TRIOS linstaller questions

[VastOne]

FYI... I am finishing the build of the x64 now... once I test it I will release these as tests for anyone who can to try the new installer and leave feedback

[jedi]

First install with the x32 bit test... 3:01 install time, fastest ever

scrot or it did not happen?

The 'Golden Install' of VSIDO!  I'm thinking that will be a long time standing record right there.  Congrats on the new installer.  I agree with misko, it is the spirit of the Linux/FOSS universe that makes it so great!

[VastOne]

All right I have mucked with php code enough this morning and failed so...

Here is the link to Mega Cloud that will get you the files

Good luck testing, fair warning this is test material... I have seen grub fail on two installs (greb restore menu instead of grub) but on a reinstall doing the exact same thing it worked the second time

Granted this could have been this users error (me, NO) since it was and is new to me too and the fatigue factors involved doing it over and over and over

Try it all, critique... let's see what we got

Thanks to all who has helped on this

[misko_2083]

Downloaded 64bit iso and tested in virtualbox.
Installed ok and reboted. On reboot there was no network connection until sudo ceni.
Ceni added enp0s3 at the end of /etc/network/interfaces.

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cat /etc/network/interfaces
# The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

# The primary network interface
allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

allow-hotplug enp0s3
iface enp0s3 inet dhcp


[VastOne]

^ I saw that on one occasion during the testing but not ever again

This is one (along with the grub issue) that is perplexing to me... I know for a fact that neither has ever happened with the normal VSIDO installer, and if you were to install again using the standard installer you would get the correct network setup

grub issues on the other hand is an issue I think where an update-grub either is not setup to run or has failed to run.  these are also fairly easy to identify and/or correct

Both installers are using the same squashed system so it is mind boggling to me how one installer completely misses and does not seem to have what it should have in config settings

Misko, would you please tab into edit mode on the grub screen on the new installation of vsido and verify that net.ifnames=0 is in fact on the linux/boot/vmlinuz line?

[VastOne]

I'll take closer looks at the modules to see if I can spot what is going on

[filip]

Installation complete... will have to adjust just a few things, but all in all the start is here.. now if I can take the debs created and install them on the build systems and configure for the main work will be done.

Outstanding work and help from Filip and misko, the VSIDO nation is eternally grateful!

Great news! I'm glad it works!

@Network:

I'm not really in a deep know-how on the topic, since in case of TRIOS, wicd or NM always worked, so we never really touched the network module.
On the other hand, on my old machine I'm using dhcp only ( no NM of any kind ), which worked for me ever since I can remember...

Anyway, what is obvious is that you guys need the "interfaces" file copied from the live/squashfs, instead of a generic one written by the installer.
So in the nutshell, the only thing I could do ( in future though ), is to make it a preseedable option, which would allow you to just specify it in "/etc/linstaler/vsido-base.conf".
Something like:

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[module:network]
auto_gen_interfaces = False

Btw, many things can be preseeded and tweaked in that way. See here for more info.

grub issues on the other hand is an issue I think where an update-grub either is not setup to run or has failed to run.  these are also fairly easy to identify and/or correct

Either, as you said "update-grub" doesn't run, or grub is not installed at all.
Anyway, log would help a lot ( see bellow ).

Also, while it's probably not the cause, it's worth mentioning...
We had a great pain with GRUB and partitioning, caused by thunar-volman automounting partitions. It prevents the installer from formating them, and "os-prober" from mounting them for scanning ( resulting in missing entries in grub menu, for all existing systems whose root partitions were auto mounted ).

It is fixed on the GRUB/os-prober side in testing branch, so you may try that one as well:
https://gitlab.com/trios-linux/trios-installer/commit/2a74e21b97853be43db0f5d2322f90100851af03
https://gitlab.com/trios-linux/trios-installer/commit/056cb73b38576604756fcc314b2a48a335acf39e

... or ignore it, if you don't have some kind of automounter.



Some more stuff worth mentioning/explaining:

1. Bricks module:

Like "keeptalking", Bricks is a standalone application and also a installer module, used for adding or removing Semplice "features".
Those "features" are kind of a specially crafted meta packages, that compared to regular ones allow you to install or remove any package that it depends on or recommends.
If you're familiar with Arch/Pacman package groups, it's kinda same ( and probably the reason why it was, I'll hazard a guess, easily integrated with Antergos ).

In Semplice, it allows a user to choose to install or omit stuff like Bluetooth support, Printing etc... ( scr*w the words, here's the pic )

TRIOS & installer wise -- we're not using it, since it needs to be overhauled so that it can be safely used with regular Debian meta packages ( like task-xyz-desktop ).
Overhaul is on a TODO list, but in the meantime we will almost certanly remove it from the installer dependencies ( it's artificial anyway, since it is not used ). I'll let you know when it's done, so you can remove bricks packages ( if you choose to, ofc ).

2. Log:

During install process, it's written to "/var/log/linstaller/linstaller_latest.log".
If there are no crashes ( there never are ), "end" module copies it on the installed system at "/var/log/installation.log". 

Btw, might be usefull to you as well. This is how I usually do a test/debug install run:

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# Terminal 1:
sudo linstaller -f=glade start

# Terminal 2:
tail -f /var/log/linstaller/linstaller_latest.log

3. "supportrepo" module:

In short, you put* some packages on ISO image in "/support" dir which "supportrepo" sets up as a temporary apt repository, so apt can fetch and install those packages later ( usually in "bootloader" or "debian" modules ).
Usefull for offline installation, (or) when you need to make sure that specific packages are always available.

More importantly, it must be enabled for UEFI support, if "grub-efi" is to be used, otherwise GRUB installation will fail in offline mode, or if repository fails.

I'll write more on that topic in a future post ( this one is allready long enough  ).

* If you're using "live-build", easiest way is to just drop them in "*/config/includes.binary/support".

[misko_2083]

Misko, would you please tab into edit mode on the grub screen on the new installation of vsido and verify that net.ifnames=0 is in fact on the linux/boot/vmlinuz line?

Sure. Here we go...
There is no  net.ifnames=0 in linux /boot/vmlinuz line.

[VastOne]

^ That is a lot of great information... I will use it all!   

The frustrating thing is the inconsistency... I have now done at least 25 installs testing things over and over, and have had two failures. Once was what Misko described with eth0 not being setup... I have forced systemd to accept the old linux standards of wlan0 and eth0 as described here, this is hardcoded so unless there is a brand new install of grub going on it makes no sense how this could change.  The other was no grub at all and a grub rescue menu on boot...

On BOTH of these, I immediately reinstalled doing the same exact procedure and could not reproduce it, nor have I been able to reproduce it in any of the installations today, approximately 20 more

With us living in the land of SID we do in fact have the latest versions of os-prober and have not had any issues with it with the two original installers

I will keep this going and post anything I find as well

Thanks for the tips and insights..

[VastOne]

Misko, would you please tab into edit mode on the grub screen on the new installation of vsido and verify that net.ifnames=0 is in fact on the linux/boot/vmlinuz line?

Sure. Here we go...
There is no  net.ifnames=0 in linux /boot/vmlinuz line.

Could you also check on the live-cd?  Before the live-cd loads, please tab and edit and confirm that it is or is not on the same line

Thanks mate

[misko_2083]

Could you also check on the live-cd?  Before the live-cd loads, please tab and edit and confirm that it is or is not on the same line

Thanks mate

It's right there on live-cd.

[VastOne]

^ During the partitioning, did you do the basics or did you have it auto setup everything?

Edit -

I just did let the installer auto configure and I did get the same issue, no eth0 but enp0s3

[VastOne]

I have been able to replicate the issue to make it fail and leave you at a grub-rescue prompt...

If your mba (sda) does not have a boot flag setup on it, the installer does not provide it .. I was experimenting with manual partitioning and noticed on these failures that there was no boot flag setup

Once I did that, grub set up fine and the boot was good.. so in short if you have no boot flag setup, expect failure


I have no clue as to what is causing this... I thought I had it nailed down but I am getting grub_rescue prompt all the time ... it's as if the install of grub is completely missing

[VastOne]

Should anyone experience the grub-rescue and wants/needs to restore and boot to it, this is the best procedure IMO

(From within grub-rescue mode)

Command: ls

It will list all your drives and partitions, like:

(hd0) (hd0,msdos2) (hd0,msdos1)

If you don't know your Ubuntu boot partition, check them one by one:

ls (hd0,msdos2)/

ls (hd0,msdos1)/

When you hit the right one, you'll get a line mentioning "lost+found" / /boot /etc /usr and so on

Assuming (hd0,msdos2) is the right partition:

set prefix=(hd0,2)/boot/grub

set root=(hd0,2)

insmod normal

normal

This will now bring you to a VSIDO grub screen

Now you'll be able to boot into VSIDO. Once you do, execute the following commands:

sudo update-grub

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

reboot and you will find the partition you just installed as well

[VastOne]

2. Log:

During install process, it's written to "/var/log/linstaller/linstaller_latest.log".
If there are no crashes ( there never are ), "end" module copies it on the installed system at "/var/log/installation.log". 

Btw, might be usefull to you as well. This is how I usually do a test/debug install run:

Code Select Expand

# Terminal 1:
sudo linstaller -f=glade start

# Terminal 2:
tail -f /var/log/linstaller/linstaller_latest.log

I will be running this and returning the output here shortly...