IThastobecool.com Geeks have opinions too!

[Bug]Check-initrd-data: XenClient RC2 using bootmedia source

I noticed that it's possible to add the packages.main to the rootfs.gz using the sh script: add-repository-to-initrd.sh
So I went to work on a unix machine to slipstream my answerfile and the packages.main into the initrd data (rootfs.gz).

In the answerfile i used the <source type="bootmedia"></source> element so the installer would look for the packages.main in the root of the filesystem.
I put everything on my usb stick, created the syslinux.cfg file, syslinuxed the usb stick and booted up..

The installer booted up perfectly, I could see that it was using my answerfile, but then it kept looping in the Verifying installation media screen...
Switching to Alt+F2 I could see the script Check-initrd-data was returning CheckFail
So I switched to Alt+F3, logged in as root and looked at the contents of /install/stages/Check-initrd-data
I compared this script to /install/stages/Verify-optical-media and noticed a difference in the link functions.

Check-initrd-data:
link_bootmedia_repo()
{
# symlink so the installer can locate the install data
if [ -r "/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}" ] ; then
mkdir -p $(dirname "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}")
rm -rf "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}"
ln -s "/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}" "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/"
fi

[ -r "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}/${DOM0_ROOTFS}" ] || exit ${CheckFail}

for F in "${PKGDATA_FILENAME}" "${REPOSITORY_FILENAME}" ; do
cp -f "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}/${F}" "${INSTALL_DATA}/" || exit ${Abort}
done
}

Verify-optical-media:
link_bootmedia_repo()
{
# symlink so the installer can locate the install data
if [ -r "/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}" ] ; then
mkdir -p $(dirname "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}")
rm -rf "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}"
ln -s "/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}" "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/"
fi
# [ -r "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}/${DOM0_ROOTFS}" ] || exit ${CheckFail}

for F in "${PKGDATA_FILENAME}" "${REPOSITORY_FILENAME}" ; do
cp -f "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}/${F}" "${INSTALL_DATA}/" || exit ${Abort}
done
}

When I changed the line in Check-initrd-media (red) to match the one from Verify-optical-media (green), the installer worked, and finished my installation successfully.
Of course I had to change this line by booting the installer from my usb disk using an answerfile that ran interactively (so I could change the Check-initrd-media script using vi before it was invoked, by using Alt+F3 to switch to an interactive shell)

My guess is that the variable: ${DOM0_ROOTFS} is either not being populated by the other scripts that run before this script, or the value of ${DOM0_ROOTFS} is not correct... I wonder why this check has been commented out in the Verify-optical-media script, which is responsible for checking the repository when installing from CD...

I know there has not been an official statement or documentation from Citrix about booting up from USB disk and/or slipstreaming the packages.main into the initrd. But I thought, hey the functions are all there... let's try them

SUMMARY:

The script /install/stages/Check-initrd-media contains an error on line 15:

ORIGINAL LINE:

[ -r "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}/${DOM0_ROOTFS}" ] || exit ${CheckFail}

FIX:

# [ -r "${INSTALL_SOURCE_DIR}/${PACKAGES_DOT_MAIN}/${DOM0_ROOTFS}" ] || exit ${CheckFail}

WORKAROUND:
Use a preinstall script in your answer file to comment out the faulty script
<preinstall>
# !/bin/bash
sed '/ || exit \${CheckFail}/s/^/#/' /install/stages/Check-initrd-data > Check-initrd-data.tmp
cat Check-initrd-data.tmp > /install/stages/Check-initrd-data
chmod 755 /install/stagse/Check-initrd-data
</preinstall>

-Henk Hofs