Re: Kickstart installation via network -- not able to override network settings?

[Ray Van Dolson <rvandolson esri com>]

>> Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but wanted to give an update on this.
>> I'd opened an SR with RH for this issue.  It took a while to convey the
>> issue I was having.
>>
>> To clarify, the issue is that when doing a network-based kickstart
>> (kickstart file with install target as a url and network parameters set
>> up in the kickstart config), the "network" screen in the anaconda GUI
>> installer is not presented to us (stage2 installer).
>>
>> This is a show-stopper because often times we need our installers to be
>> able to override the defaults in the kickstart file, specifically for
>> network information (pick a different hostname, enter a static IP,
>> etc).
>>
>> I also have opened this bug:
>>
>>   https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=428445
>>
>> In the end, thought I'd dig into the anaconda code myself and the fix
>> was incredibly simple.
>>
>> I commented out line 879 in kickstart.py:
>>
>> diff -uNr anaconda-11.1.2.87.orig/kickstart.py anaconda-11.1.2.87/kickstart.py
>> --- anaconda-11.1.2.87.orig/kickstart.py        2007-06-18 07:30:03.000000000 -0700
>> +++ anaconda-11.1.2.87/kickstart.py     2008-01-11 11:19:25.000000000 -0800
>> @@ -876,7 +876,7 @@
>>          dispatch.skipStep("betanag")
>>          dispatch.skipStep("installtype")
>>          dispatch.skipStep("tasksel")            -        
>> dispatch.skipStep("network")
>> +        # dispatch.skipStep("network")
>>           # Don't show confirmation screens on non-interactive installs.
>>          if not self.ksdata.interactive:
>>
>> I packaged this up as an updates.img and now anaconda gives me the
>> network settings dialog even when I'm doing a network-based kickstart
>> install.
>>
>> IMO, this behavior should be the default...
>>
>> It seems that as long as you specify "interactive" in the ks config
>> file, screens such as network settings should not be skipped.  Am I
>> missing some reasoning there?
>
>
> Maybe.
> Should you be testing self.ksdata.interactive: as above?

I am not super familiar with the code either.  I guss I could test what
happens in non interactive mode.  Certainly it wouldn't be good to have
the Network screen come up during a non-interactive install.

> Is skipping/not skipping those other bits working? If so, how are they 
> different.

Skipping the others there seems to be fine -- for me.  I don't need to
override them at installation time.

>
> I don't know the code, I'm just asking questions that arise in my mind on 
> seeing your patch.
>

Yep, I'd be interested to hear from a developer as to why the network
screen is skipped here, and if reenabling it will break anything.

Ray