Re: Installation on NBD in the newly released
On 5/20/23 20:17, Tomasz Wolak wrote: On 5/20/23 19:49, Tomasz Wolak wrote: On 5/20/23 19:17, Stefan Monnier wrote: I will not go to further details here, anyone interested can go to: https://t-w.github.io/debian/2022/03/09/diskless_debian_11_pxe_nbd/ for details. Have you reported a bug about this? You might also get in touch with the maintainer of `nbd-client-udeb` since that package seems designed for your use case, so if it doesn't work well enough, they might like to know. [...] But contacting the maintainer of the nbd-client seems to be a good idea. I will do that. Thanks. So I have contacted the maintainer of nbd-client and have a little follow up: 1. apparently, the Debian installer can be used with the option "modules=partman-nbd" (documented in /usr/share/doc/nbd-client/README.Debian.gz), which should allow partitioning and installation on an nbd 2. for the nbd-client binary used in initrd images - I have submitted a bug: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1036539
Re: Installation on NBD in the newly released
On Sun, May 21, 2023 at 03:57:40PM +0200, Tomasz Wolak wrote: > On 5/20/23 22:09, Charles Curley wrote: > > On Sat, 20 May 2023 18:45:13 +0200 Tomasz Wolak wrote: > > > > > Debian installer, despite the fact that it contains nbd kernel > > > modules, was lacking the nbd-client, an application that would allow > > > to actually set the remote-attached device up and available for > > > installation. And the nbd-client had to be dug _manually_ from a udeb > > > package (the one from regular Debian does not work as installer > > > environment does not have some libraries) and, of course, transferred > > > _manually_ through network to the installation system. > > > > Is this the sort of thing you could script and do right after the > > installation? Yes, I think that is possible. > Not really, this problem is _during_ the installation. The nbd-client is > needed to configure the device to which the system will be installed. > > (It is not about some local VM installation, in which one could do anything > locally having a complete system available; it is about installation on bare > metal hardware via network, using the generic Debian (network) installer). Start with `anna install nbd-client` in "ALT-F2-console" during install. And check debian-installer manual for "preseed", "early_command". Contact debian-b...@lists.debian.org for constructive feedback. Groeten Geert Stappers -- Silence is hard to parse
Re: Installation on NBD in the newly released
On 5/20/23 22:09, Charles Curley wrote: On Sat, 20 May 2023 18:45:13 +0200 Tomasz Wolak wrote: Debian installer, despite the fact that it contains nbd kernel modules, was lacking the nbd-client, an application that would allow to actually set the remote-attached device up and available for installation. And the nbd-client had to be dug _manually_ from a udeb package (the one from regular Debian does not work as installer environment does not have some libraries) and, of course, transferred _manually_ through network to the installation system. Is this the sort of thing you could script and do right after the installation? Not really, this problem is _during_ the installation. The nbd-client is needed to configure the device to which the system will be installed. (It is not about some local VM installation, in which one could do anything locally having a complete system available; it is about installation on bare metal hardware via network, using the generic Debian (network) installer).
Re: Installation on NBD in the newly released
> Well, it is not a problem with nbd-client-udeb, it is a problem with the > lack of it in Debian installer. According to my reading of `nbd-client-udeb`, the whole purpose of that package is to use it with Debian's installer. So even if it's not supported in the default Debian installer, there's clearly an intention to make it possible to use NBD together with the installer. > So, I am not sure if reporting a bug is a right place. There is no > particular package that I can point to... I'd go with `nbd-client-udeb` for a start. Their maintainers should know where to redirect/refile it if necessary. Stefan
Re: Installation on NBD in the newly released
A wishlist bug report against the debian installer pseudo package would seem to be an appropriate way to go. I would also like to see nbd support in the installer. I'm guessing it will be too late for bookworm, I tried that using the nightly installer and had a similar problem - nbd kernel module was available but no userspace tools. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?pkg=d-i.debian.org;dist=unstable Thanks, Alex On 21/05/23 06:17, Tomasz Wolak wrote: On 5/20/23 19:49, Tomasz Wolak wrote: On 5/20/23 19:17, Stefan Monnier wrote: I will not go to further details here, anyone interested can go to: https://t-w.github.io/debian/2022/03/09/diskless_debian_11_pxe_nbd/ for details. Have you reported a bug about this? You might also get in touch with the maintainer of `nbd-client-udeb` since that package seems designed for your use case, so if it doesn't work well enough, they might like to know. Well, it is not a problem with nbd-client-udeb, it is a problem with the lack of it in Debian installer. And I am not quite sure if this is a bug or just an unimplemented functionality. Debian installer do not have a fully-fledged interface for configuring NBD, so this might be avoided for a reason, like not giving people something that might/does not work. My point is that I would like that it progressed a bit further so that, at least, using the console of the installation system, nbd device could be configured and used. The pieces I did proves that it does not require much (esp. that my changes could be just used to improve at least initrd in this matter; only adding nbd-client to the installer remains). So, I am not sure if reporting a bug is a right place. There is no particular package that I can point to... But contacting the maintainer of the nbd-client seems to be a good idea. I will do that. Thanks.
Re: Installation on NBD in the newly released
On Sat, 20 May 2023 18:45:13 +0200 Tomasz Wolak wrote: > Debian installer, despite the fact that it contains nbd kernel > modules, was lacking the nbd-client, an application that would allow > to actually set the remote-attached device up and available for > installation. And the nbd-client had to be dug _manually_ from a udeb > package (the one from regular Debian does not work as installer > environment does not have some libraries) and, of course, transferred > _manually_ through network to the installation system. Is this the sort of thing you could script and do right after the installation? -- Does anybody read signatures any more? https://charlescurley.com https://charlescurley.com/blog/
Re: Installation on NBD in the newly released
On 5/20/23 19:49, Tomasz Wolak wrote: On 5/20/23 19:17, Stefan Monnier wrote: I will not go to further details here, anyone interested can go to: https://t-w.github.io/debian/2022/03/09/diskless_debian_11_pxe_nbd/ for details. Have you reported a bug about this? You might also get in touch with the maintainer of `nbd-client-udeb` since that package seems designed for your use case, so if it doesn't work well enough, they might like to know. Well, it is not a problem with nbd-client-udeb, it is a problem with the lack of it in Debian installer. And I am not quite sure if this is a bug or just an unimplemented functionality. Debian installer do not have a fully-fledged interface for configuring NBD, so this might be avoided for a reason, like not giving people something that might/does not work. My point is that I would like that it progressed a bit further so that, at least, using the console of the installation system, nbd device could be configured and used. The pieces I did proves that it does not require much (esp. that my changes could be just used to improve at least initrd in this matter; only adding nbd-client to the installer remains). So, I am not sure if reporting a bug is a right place. There is no particular package that I can point to... But contacting the maintainer of the nbd-client seems to be a good idea. I will do that. Thanks.
Re: Installation on NBD in the newly released
On 5/20/23 19:17, Stefan Monnier wrote: I will not go to further details here, anyone interested can go to: https://t-w.github.io/debian/2022/03/09/diskless_debian_11_pxe_nbd/ for details. Have you reported a bug about this? You might also get in touch with the maintainer of `nbd-client-udeb` since that package seems designed for your use case, so if it doesn't work well enough, they might like to know. Well, it is not a problem with nbd-client-udeb, it is a problem with the lack of it in Debian installer. And I am not quite sure if this is a bug or just an unimplemented functionality. Debian installer do not have a fully-fledged interface for configuring NBD, so this might be avoided for a reason, like not giving people something that might/does not work. My point is that I would like that it progressed a bit further so that, at least, using the console of the installation system, nbd device could be configured and used. The pieces I did proves that it does not require much (esp. that my changes could be just used to improve at least initrd in this matter; only adding nbd-client to the installer remains). So, I am not sure if reporting a bug is a right place. There is no particular package that I can point to... Tomasz
Re: Installation on NBD in the newly released
> I will not go to further details here, anyone interested can go to: > https://t-w.github.io/debian/2022/03/09/diskless_debian_11_pxe_nbd/ > for details. Have you reported a bug about this? You might also get in touch with the maintainer of `nbd-client-udeb` since that package seems designed for your use case, so if it doesn't work well enough, they might like to know. Stefan
Installation on NBD in the newly released
Hello everyone, Does anyone know if the new release of Debian will contain/allow installation on an NBD (network block device)? Some time ago, I was installing Debian 11 (bullseye) for some diskless machine. And, while finally I succeeded, I had a few unnecessary obstacles which made that process more time-consuming and difficult than it should be. Debian installer, despite the fact that it contains nbd kernel modules, was lacking the nbd-client, an application that would allow to actually set the remote-attached device up and available for installation. And the nbd-client had to be dug _manually_ from a udeb package (the one from regular Debian does not work as installer environment does not have some libraries) and, of course, transferred _manually_ through network to the installation system. Besides that, target system's initrd was missing things allowing to mount an nbd as the root device. Though not that difficult, I had to prepare that myself (again, time spent on things that could just be there). I will not go to further details here, anyone interested can go to: https://t-w.github.io/debian/2022/03/09/diskless_debian_11_pxe_nbd/ for details. My question is - does anyone know if these things will be fixed in the new upcoming release (bookworm)? And if not - where should I ask and provide info to eventually push for making these minor but, IMHO, very useful changes? (I do not want to pollute dev. mailing lists unnecessarily, if this should go there, please let me know where exactly. For me, debian-b...@lists.debian.org seems to be the right place for this issue). (Thanks in advance). Regards, Tomasz
