CentOS 6.2 NetInstall Kickstart Partitioning

[wert158]

Hello,

I am encountering a weird issue when creating a custom CentOS 6.2 NetInstall. Mainly I want to create a custom partition layout for the install to use yet whenever I change from the default CentOS partition scheme in my kickstart file it causes kernel panics. I'll attach as much information as I can, including the kickstart, but I have looked over it several times for syntax errors and run it through kickstart configurator with no issues.

Originally the kickstart was written for CentOS 5.8 with these partition directives:

##############################
# Boot configuration
##############################
zerombr
bootloader --location=mbr

clearpart --all
part /boot --fstype ext3 --size=100
part swap --fstype swap --size=1024
part / --fstype ext3  --size=1 --grow

and I would like to keep the partition format to ext3 just for stability's sake. Now I have updated it for CentOS 6.2 to match the LVM layout but it seems to cause kernel panics at boot (after the grub loading screen). Keep in mind I ran this kickstart once through with no partitioning directives and copied exactly the kickstart file anaconda automatically created, with minor tweaks to volume size and format. First, I also tried the original kickstart code with CentOS 6.2 and that caused a kernel panic, although a slightly different one.

Here is the new code I am using:

##############################
# Boot configuration
##############################
zerombr
bootloader --location=mbr

clearpart --all
part /boot --fstype ext3 --size=100
part pv.01 --size=1 --grow
volgroup VolGroup pv.01
logvol / --fstype ext3 --name=lv_root --vgname=VolGroup --size=1 --grow
logvol swap --fstype swap --name=lv_swap --vgname=VolGroup --size=1024 --maxsize=2048 --grow

I have also attached the kernel panic screen from the LVM scheme, several Anaconda runtime logs, and the complete kickstart file.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance. Unfortunately I do not have an extensive background in Linux partitioning and LVM, so I apologize if something I said was incorrect. Please feel free to correct me so that I can gain more knowledge in these areas

Thanks,
wert158

P.S. Sorry I couldn't fit some of the logfiles as they were too large to upload. Everything can be found in the all_attachments.zip.

[mizzle]

Hello. Your KS file is missing quite a few pieces. Which parts are absolutely manadatory, I don't know.
I recommend installing at least once locally setting up the partitions and volumes as you choose, then copying that information from /root/anaconda-ks.cfg of the newly install machine.

[wert158]

Hello. Your KS file is missing quite a few pieces. Which parts are absolutely manadatory, I don't know.
I recommend installing at least once locally setting up the partitions and volumes as you choose, then copying that information from /root/anaconda-ks.cfg of the newly install machine.

Mizzle,

Sorry I wasn't very clear about what I chose to leave out in the post. For brevity's sake I simply included a small part of the kickstart file. The complete kickstart should be attached to the initial post as centos6-netinstall.cfg.txt or in the all_attachments.zip. The second code block in my initial post is actually copied verbatim from the anaconda-ks.cfg as you suggested, which was created from a CentOS 6 netinstall VM I currently have running. I guess my specific issues is any time I specify a custom partition layout in my kickstart, anaconda/CentOS seems to both create the default partition layout and my custom one which I believe causes the kernel panic.

Thank you for your response,
wert158

[mizzle]

No, I wasn't talking about the whole ks file, just the partition section. It looks like a lot of your arguments are missing directives. I install customer LVM layout in anaconda, and it looks totally different than that.

Anyway, don't do any net install, don't do anything fancy. Just drop the disc in the tray / load ISO in the vm, and install by default point and click method, and you'll get your layout. Or, make it look more like the screen shot below and keep your fingers crossed.

He's a screen shot from my VM (too lazy to copy files over as I'm on Windows at the moment)


anaconda.jpg

[wert158]

Haha sorry about that misunderstanding,

Thanks so much that should be a great help. I see what you mean about missing argument directives and I'll try copying your layout and then modifying it from there (assuming it works .

Thanks,
wert158