PXE-Less static networking bootdisk generation

Support
#1

Problem:
Hello everyone,

I’m trying to achieve PXE-Less provisionning, I would like to generate per-host ISO that I will then upload on my hypervisor datastore, mount it on a virtual machine and kickstart will do the rest. I don’t want to use DHCP / DNS / TFTP features for the moment so I will stick with internal IPAM and subnets with static boot mode.

In my current configuration, when I try to download images I’m getting those errors:

host image : ERF42-8203 [Foreman::Exception]: Ensure /var/lib/foreman/bootdisk/grubx64.efi is readable (or update “Grub2 directory” setting)

full host image : ERF42-7903 [Foreman::Exception]: Unable to generate disk template, PXELinux template not found.

But as explained I’m not willing to use PXE boot, nor UEFI.

Currently I have :

  • a subnet configured with static boot mode, address/prefix/mask/gateway/DNS fields filled
  • an installation media for Rocky Linux 8.6
  • an operating system based on Rocky Linux installation media with a custom partition table, Finish template set to “Kickstart default finish”, a Host initial configuration template set to “Linux host_init_config default”, a provisionning template set to “custom_kickstart” (made by me), and all others templates fields are left empty (so no iPXE or PXE template)
  • a host with PXE loader set to “none”, provisionning templates resolving correctly returns defined Finish/Host init/provisionning. A single interface with a random MAC address, a static IPv4 in subnet created before, Managed/Primary/Provision/remote execution are all checked

It’s the first time I’m setting up provisionning with Foreman so I may make dumb mistakes… Is it even possible provision like I described it ? If so, what did I do wrong ?

Can someone please help me with this ?

Best regards,

Expected outcome:
per-host ISO generation with static networking and kickstart configuration

Foreman and Proxy versions:
Foreman 3.4.0

Foreman and Proxy plugin versions:
rubygem-foreman_bootdisk-21.0.0-1.fm3_4

Distribution and version:
Rocky Linux 8.6

Other relevant data:

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#2

According to GitHub - theforeman/foreman_bootdisk: ISO and USB boot disk support for Foreman, installing via the bootdisk plugin still requires an iPXE template to be assiciated with the OS.
I am not sure whats going on in the background since I only played around with bootdisk for a short time, but PXE templates are basically bootloader entries, so I assume the plugin just uses the template to generate a valid bootloader entry for the ISO.

Regards

1 Like