1. Installation Guide
  2. Options for Installation

3 Options for Installation

This chapter describes some of the options you have for installing Oracle Linux 7.

Installation Boot Options

You can specify options for an installation by editing the boot command line, for example to specify the network settings. You access the boot command line by selecting an installation option in the boot menu and then pressing either the E key (UEFI-based systems) or the Tab key (BIOS-based systems). A prompt is displayed, which enables you to edit the boot options that are already defined and add your own options.

Note:

On BIOS-based systems, you can press the Esc key instead of the E key to display the boot: prompt, which does not contain any predefined boot options. You must enter linux to load the predefined boot options before appending with your own options.

When you edit the boot command line, separate each boot option with a space. Some options have parameters, which must be specified with the option=parameter syntax.

To discard your changes and return to the boot menu, press Esc. To start the installation using the customized boot options, press either Ctrl+X (UEFI-based systems) or Return (BIOS-based systems).

In the following example, boot options are used to specify that the installation should use the full installation ISO image stored on an NFS share, that the installation should be automated using a kickstart file stored on an NFS share, and that the network interfaces should be configured using DHCP: 

inst.repo=nfs:nfs.example.com:/ISOs/OL7/full_image.iso \
inst.ks=nfs:nfs.example.com:/kickstart/OL7/server-ks.cfg ip=dhcp

For a list of the available boot options, see the following:

Note:

If you are upgrading from a previous release, check the above documentation for removed and deprecated boot options. Starting with the Oracle Linux 7 release, an inst. prefix has been added to the installation program boot options, but the prefix is currently not enforced.

The following are some of the most commonly used boot options:

Boot Options for Specifying the Installation Type

inst.graphical

Specifies a graphical-based installation.

inst.text

Specifies a text-based installation, see Text-Based Installations.

Boot Options for Specifying the Installation Source

inst.repo=cdrom[:device]

Specifies a CD or DVD drive as the location that contains everything needed to install the software.

The installation program searches all the system's CD or DVD drives, unless a device is specified.

If access to a network is required and no network boot options are specified, the installation program enables DHCP on all available network devices.

inst.repo=ftp://user : password@FTP_server/path

Specifies an FTP server as the location that contains everything needed to install the software.

If access to a network is required and no network boot options are specified, the installation program enables DHCP on all available network devices.

inst.repo=hd:device:path

Specifies a local disk as the location that contains everything needed to install the software.

You can specify the device by its device name (sdb2), label (LABEL=label ), or UUID (UUID=uuid ).

inst.repo=[http:|https:]//HTTP_server/path

Specifies a web server as the location that contains everything needed to install the software. If your system has access to the Internet, you can use the base repository on the Oracle Linux yum server for the Oracle Linux release that you are installing. For example, you could set this value to https://yum.oracle.com/repo/OracleLinux/OL7/6/base/x86_64

inst.repo=nfs:[options:]NFS_server:path

Specifies an NFS share as the location that contains everything needed to install the software.

Use options to specify a comma-separated list of NFS mount options.

The NFS share can be the path to an ISO image or a directory.

inst.stage2=[installation_source]

Specifies the location to fetch the installer runtime image; packages are ignored. If this option is not specified, inst.repo is used instead. The path specified for installation_source can match any of the protocol and path options used for inst.repo.

The directory path specified for the installation_source should contain a valid .treeinfo file that specifies the location of the runtime image. If a .treeinfo file is not present at the source, the installer uses LiveOS/squashfs.img as the default location at the specified source.

Note that when specifying a remote runtime image using the inst.stage2 option while performing a network boot using the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel boot and installation ISO, you must use the same ISO for the installation repository. Do not attempt to use the standard Oracle Linux 7 ISO image for x86_64 (64 bit) as the installation repository when using the runtime image from the Oracle Linux 7 UEK Boot ISO image for x86_64 (64 bit) .

Boot Options for Configuring the Network

ip=[interface:]dhcp|dhcp6|auto6|ibft

Specifies a network automatic configuration method. If interface is not specified, all interfaces are configured. Use ibft to use the MAC address of the interface specified by the iSCSI Boot Firmware Table (iBFT) in the system BIOS or firmware.

ip=ip::gateway:netmask:hostname:interface:none

Specifies a static IP configuration for interface. Enclose IPv6 addresses in square brackets, for example [2509:f0d0:1001::0004].

nameserver=IP

Specifies the IP address of a DNS server to use during installation. Multiple nameserver options can be used.

bootdev=interface

Specifies the primary network interface. Required if you use more than one ip option.

inst.dhcpclass

Specifies a vendor class identifier to DHCP.

Boot Options for Kickstart Installations

inst.ks=cdrom[:device]/path

Specifies a kickstart file on a CD or DVD drive.

inst.ks=ftp://user : password@FTP_server/path

Specifies a kickstart file on an FTP server.

inst.ks=hd:device:path

Specifies a kickstart file a local disk.

You can specify the device by its device name (sdb2), label (LABEL=label ) or UUID (UUID=uuid ).

inst.ks=[http:|https:]//HTTP_server/path

Specifies a kickstart file on a web server.

inst.ks=nfs:[options:]NFS_server:path

Specifies a kickstart file on an NFS share.

Use options to specify a comma-separated list of NFS mount options.

Boot Options for Remote Installations

inst.vnc

Enables remote graphical-based installation by starting a VNC server.

A VNC client can connect by using a command such as vncviewer server:port , where server is the IP address of the system being installed.

After installation, the system starts in text mode even if a graphical desktop environment is selected as the base environment.

inst.vncconnect=client[:port]

Specifies the VNC client and optional port that is listening for connections from a VNC server (vncviewer -listen). The default port is 5900.

inst.vncpassword=password

Specifies the password for client connections using VNC.

Miscellaneous Boot Options

inst.keymap=layout

Specifies the keyboard layout for installation.

inst.lang=language

Specifies the language for installation.

loglevel=level

Specifies the logging level for installation: critical, debug, error, info, or warning. The default level is info.

Automated Installation Using Kickstart

This section describes how you can use kickstart to automate the installation of Oracle Linux.

Creating a Kickstart File

A kickstart configuration file contains all the information that kickstart requires to perform an automated installation. Every Oracle Linux installation creates a kickstart file, /root/anaconda-ks.cfg. You can use this file to repeat an installation, or you can customize the settings in this file for different system configurations. The file is also useful for troubleshooting a boot-time problem with an installed system.

The following sections describe the structure of a kickstart file and demonstrate some of the available configuration options. Documentation for kickstart is included in the pykickstart package and can be found at /usr/share/doc/pykickstart-version/kickstart-docs.rst.

If you are upgrading from a previous Oracle Linux release, use the ksverdiff command (included in the pykickstart package) to check for removed and deprecated kickstart options. Starting with Oracle Linux 7, network interface device names have changed and are now based on information that is derived from the system BIOS, from a device's firmware, system path, or MAC address.

When you have prepared a kickstart configuration file, use the ksvalidator utility, which is included in the pykickstart package, to check that the syntax of the file is correct.

Installation Options Section

The first part of a kickstart file defines the installation options and their associated values, and it defines how to configure the system storage, for example: 

#platform=x86, AMD64, or Intel EM64T
#version=DEVEL
# Firewall configuration
firewall --enabled --service=ssh

# Install OS instead of upgrade
install

# Use CDROM installation media
cdrom

# System authorization information
auth  --useshadow  --passalgo=sha512

# Root password
rootpw --iscrypted SHA512_password_hash

# Use graphical install
graphical
firstboot --disable

# System keyboard
keyboard --vckeymap=us --xlayouts='us'

# System language
lang en_US.UTF-8

# SELinux configuration
selinux --enforcing

# Installation logging level
logging --level=info

# System timezone
timezone  America/Los_Angeles

# Network information
network  --bootproto=dhcp --device=em1 --onboot=yes --hostname=hostname

# System bootloader configuration
bootloader --append="rhgb crashkernel=auto quiet" --location=mbr --driveorder="sda"

# Non-administrative user
user --name=user --homedir=/home/user --password=SHA512_password_hash --iscrypted

# Partition information

clearpart --all --drives=sda

part /boot --fstype=ext4 --size=500
part pv.008002 --grow --size=1

volgroup vg_hostname --pesize=4096 pv.008002
logvol / --fstype=ext4 --name=lv_root --vgname=vg_hostname --grow --size=1024 --maxsize=51200
logvol swap --name=lv_swap --vgname=vg_hostname --grow --size=2016 --maxsize=4032

Comments in the kickstart file begin with a # character.

PXE cannot bring up the network interface unless you include a line such as the following: 

network --bootproto=dhcp --device=em1 --onboot=yes
Packages Section

The %packages section defines the packages to be installed on the system, for example: 

%packages
@base
@core
@desktop-debugging
@dial-up
@fonts
@gnome-desktop
@guest-agents
@guest-desktop-agents
@input-methods
@internet-browser
@multimedia
@print-client
@print-server
@x11
mtools
pax
python-dmidecode
oddjob
wodim
sgpio
genisoimage
device-mapper-persistent-data
abrt-gui
samba-winbind
certmonger
openldap-clients
pam_krb5
krb5-workstation
ldapjdk
slapi-nis
libXmu
perl-DBD-SQLite
perl-Mozilla-LDAP
%end

Package group names start with a @ character. You can use the yum grouplist command on an existing Oracle Linux server to display both the installed package groups and the package groups that are available to install.

Individual packages to be installed are named without the @ prefix. The asterisk (*) wildcard character can be used to specify multiple packages. If you specify a - character as a prefix to a package, the package is not installed.

The %packages keyword can take options, the following are the most useful:

--ignoremissing

Installs the available packages without prompting about missing packages. By default, kickstart interrupts the installation and asks you whether you want to continue the installation.

--multilib

Sets the multilib policy in yum configuration to all so that 32-bit packages can be installed on the system.

You can also use a package list that is available as a local file in kickstart's ramdisk file system or that is accessible on an HTTP server, for example: 

%packages --ignoremissing
%include /tmp/package-list
%end
Pre-installation Configuration Section

The %pre section defines any actions that kickstart must perform before installation. This section is optional.

For example, the following %pre section runs the script config-partitions that is stored on an HTTP server and downloads a list of packages for use with a %include /tmp/package-list statement in the %packages section. 

%pre
%include http://192.168.1.100/scripts/config-partitions
wget -q -O- http://192.168.1.100/scripts/package-list > /tmp/package-list
%end

In this example, the wget command saves the package list in kickstart's file system, which exists as a ramdisk in memory.

An included script or file must be accessible at the specified path or URL.

As the name service is not available before installation, you must use IP addresses instead of domain names in the %pre section or in any script that it includes.

Post-installation Configuration Section

The %post section defines any actions that kickstart must perform after installation. This section is optional.

By default, kickstart runs post-installation tasks in a chroot environment that is based on the root file system of the newly installed system. If you need to access any files that are outside the chroot environment, specify the --nochroot option to %post. You can then access files in the kickstart file system with the newly installed system's root file system being mounted at /mnt/sysimage.

For example, the following %post section runs the script /tmp/post-config in kickstart's file system: 

%post --nochroot
%include /tmp/post-config
%end

If you configure the installed system's network interface to obtain its settings using DHCP, you must either use IP addresses instead of domain names or set up a temporary resolv.conf file, for example: 

%post
wget -q -O- http://192.168.1.100/scripts/resolv.conf > /etc/resolv.conf
%include http://instsvr.mydom.com/scripts/post-config
.
.
.
%end

Using a Kickstart File to Install a System

A kickstart installation requires access to the full installation media which can be on a local CD-ROM drive, USB drive or hard drive, or on a network installation server that is accessible using HTTP or NFS.

To use a kickstart file to install a system:

  1. Boot the system using local boot media.

  2. Selecting an installation option in the boot menu and then press either the E key (UEFI-based systems) or the Tab key (BIOS-based systems) to access the boot prompt.

  3. Use the inst.ks boot option to specify the location of the kickstart file.

    If the kickstart file is located on an NFS server, you might use a boot command such as the following: 

    ip=em1:dhcp inst.ks=nfs:192.168.1.100:/ksfiles/ks.cfg

    where ip=em1:dhcp specifies that DHCP should be used to configure the em1 network interface.

    If access to a network is required and no network configuration is specified either on the boot prompt or in the kickstart configuration, the installation program enables DHCP on all available network devices.

    If a system has multiple network interfaces, use the bootdev option to specify the interface to be used for installation, otherwise you will prompted to choose an interface.

    For PXE clients, it is usual to specify the kickstart parameters in the boot loader configuration. For more information, see:

    For more information about boot options, see Installation Boot Options.

Text-Based Installations

The installation program can also run in text mode. Text mode is used automatically, for example, if the system has insufficient memory or the video card is not supported. Alternatively, you can explicitly request text mode using a boot option or a kickstart option. When a text-based installation is used, a menu of options is displayed similar to the graphical installation.

Text-Based Installation


The image shows the Installation menu for a text-based installation.

The text-based installation menu does not include all of the configuration options available in graphical installations. In particular, you can only use automatic disk partitioning and select a base environment. If you want more control over the installation, you can perform a remote graphical installation using VNC (see Installation Boot Options) or use a kickstart file (see Automated Installation Using Kickstart). After installation, the system starts in text mode even if a graphical desktop is selected as the base environment.

Installing a System With a Btrfs root File System

Oracle Linux 7 uses XFS as the default file system. Follow these steps to install a system with a Btrfs root file system:

  1. Begin the installation by booting the system from the installation media.

  2. On the Installation Summary screen, select Installation Destination. The Installation Destination screen is displayed.

  3. Select the local disks and add any Specialized & Network disks you want to use for the installation.

  4. (Optional) Select Encrypt my data.

    The encryption is applied to the block devices that contain the btrfs subvolumes and file systems.

  5. Select I will configure partitioning and click Done. The Manual Partitioning screen is displayed.

  6. (Optional) Free disk space by removing existing partitions.

    On the left-hand side, select a mount point and click the - button to remove it. Changes to partitioning are not applied until you click Begin Installation on the Installation Summary screen.

  7. Create the mount points.

    From the partitioning scheme list, select BTRFS.

    To create the default mount points automatically, click Click here to create them automatically. By default, automatic partitioning creates the following layout:

    • A 500 MiB, or 1 GiB if you are running Oracle Linux 7.3 or later, partition for an XFS file system that contains /boot.

    • A 200 MiB EFI system partition mounted at /boot/efi (UEFI-based systems only).

    • A btrfs subvolume that contains the root file system (/).

    • A btrfs subvolume that contains the /home file system.

    • A swap partition.

    To create mount points manually, click the + button. As a minimum, create mount points for /, /boot, /home, and swap. The swap and /boot partitions cannot be configured as btrfs file systems.

    Figure 3-* shows the results after automatic btrfs partitioning.

    Mount Points After Automatic Partitioning


    The image shows the options on the Manual Partitioning screen after the default mount points have been created automatically. The mount points are listed on the left. The root (/) mount point is highlighted and there are options on the right that show the mount point's current configuration.

  8. Configure the btrfs root file system.

    Select the / mount point and click Modify. The Configure Volume window is displayed, as shown in Figure 3-*.

    Configure Volume


    The image shows the Configure Volume window. At the top is text box for specifying the volume name, followed by a list of disks that you can select to use for the volume, and then there are options for specifying the RAID level and size of the volume. There is an Encrypt check box. At the bottom there are Cancel and Save buttons.

    Specify a name for the volume, select the disks to use, the RAID level, and the size policy.

    If you select the Encrypt check box, this enables encryption for the block device that contains the root file system because btrfs does not support encryption at the file-system level. The same applies, if you enable encryption on a different btrfs subvolume such as /home.

  9. Click Save. The Configure Volume screen is closed. Click Update Settings to refresh the screen with your configuration changes.

  10. Click Done. If you enabled encryption, you are prompted to enter an encryption passphrase.

  11. Proceed with the rest of the installation.

Using a Driver Update Disk

A Driver Update Disk (DUD) provides a mechanism for delivering updated device drivers during system installation. On some systems, hardware may not be fully supported for an Oracle Linux release. In these cases, a DUD may be released at a later date, to facilitate installation on newer hardware.

DUDs can be released by Oracle and made available on the Oracle Software Delivery Cloud or through Oracle Support, as modules become available for previously unsupported hardware. The DUD is usually released in the form of an ISO.

During installation, the installer can load the updated device driver kernel modules from the DUD so that it can access the devices and install the required RPM packages on the target system. The RPM packages also contain alternate device drivers. This process allows the installation to proceed smoothly on systems with hardware that might not have been initially supported at the time of the Oracle Linux release.

Preparing to use a Driver Update Disk image

Attention:

Writing the DUD ISO to the wrong device may result in data loss. Check that you reference the correct device node when you copy the image. Use the lsblk utility to help you to identify the different disks block devices on your system.

Use the dd command line utility to transfer the DUD image to an alternate storage device: 

# dd if=/path/to/DUD.iso of=/dev/sdX

Replace /path/to/DUD.iso with the path to access the DUD ISO file. Replace /dev/sdX with the device node that belongs to the storage media that you intend to use for the DUD. Typically, you might use a USB disk for this purpose.

Using the Driver Update Disk during installation

To use the DUD during an installation, boot from the standard Oracle Linux installation media as you normally would, but also attach the media that contains the DUD image before the installer starts. The installer should automatically recognize the DUD and use it. You might be prompted to select which drivers to install.

Note:

Some versions of BIOS may fail to identify the installation media when multiple USB storage devices are connected. Therefore, it is recommended that you insert the DUD USB media once the boot process started. For example, attach the disk while the system is at the GRUB boot prompt.

The kernel used by the installer, may not include support for USB 3.0. When using the DUD on USB media, ensure that you use a USB 2.0 compatible port when connecting the USB media to the system.

It is also possible to manually specify the location of the DUD before the installer actually boots. This makes it possible to host the ISO at an alternate location, such as a web server or an NFS server, and helps to facilitate kickstart installations where the DUD may be required. To specify the location of the DUD manually, edit the boot parameters to include inst.dd=location , where location is the URL or path to the device where the DUD can be accessed.

To access the boot parameters in the boot menu when you are running the installation manually, press either the E key (UEFI-based systems) or the Tab key (BIOS-based systems). A prompt is displayed which enables you to edit the boot options already defined and add your own options. See Installation Boot Options for more information.

If you intend to use a DUD during a kickstart installation, use the driverdisk installation option in your kickstart file to specify the location of the disk. For example, to install from an attached block device, use the following: 

driverdisk /dev/sdb1

Alternately, to install from a network location, use the --source switch: 

driverdisk --source=http://www.example.com/dd.iso

The installer supports the use of HTTP, FTP and NFS as sources for network hosted DUD images.