Anaconda/Network

Network enablement and configuration

Two tasks:

• Network enablement for installer - configure and activate one device to be used during installation. It can be configured using boot parameters, or kickstart, or if needed user can be prompted to enable network in loader UI (when fetching kickstart or updates image over network), or in text mode UI and GUI (when setting up network storage (iscsi, fcoe) or network repository). Additional devices can be activated only in GUI, using NetworkManager Connection Editor (nm-c-e) by checking Connect Automatically.
  • There is a bug requiring an option of activation of additional devices in kickstart.
  • Once the device is activated, it can't be reactivated with changed configuration (e.g. static configuration with fixed nameserver, see bug 504983. I want to offer this possibility in GUI (device activation). It would also allow to activate/deactivate any device in GUI.
• Target system network configuration. Can be done with kickstart or in GUI using nm-c-e. Undesirably, checking Connect Automatically will activate the device after the configuration is applied (see ONBOOT side-effect). We are not aware of any problems caused by this side effect which is invisible to the user (Anaconda doesn't wait for NetworkManager activating the device), but I can imagine there might be some lurking.

As you can see, configuration of installer environment and target system is not well separated. It is because in GUI we use nm-c-e for enablement, and we have to use same configuration files for installer and target system configuration.

On Live CD, network is configured in Live CD environment using NetworkManager Applet on panel.

Modes of configuration

boot options

These anaconda boot options can be used to enable network in loader (e.g. for getting kickstart, updates image, or for network installation): asknetwork, dhcpclass, dhcptimeout, dns, essid, ethtool, gateway, ip, ipv6, ksdevice, linksleep, mtu, netmask, nicdelay, noipv4, noipv6, wepkey

kickstart

Kickstart network command can be used both to enable and configure devices. If a device should be enabled in loader (e.g. for getting updates image, or for network installation), first network command will be used to select and configure the device. Other network commands configure devices for target system. This bug should allow activation of these devices at the beginning of stage 2 (post loader) using --activate option.

loader text UI

asknetwork

editing configuration files

Anaconda communictes with NetworkManager mostly with ifcfg files (nm-c-e stores its configuration there too). It can be handy to edit them directly for debugging or as workaround solution. Files can be edited using shell in virtual terminal tty2 ([Ctrl][Alt][F2]). Their location is /etc/sysconfig/netwrok-scripts/ifcfg-<device name>. The configuration will be applied in installer after the device is disconnected and reactivated. The device is disconnected if its ifcfg file is removed. It will be activated if an ifcfg file will be copied back to its location with ONBOOT=yes set. So configuration of active device for installer environment can be changed this way:

mv /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 /tmp
vi /tmp/ifcfg-eth0
mv /tmp/ifcfg-eth0 /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts

At the end of the installation, ifcfg files are copied to target system tree to directory /mnt/sysimage/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts.

Bugs and issues

• bug 638181 Here is a patch adding kickstart network --activate option: anaconda partpykickstart part
• ipv6 fail + ipv4 success
• stateless dhcp6

• fixing static configuration

by integration of NetwrokManager applet (TODO link mailing list, link this page)

• onboot -> activate
• network storage
• default of network --device

• media install and asknetwork?