image.

Perry

[Ovirt-devel] Re: cobbler import of a repo with only noarch packages in it

[Michael DeHaan]

Perry Myers wrote:
>  Michael DeHaan wrote:
> > Perry Myers wrote:
> >> I'm trying to do a cobbler import of a directory structure that only 
> >> has noarch packages in it.  I'm using the import to create a minimal 
> >> pxe boot environment without needing to mirror all of the packages 
> >> (we just use external repos for the packages)
> >>
> >> However, when I try to do a cobbler import of a directory structure 
> >> that only contains noarch packages I get the following error:
> >>  
> >>> + cobbler import --name=Fedora-10 --arch=x86_64 
> >>> --path=/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64
> >>> sending incremental file list
> >>>
> >>> sent 392 bytes  received 16 bytes  816.00 bytes/sec
> >>> total size is 134808812  speedup is 330413.75
> >>> Given arch (x86_64) not found on imported tree 
> >>> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/Packages
> >>>
> >>> - rsync -a  '/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/' 
> >>> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64 
> >>> --exclude-from=/etc/cobbler/rsync.exclude --progress
> >>> ---------------- (adding distros)
> >>> - found content (breed=redhat) at 
> >>> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/Fedora-10-x86_64/images/pxeboot
> >>>     
> >>
> >> I know in the past we were able to import a directory structure with 
> >> only noarch packages and still specify an arch (x86_64 or i386) and 
> >> it didn't fail like above.  Is this a recent change or restriction?  
> >> Should we just add a single arch specific package to the directory 
> >> structure to get around this?
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >>
> >> Perry
> >>
> >>   
> >
> > It seems you want "cobbler repo add" and not "import", as
> you're 
> > talking more about a noarch repo than an install tree.   I don't see 
> > how you could get an installable distribution with just noarch 
> > packages :)
> >
> > Import is for install trees, which can also be used as repos, yes.
> >
> > But repos are not == install trees.
> >
> > Does that make sense or did I miss something?
> >
> > If you're doing something really simple "cobbler distro add" alone 
> > might suffice, though I'd like to understand a little more about the 
> > use case to say for sure.
>
>  We wanted to set up a distro and profile for using cobbler to install 
>  Fedora over pxe but without needing to put any of the rpms in our 
>  local cobbler install.
>
>  i.e. our distro is just the kernel and initrd and the other images to 
>  do an anaconda install.  But the kickstart uses all remote repos for 
>  packages.
>
>  That make sense?  It's sort of a niche use case.  We just wanted to 
>  provide on the oVirt Appliance a minimal cobbler setup so people could 
>  immediately deploy Fedora on oVirt Guests w/o needing to put the 
>  entire Fedora DVD into the appliance image. 
Yeah, this is really simple to do still, I'd just skip cobbler import 
altogether.

# cobbler distro add --name=foo --arch=x86 --initrd=/path/to/initrd 
--kernel=/path/to/kernel
# cobbler profile add --name=bar --profile=foo 
--kickstart=/path/to/kickstart_template.ks

Import is mainly there to assist folks with mirroring install trees (and 
possibly more than one at a time), which you wouldn't need to do.   It 
just makes it a two step process instead of one.
>  Perry