Bug#991417: simple-cdd generated iso: No kernel modules were found

[Tyler Stachecki]

On Sun, 25 Jul 2021 15:08:54 -0400 Tyler Stachecki <
stachecki.ty...@gmail.com> wrote:
> This is more likely a bug with how artifacts are being published when the
> kernel ABI is bumped during RCs, as the same thing happened during buster
> until it was released...
>
> Both of these links have OLD artifacts and the installer will not work,
> thus PXE boots are broken all the same:
>
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/testing/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/debian-installer/amd64/
>
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/buster/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/debian-installer/amd64/

apologies, the links should be course be:
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/testing/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/debian-installer/amd64/
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/bullseye/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/debian-installer/amd64/

Bug#991417: simple-cdd generated iso: No kernel modules were found

[Tyler Stachecki]

This is more likely a bug with how artifacts are being published when the
kernel ABI is bumped during RCs, as the same thing happened during buster
until it was released...

Both of these links have OLD artifacts and the installer will not work,
thus PXE boots are broken all the same:
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/testing/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/debian-installer/amd64/
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/buster/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/debian-installer/amd64/

Bug#991417: simple-cdd generated iso: No kernel modules were found

[John Paul Adrian Glaubitz]

Hi Mike!

On 7/23/21 3:23 AM, Mike Depot wrote:
> Machine: qemu kvm, on top of bullseye amd64
> Processor: QEMU Virtual CPU version 2.5+ (over i7-6920HQ physical)
> Memory: 4G in QEMU (64G physical)
> 
> I've been using simple-cdd running on my bullseye host to generate a custom 
> iso (also bullseye). 
> My simple-cdd config had been working fine until a couple days ago.  Now I am 
> getting an error
> early in debian-installer when I boot from the generated ISO:
> 
> "No kernel modules were found. This probably is due to a mismatch between the 
> kernel used by this
> version of the installer and the kernel version available in the archive."

This happens when the kernel ABI version that debian-installer booted into does 
not match the kernel
ABI version of the debian-installer module udebs on the installation medium.

I assume that simple-cdd is just re-using the d-i images which contain a 
certain kernel version while
retrieving the d-i module udebs from the archives which then can lead to the 
version mismatch in
case the kernel is updated in the archives.

Thus, the bug lies in simple-cdd which should pick the d-i images and the d-i 
module udebs from Debian
testing or stable where such a mismatch cannot occur. Alternatively, it could 
also rebuild debian-installer
itself to make sure the d-i images use the kernel ABI version that matches the 
one of the d-i module
udebs.

Adrian

-- 
 .''`.  John Paul Adrian Glaubitz
: :' :  Debian Developer - glaub...@debian.org
`. `'   Freie Universitaet Berlin - glaub...@physik.fu-berlin.de
  `-GPG: 62FF 8A75 84E0 2956 9546  0006 7426 3B37 F5B5 F913

Bug#991417: simple-cdd generated iso: No kernel modules were found

[Cyril Brulebois]

Hi Mike,

Mike Depot  (2021-07-22):
> Package: installation-reports
> 
> Boot method: "simple-cdd --qemu-only"
> Image version: 5.10.0-7-amd64
> Date: 2021-07-22

This might be best filed against simple-cdd but anyway…

> I've been using simple-cdd running on my bullseye host to generate a
> custom iso (also bullseye).  My simple-cdd config had been working
> fine until a couple days ago.  Now I am getting an error early in
> debian-installer when I boot from the generated ISO:
> 
> "No kernel modules were found. This probably is due to a mismatch between the 
> kernel used by this version of the installer and the kernel version available 
> in the archive."

Yes, the ABI of the linux kernel was bumped.

I would hope it should be possible to point simple-cdd (and debian-cd)
at the daily builds (which have the required change), but a quick grep
around in the simple-cdd code source and Git repository didn't help me
get the “how” part.

Alternatively, wait for the RC3, which should happen in the next few
days (maybe one week or two, depending on what happens within Debian).


Cheers,
-- 
Cyril Brulebois (k...@debian.org)
D-I release manager -- Release team member -- Freelance Consultant


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Bug#991417: simple-cdd generated iso: No kernel modules were found

[Mike Depot]

Package: installation-reports

Boot method: "simple-cdd --qemu-only"
Image version: 5.10.0-7-amd64
Date: 2021-07-22

Machine: qemu kvm, on top of bullseye amd64
Processor: QEMU Virtual CPU version 2.5+ (over i7-6920HQ physical)
Memory: 4G in QEMU (64G physical)

I've been using simple-cdd running on my bullseye host to generate a custom iso 
(also bullseye).  My simple-cdd config had been working fine until a couple 
days ago.  Now I am getting an error early in debian-installer when I boot from 
the generated ISO:

"No kernel modules were found. This probably is due to a mismatch between the 
kernel used by this version of the installer and the kernel version available 
in the archive."

I find that simple-cdd is generating the iso with the following kernel:
Linux ... 5.10.0-7-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.40.1 (2021-05-28) x86_64 GNU Linux

However the host system (recently apt upgraded) has the following kernel:
Linux ... 5.10.0-8-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.46.2 (2021-07-20) x86_64 GNU Linux
(note the date on the kernel is only 2 days prior from when I ran into this 
issue)

I am not specifying mirror/codename nor mirror/suite in the preseed that 
simple-cdd is using.  My understanding is this allows debian-installer to 
install whatever version ends up in the generated iso's initrd.  I also tried 
again with these values enabled and set to "bullseye" however the problem 
remained.

Searching for this error I find that other people that have had the same issue 
in the past.  In past bug reports this seems to have been fixed somewhere in 
the distro, so I'm reporting it here.

Since this problem seems to come back every now and again, I'd also like to 
know if there is a workaround that people can put into their simple-cdd config 
to allow things to keep working when the kernels occasionally get out of sync 
like this.  If that's possible, it might be good to mention that workaround 
here, for future searchers.

Thanks!