[CentOS] CentOS 5.1 install via PXE Failure

Thu Mar 13 06:11:42 UTC 2008
James Gray <james.gray at dot.com.au>

Hi All,

This has to be something simple....but it's really busting my chops.  We have 
a PXE boot server that is used for initial installation of a number of 
operating systems and it works well.  However the CentOS 5.1 x86_64 install 
is seriously broken.

We've made the PXE boot images available from
"centos/5/os/x86_64/images/pxeboot/" in the tftp boot etc.  We've rsynced our 
mirror with a local Tier 1 mirror 
(rsync://ftp.monash.edu.au::ftp/linux/CentOS/)

Next we fire off the installation using the following 
in /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default:

label 4
        kernel centos5/x86_64/vmlinuz
        append initrd=centos5/x86_64/initrd.img ramdisk_size=7000 
ks=http://<insternal_install_server>/CentOS-5/dot/kickstart/ks.cfg.x86_64 
ksdevice=eth0 language=en text

The installer starts, loads the kickstart script (attached), successfully 
verifies the installation media, checks the dependencies for the packages to 
be installed, formats the hard drive(s), then attempts to download the 
package:
sysklogd-1.4.1-39.2.x86_64.rpm

At this point the installation will not continue because that package is not 
part of the installation!  I've verified our internal mirror with 3 other 
Tier 1 rsync hosts and all agree, our images are up-to-date and the CORRECT 
sysklogd package is actually:
sysklogd-1.4.1-40.el5.x86_64.rpm   (Note the build is 40.el5, NOT 39.2).

I've tried creating a symbolic link from sysklogd-1.4.1-40.el5.x86_64.rpm -> 
sysklogd-1.4.1-39.2.x86_64.rpm, and sourcing a real package for 
sysklogd-1.4.1-39.2.x86_64.rpm.  These last two attempts have still resulted 
in the installer claiming the RPM is corrupt, not available etc.

This is killing us :(  The odd thing is the 

James
-- 
There will be big changes for you but you will be happy.
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# This kickstart configuration is for a PowerEdge 2850
# Creates system partitions (requires approx 30GB) and
# leaves any extra space unformatted.

######################################
# Start global configuration options #
######################################

# See the kickstart documentation for an explanation of these options
# http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/sysadmin-guide/s1-kickstart2-options.html

lang en_AU
langsupport en_AU

keyboard us
mouse

timezone Australia/Sydney
rootpw --iscrypted <crypted password here>
reboot
install
url --url http://<internal_install_server>/CentOS-5/os/x86_64
bootloader --location=mbr

# Wipe the MBR
zerombr yes

# Remove the existing partition table
clearpart --all --initlabel

# Disk partitioning information
part /boot --fstype ext2 --size 100 --asprimary --ondisk=sda
part swap --size 2048 --asprimary --ondisk=sda
part / --fstype ext3 --size 10240 --asprimary --ondisk=sda
part /home --fstype ext3 --size 3072 --ondisk=sda
part /tmp --fstype ext2 --size 500 --ondisk=sda
part /var --fstype ext3 --size 16384 --ondisk=sda

auth  --useshadow  --enablemd5
firewall --disabled
selinux --disabled
skipx

# Perform installation in text mode to save probing video hardware
text

####################################
# End global configuration options #
####################################


# Package install information
%packages --resolvedeps
e2fsprogs
grub
kernel
lynx
net-snmp
net-snmp-utils
strace
ntp
exim
vim-enhanced
vim-common
perl-Digest-HMAC
perl-Digest-SHA1

# Packages to remove
-NetworkManager
-aspell
-aspell-en
-bluez-bluefw
-bluez-hcidump
-bluez-libs
-bluez-utils
-cups
-cups-libs
-dos2unix
-dosfstools
-finger
-fontconfig
-freetype
-glib
-gpm
-hesiod
-htmlview
-ipsec-tools
-irda-utils
-isdn4k-utils
-lftp
-lha
-libjpeg
-libpng
-libtiff
-nano
-pcmcia-cs
-pinfo
-ppp
-redhat-lsb
-rp-pppoe
-sendmail
-talk
-unix2dos
-unzip
-wireless-tools
-wvdial
-xorg-x11-Mesa-libGL
-xorg-x11-libs
-yp-tools
-ypbind
-zip

%post
echo "Automated Dot SOE installation `/bin/date`" > /etc/motd

# Install BCFG2 client
rpm -i http://<internal_install_server>/CentOS-5/local/RPMS/x86_64/redhat-lsb-3.0-8.EL.dot.x86_64.rpm
rpm -i http://<internal_install_server>/CentOS-5/local/RPMS/x86_64/lxml-0.9-1.x86_64.rpm
rpm -i http://<internal_install_server>/CentOS-5/local/RPMS/noarch/bcfg2-0.8.4-2.dot.noarch.rpm

# Install default configuration files
wget http://<internal_install_server>/CentOS-5/local/config/snmpd.conf -O /etc/snmpd/snmpd.conf
wget http://<internal_install_server>/CentOS-5/local/config/exim.conf -O /etc/exim/exim.conf
wget http://<internal_install_server>/CentOS-5/local/config/bcfg2.conf -O /etc/bcfg2.conf

# Turn off root logins via SSH
echo -en '\n#Turn off root login via sshd\nPermitRootLogin no\n' >> /etc/ssh/sshd_config

# Turn off unwanted services
chkconfig --del cpuspeed
chkconfig --del iptables
chkconfig --del kudzu
chkconfig --del mdmonitor
chkconfig --del microcode_ctl
chkconfig --del rpcidmapd
chkconfig --del rpcgssd
chkconfig --del smartd
chkconfig --del xinetd
chkconfig --del gpm
chkconfig --del lm_sensors
chkconfig --del haldaemon
chkconfig --del messagebus
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