[SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

scjet · 2011-07-23 17:38:10

Hi all,
I put this in the "newbie" corner 'cause I just joined today, I couldn't find a specific "AIF" sub-forum, but anyway:

I used the latest Arch (x86_64) net-install and "dd"d it onto a usb-stick;, booted ok, logged in as root, then mounted my external usb-dirive and copied over my modifed "generic-install-...-sda script over to "/"

#aif -p automatic -c /generic-install-..sda

Note: I managed to use my (below) modified /usr/share/aif/examples/generic-install-...sda script, and I was able to sucessfully partition my disks,... with it.
However,
It failed at all the package getting parts (couldn't sync-db,.. errors, /mnt/... errors,... ?), even after I configured my network for dhcp ok.

Questions:
1./ I'm sorry if I'm cutting directly to the chase here, but does anyone have a "working" AIF script to "automatically" do a net-install of Arch, ?
2./ Also, how is this AIF "automated" ?. What I mean is, I cannot "write" to my boot usb/cd of arch(.iso), instead, I have to mount an external drive and then copy my (modified)AIF script over after it initally boots up. Is there a way to do this better ?

----- here is my basic script-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# this config explains the (all) available options.
# the variables are optional and we define their defaults here (so you could omit the
# definitions), unless otherwise specified.
SOURCE=net
SYNC_URL='ftp://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch'
HARDWARECLOCK=UTC
TIMEZONE=America/Toronto
RUNTIME_REPOSITORIES=
RUNTIME_PACKAGES=
# packages to install
TARGET_GROUPS='base base-devel'
TARGET_PACKAGES_EXCLUDE=
TARGET_PACKAGES=openssh
# you can optionally also override some functions...
worker_intro () {
inform "Automatic procedure running the generic-install-on-sda example config. THIS WILL ERASE AND OVERWRITE YOUR /DEV/SDA. IF YOU DO NOT WANT THIS PRESS CTRL+C WITHIN 10 SECONDS"
sleep 3
}
worker_configure_system () {
prefill_configs
sed -i 's/^HOSTNAME="myhost"/HOSTNAME="goofy"/' $var_TARGET_DIR/etc/rc.conf
sed -i 's/^interface=/interface="eth0"/' $var_TARGET_DIR/etc/rc.conf
sed -i 's/^DAEMONS=/#DAEMONS=/' $var_TARGET_DIR/etc/rc.conf
echo 'DAEMONS=(!hwclock syslog-ng dbus hal network !netfs @alsa @sshd crond)' >> $var_TARGET_DIR/etc/rc.conf
}
# These variables are mandatory
GRUB_DEVICE=/dev/sda
PARTITIONS='/dev/sda 1000:ext2:+ 8192:swap 20000:ext4'
BLOCKDATA='/dev/sda1 raw no_label ext2;yes;/boot;target;no_opts;no_label;no_params'
BLOCKDATA='/dev/sda2 raw no_label swap;yes;no_mountpoint;target;no_opts;no_label;no_params'
BLOCKDATA='/dev/sda3 raw no_label ext4;yes;/;target;no_opts;no_label;no_params'
------------------------------------ end of script -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

thanks much.
Rick.

Last edited by scjet (2011-08-12 15:42:21)

karol · 2011-07-23 17:48:17

What were the errors? Can you e.g. ping a server?

litemotiv · 2011-07-23 17:50:59

Moved to Installation.

scjet · 2011-07-23 18:03:59

karol wrote:

What were the errors? Can you e.g. ping a server?

thx for reply,
I'll try to get some more detaled errors, maybe in /var/log/... ?
and btw, I'm NOT trying any "PXE" installs (aka from a boot server, like kickstart?, that'll be later
Again, I want to just have a more automated "net-install" of the latest Arch+packages onto standalone PC with networking,... pre-configured.
Hence, why AIF looks to fit the bill.

thx again.

Last edited by scjet (2011-07-23 18:11:35)

scjet · 2011-07-23 18:55:53

karol wrote:

What were the errors? Can you e.g. ping a server?

Yes, after I do "aif -p partial-configure-network" (and configure eth0 for dhcp) I can ping google.com,... or whatever, succesfully.
-the network is obviously ok.
And yes, just to be clear, I ran "aif -p partial-configure-network", (and made sure network/dhcp was ok), before I ran my "aif -p automatic -c /<script above>
I guess my (above)script is simplistic, and maybe there is a lot more automated sub-scripts, and <$variables> that need to be specifically considered to actually even make this work, other than what the "AIF" wiki sparingly gives out ?

But other "aif" output Errors: ?
yep, lots of them:
Right after my script successfully partitions/formats my /dev/sda disk It seems to only mount boot, dev, proc, sys, var (onto /mnt)
It then fails becuase it cannot find "/mnt/etc/...., and then of course, sed, awk and chroot fails ?
Here's some rather minimilistic log files from aif, in /var/log ? (maybe "aif" has an option to turn verbose up a little more ?- that would be nice).
Sry, but this is all I could dig up at this time.

/var/log/aif/mkinitcpio.log:
chroot: failed to run command 'sbin/mkinitcpio'

/var/log/aif/pacman.log:
error: 'opemssh': not found in sync db
openssh package not found, searching for group.

mm, I'll try aif again with the "aif" -d, or -l options, and maybe it will log more "details" ?
thx again.

Last edited by scjet (2011-07-23 19:25:53)

scjet · 2011-07-24 15:11:00

All Solved:

In my script above I changed:
SYNC_URL='ftp://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch'
to
SYNC_URL=ftp://mirror.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/archlinux/\$repo/os/x86_64
and then, everything else worked fine.
"#Linux goofy 2.6.39-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Jul 9 14:57:41 CEST 2011 x86_64 AMD Phenom(tm) II X2 555 Processor AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux"

I misinterpreted the instructions in
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Of … _Procedure, where it "plainly" says:
"...Note that these files are plain bash files, so if you want to define for example SYNC_URL it must be singlequoted to prevent bash expanding $repo..." ???

So, once I removed those particular single-quote's, and just "excaped" the "$"repo with a "\" instead, it installed everything.
.... and obviously don't forget to configure you network 1st too otherwise it ain't goin' nowhere.
Anyway, on my PC/standalone at home with simple dhcp this automated aif now works great.
Thanks.

I would like to mark this as partially solved only though, since I still need help with "Question # 2./" above ???
woah, sry my bad. This is also all good now.
fdisk a 2nd parttion on the USB schtick and its good to go.
Or,
http://archlinux.me/brain0/2010/05/29/a … uce-media/

Last edited by scjet (2011-07-27 03:54:50)

scjet · 2011-07-24 15:54:18

Hey,
I must say Thanks to the great work by "Dieter@be" and everyone else, for this cool AIF tool.

Rick.

scjet · 2011-07-24 21:42:19

...anyway continuing on a minor note!:

Output errors: (during the initial AIF script)
...
Phase 1: Creating filesystems and blockdevices
WARNING: Could not create all needed file systems. Either the underlying blockdevices didn't become available in 10 iterations, or process_filesystem failed
Phase 2: Mounting filesytems
ERROR: process_filesystem needs a partition as $1
...

However, if I re-run my "aif -p automatic -c /x64_02.bash" again, it grabs the disks and partitions/formats them accordingly.
I have no idea why I have to run my automated AIF script twice everytime but hey ?
Of course, I did a maual long install and there were no problrms with my disk,...
should there be a "sleep" thrown in the disk creation/patition parts to give it time to setup properly ?,

------------------------------ here the partial script again -------------------------
# These variables are mandatory
GRUB_DEVICE=/dev/sda
PARTITIONS='/dev/sda 1000:ext2:+ 8192:swap 20000:ext4'
BLOCKDATA='/dev/sda1 raw no_label ext2;yes;/boot;target;no_opts;no_label;no_params'
BLOCKDATA='/dev/sda2 raw no_label swap;yes;no_mountpoint;target;no_opts;no_label;no_params'
BLOCKDATA='/dev/sda3 raw no_label ext4;yes;/;target;no_opts;no_label;no_params'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

thx again.

scjet · 2011-08-08 06:00:54

[SOLVED]
More self-inflicted wounds.
I 'single-quoted' each seperate BLOCKDATA=' ... ' line as mentioned directly above. But that turned out to be wrong.
Instead I modified it back to the CORRECT way for the bash script to interpret/parse the "BLOCKDATA" variable, as per the "/usr/share/aif/examples/generic-install-on-sda" example file, doh!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLOCKDATA='/dev/sda1 raw no_label ext2;yes;/boot;target;no_opts;no_label;no_params
/dev/sda2 raw no_label swap;yes;no_mountpoint;target;no_opts;no_label;no_params
/dev/sda3 raw no_label ext4;yes;/;target;no_opts;no_label;no_params'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

everything auto installs like a charm now.
thx.

karol · 2011-08-08 06:13:27

Glad to hear you fixed it, please mark the thread as solved by adding '[solved]' to the thread's title.

scjet · 2011-08-12 15:40:04

karol wrote:

Glad to hear you fixed it, please mark the thread as solved by adding '[solved]' to the thread's title.

I don't seem to have access permissions (or, I don't know how ?) to modify my Title to say [SOLVED]

So, if one of the admin's want to do that, then fine, or you can tell me how. ?

thx.

Rick.

Last edited by scjet (2011-08-12 15:41:41)

karol · 2011-08-12 15:41:39

You need to edit your first post. This way you ca edit the title too :-)

scjet · 2011-08-12 15:42:45

karol wrote:

You need to edit your first post. This way you ca edit the title too :-)

gotcha, doh! ,
I'm so spoiled with "googe"ling solutions I'm forgetting how to use a forum all the time.

Last edited by scjet (2011-08-12 15:44:56)

Arch Linux

#1 2011-07-23 17:38:10

[SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#2 2011-07-23 17:48:17

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#3 2011-07-23 17:50:59

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#4 2011-07-23 18:03:59

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#5 2011-07-23 18:55:53

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#6 2011-07-24 15:11:00

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#7 2011-07-24 15:54:18

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#8 2011-07-24 21:42:19

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#9 2011-08-08 06:00:54

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#10 2011-08-08 06:13:27

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#11 2011-08-12 15:40:04

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#12 2011-08-12 15:41:39

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

#13 2011-08-12 15:42:45

Re: [SOLVED] AIF (automated) problems: but it's probab;y just me :)

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