I may have partially debugged this problem. (I am now trying ESXi5.5u1 instead of ESXi5.5, but that shouldn't make a big difference). I ran tcpdump on the machine running cobbler (ie. ops) and rebooted the physical machine on which I want to install esxi. It looks like the esxi installer is looking for, and *really badly wants* a file called /boot.cfg file in the root directory of the tftp server.
> [root@ops ~]# tcpdump -n -i eth0 port 69 > tcpdump: verbose output suppressed, use -v or -vv for full protocol decode > listening on eth0, link-type EN10MB (Ethernet), capture size 65535 bytes > 13:54:25.689423 IP 172.29.2.0.ah-esp-encap > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 27 RRQ > "pxelinux.0" octet tsize 0 > 13:54:25.729213 IP 172.29.2.0.acp-port > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 32 RRQ > "pxelinux.0" octet blksize 1456 > 13:54:25.799020 IP 172.29.2.0.57089 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 79 RRQ > "pxelinux.cfg/34353739-3232-4d58-5138-333541344245" octet tsize 0 blksize > 1408 > 13:54:25.801884 IP 172.29.2.0.57090 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 63 RRQ > "pxelinux.cfg/01-00-22-64-09-b4-d6" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 13:54:25.804445 IP 172.29.2.0.57091 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 67 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/mboot.c32" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 13:54:28.162020 IP 172.29.2.0.57092 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 39 RRQ > "/boot.cfg" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 I ran locate to find boot.cfg. I found 3 copies of boot.cfg and 1 copy of cobbler-boot.cfg [root@ops ~]# locate boot.cfg > /var/lib/tftpboot/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/boot.cfg > /var/lib/tftpboot/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/cobbler-boot.cfg > /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/boot.cfg > /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/efi/boot/boot.cfg All copies of boot.cfg are the same. [root@ops ~]# diff /var/lib/tftpboot/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/boot.cfg > /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/boot.cfg > [root@ops ~]# diff /var/lib/tftpboot/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/boot.cfg > /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/efi/boot/boot.cfg I decided to copy one of these boot.cfg files to the root directory of the tftp server [root@ops ~]# cp /var/lib/tftpboot/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/boot.cfg > /var/lib/tftpboot/ I rebooted the physical machine on which I want to install esxi while running tcpdump on the machine running cobbler (ie. ops). This time the esxi installation gets a little further. The tcpdump output is below: [root@ops ~]# tcpdump -n -i eth0 port 69 > tcpdump: verbose output suppressed, use -v or -vv for full protocol decode > listening on eth0, link-type EN10MB (Ethernet), capture size 65535 bytes > 14:16:50.497304 IP 172.29.2.0.ah-esp-encap > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 27 RRQ > "pxelinux.0" octet tsize 0 > 14:16:50.500842 IP 172.29.2.0.acp-port > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 32 RRQ > "pxelinux.0" octet blksize 1456 > 14:16:50.551803 IP 172.29.2.0.57089 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 79 RRQ > "pxelinux.cfg/34353739-3232-4d58-5138-333541344245" octet tsize 0 blksize > 1408 > 14:16:50.553676 IP 172.29.2.0.57090 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 63 RRQ > "pxelinux.cfg/01-00-22-64-09-b4-d6" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:16:50.556036 IP 172.29.2.0.57091 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 67 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/mboot.c32" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:16:52.902548 IP 172.29.2.0.57092 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 39 RRQ > "/boot.cfg" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:16:52.905537 IP 172.29.2.0.57093 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 40 RRQ > "/tboot.b00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 On the physical server that I am trying to install esxi, I get the following error: Loading operating system /tboot.b00: file not found Fatal error 15 (Not found) Next I replaced boot.cfg with cobbler-boot.cfg and rebooted my physical machine, watching the tcpdump [root@ops ~]# cp /var/lib/tftpboot/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/cobbler-boot.cfg > /var/lib/tftpboot/boot.cfg > cp: overwrite `/var/lib/tftpboot/boot.cfg'? y The tcpdump looks as follows: [root@ops ~]# tcpdump -n -i eth0 port 69 > tcpdump: verbose output suppressed, use -v or -vv for full protocol decode > listening on eth0, link-type EN10MB (Ethernet), capture size 65535 bytes > 14:28:38.428668 IP 172.29.2.0.ah-esp-encap > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 27 RRQ > "pxelinux.0" octet tsize 0 > 14:28:38.432558 IP 172.29.2.0.acp-port > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 32 RRQ > "pxelinux.0" octet blksize 1456 > 14:28:38.483118 IP 172.29.2.0.57089 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 79 RRQ > "pxelinux.cfg/34353739-3232-4d58-5138-333541344245" octet tsize 0 blksize > 1408 > 14:28:38.485207 IP 172.29.2.0.57090 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 63 RRQ > "pxelinux.cfg/01-00-22-64-09-b4-d6" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:38.487562 IP 172.29.2.0.57091 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 67 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/mboot.c32" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.834637 IP 172.29.2.0.57092 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 39 RRQ > "/boot.cfg" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.837974 IP 172.29.2.0.57093 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 67 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/tboot.b00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.840040 IP 172.29.2.0.57094 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 63 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/b.b00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.842016 IP 172.29.2.0.57095 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 69 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/jumpstrt.gz" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.844013 IP 172.29.2.0.57096 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 69 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/useropts.gz" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.845904 IP 172.29.2.0.57097 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 63 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/k.b00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.847914 IP 172.29.2.0.57098 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 70 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/chardevs.b00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.850042 IP 172.29.2.0.57099 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 63 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/a.b00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.852167 IP 172.29.2.0.57100 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 66 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/user.b00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.854370 IP 172.29.2.0.57101 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 64 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/sb.v00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.856511 IP 172.29.2.0.57102 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 63 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/s.v00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 > 14:28:40.858534 IP 172.29.2.0.57103 > 172.29.3.31.tftp: 70 RRQ > "/images/VMware-5.5u1-x86_64/ata_pata.v00" octet tsize 0 blksize 1408 ... ... The console of the physical esxi machine shows the machine successfully booting esxi5.5u1. My conclusion is that copying cobbler-boot.cfg to /var/lib/tftpboot/boot.cfg resolved the problem. Would any cobbler developers or experts please verify that this is the correct thing to do? Now onto kickstarting ESXi5.5u1 ... I hope this post is helpful to others trying to gPXE boot and kickstart ESXi5* installs. -Razi On Sat, Apr 26, 2014 at 10:24 PM, Razi Khaja <[email protected]> wrote: > I'm running Centos 6.5 and Cobbler 2.7.0 checked out from github: > > [root@ops ~]# cat /etc/redhat-release > > CentOS release 6.5 (Final) > > [root@ops ~]# cobbler version > > Cobbler 2.7.0 > > source: c5a7bb2, Sun Apr 27 00:24:56 2014 +0200 > > build time: Sat Apr 26 19:28:28 2014 > > My cobbler installation is able to successfully pxe boot systems on which > I install CentoOS 6.5, so I know that it is working, but I am having > difficulty with gpxe booting esxi5.5. > > I have successfully imported the ESXi5.5 > iso: VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.5.0-1331820.x86_64.iso > > I have installed the packages for gpxe, however, when I boot the machine > on which I want to install ESXi5.5, I get the following error: > >> Loading operating system >> Configuration error while parsing /boot.cfg >> Fatal error: 15 (Not found) > > Below is the distro report: > >> [root@ops ~]# cobbler distro report --name=vmware-5.5-x86_64 >> Name : vmware-5.5-x86_64 >> Architecture : x86_64 >> TFTP Boot Files : {'$local_img_path/*.*': >> '/var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/vmware-5.5-x86_64/*.*'} >> Breed : vmware >> Comment : >> Fetchable Files : {} >> Initrd : >> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/vmware-5.5-x86_64/imgpayld.tgz >> Kernel : >> /var/www/cobbler/ks_mirror/vmware-5.5-x86_64/mboot.c32 >> Kernel Options : {} >> Kernel Options (Post Install) : {} >> Kickstart Metadata : {'tree': 'http://@@http_server@ >> @/cblr/links/vmware-5.5-x86_64'} >> Management Classes : [] >> OS Version : esxi55 >> Owners : ['admin'] >> Red Hat Management Key : <<inherit>> >> Red Hat Management Server : <<inherit>> >> Template Files : >> {'/etc/cobbler/pxe/bootcfg_esxi55.template': >> '$local_img_path/cobbler-boot.cfg'} > > I have already read previous similar posts for previous versions of > esxi5, but did not find those helpful: > > https://lists.fedorahosted.org/pipermail/cobbler/2014-February/009284.html > > https://lists.fedorahosted.org/pipermail/cobbler/2013-June/008869.html > > Any help would be greatly appreciated, > > -Razi > > > > >
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