Installation source, Appstream packages not detected

[ttyz]

Hi support team,

I have been having issues with creating a bootable usb custom iso for CentOS8 as I need to perform an offline automated install.

I have read guides with regards to creating a custom iso and not only did i test it on CentOS8 but also on CentOS7.

For CentOS7, I did not face any issue creating a custom iso using the same guide.

In the guide, I was told to mount and copy out all the original iso contents (CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1.iso) and create a custom kickstart.cfg file from which the the iso can boot from upon installation (Automated install)

In order to preform the automated install, I have to edit both the grub.cfg and isolinux.cfg in EFI/BOOT/grub.cfg and isolinux/isolinux.cfg respectively by adding inst.ks=hd:LABEL=CENTOS-8-1-:/kickstart.cfg (kickstart file is placed in root folder).

It was also stated that some commands are required to generate/build the custom iso but for my case I used:

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mkisofs -R -J -V "CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd" -o /home/CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table .

With the custom iso gernerated, I went to test it. I could see the kickstart has taken effect as the performed manual partitioning is reflected.
But as for the installation source, there was a difference in the 2 iso and they are the options available when asked "Which installation source would you like to use":
For CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1.iso I could see the option:
Auto-detected installation media
Device: sdc1
LABEL: CentOS-8-1-

For CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso there were no such option.

I went back to check CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso generated and made a comparison with the CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso in image details using blkid and isoinfo.
For blkid (blkid "iso name".iso), both seems to have returned the same result:

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CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso: UUID="2018-06-22-21-19-31-00" LABEL="CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd" TYPE="iso9660"
CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1.iso: UUID="2018-06-22-21-19-31-00" LABEL="CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd" TYPE="iso9660"

And as for isoinfo (isoinfo -d -i "iso name.iso"), there are a few differences and they are:
For CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1.iso:

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CD-ROM is in ISO 9660 format
System id: LINUX
Volume id: CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd
Volume set id:
Publisher id:
Data preparer id:
Application id: GENISOIMAGE ISO 9660/HFS FILESYSTEM CREATOR (C) 1993 E.YOUNGDALE                                                                                                                                                            (C) 1997-2006 J.PEARSON/J.SCHILLING (C) 2006-2007 CDRKIT TEAM
Copyright File id:
Abstract File id:
Bibliographic File id:
Volume set size is: 1
Volume set sequence number is: 1
Logical block size is: 2048
Volume size is: 3723219
El Torito VD version 1 found, boot catalog is in sector 1012
Joliet with UCS level 3 found
Rock Ridge signatures version 1 found
Eltorito validation header:
    Hid 1
    Arch 0 (x86)
    ID ''
    Key 55 AA
    Eltorito defaultboot header:
        Bootid 88 (bootable)
        Boot media 0 (No Emulation Boot)
        Load segment 0
        Sys type 0
        Nsect 4
        Bootoff 3F5 1013

For CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso:

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CD-ROM is in ISO 9660 format
System id: LINUX
Volume id: CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd
Volume set id:
Publisher id:
Data preparer id:
Application id: GENISOIMAGE ISO 9660/HFS FILESYSTEM CREATOR (C) 1993 E.YOUNGDALE                                                                                                                                                              (C) 1997-2006 J.PEARSON/J.SCHILLING (C) 2006-2007 CDRKIT TEAM
Copyright File id:
Abstract File id:
Bibliographic File id:
Volume set size is: 1
Volume set sequence number is: 1
Logical block size is: 2048
Volume size is: 3723291
El Torito VD version 1 found, boot catalog is in sector 1077
Joliet with UCS level 3 found
Rock Ridge signatures version 1 found
Eltorito validation header:
    Hid 1
    Arch 0 (x86)
    ID ''
    Key 55 AA
    Eltorito defaultboot header:
        Bootid 88 (bootable)
        Boot media 0 (No Emulation Boot)
        Load segment 0
        Sys type 0
        Nsect 4
        Bootoff 436 1078

Also I realized that CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1.iso has hybrid boot so I added:

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isohybrid /homeCentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso

By doing so, it happened to change the result of the blkid (blkid "iso name".iso) for both iso.
For CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1.iso:

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CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso: UUID="2018-06-22-21-19-31-00" LABEL="CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd" TYPE="iso9660"

For CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso:

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CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso: UUID="2018-06-22-21-19-31-00" LABEL="CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd" TYPE="iso9660" PTUUID="3d328811" PTTYPE="dos"

In some cases where test media and install is required a hashing of the image is required:

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implantisomd5 ../CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso

Also when flashing the iso into a bootable usb, I realized that the device name for both iso is different even though the device label is the same.
For CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1.iso:
Device name: CENTOS-8-1-
Device label: CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd

For CentOS-8.1.1911-x86_64-dvd1_4101.iso:
Device name: CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd
Device label: CentOS-8-1-1911-x86_64-dvd

I would like to know has these differences in the iso affects the custom installation?
Has the command used in these steps caused those differences?
If so, how did you generate your iso?

I have to perform a offline automated installation for security purposes and would like to know if this method cannot be performed, what are other option available for me.

Thanks in advance!

[TrevorH]

Use an unmodified iso image and also add a USB drive with the label "OEMDRV" and put your kickstart file on that, called ks.cfg

[ttyz]

Hi,

Thanks for the prompt reply.
So base on the reply, in both grub.cfg and isolinux.cfg I will add inst.ks=hd:LABEL=OEMDRV:/ks.cfg instead?

Regards

[TrevorH]

I'm suggesting that you do not rewrite the media at all. Just create a separate drive with the correct label containing your kickstart file, named as ks.cfg.

[ttyz]

My apologies, I did not quite understand what you said. Do you mean that I should have 2 drives, 1 usb bootable with the original media and another drive labeled "OEMDRV" with a ks.cfg plugged in when performing an automated install?
If that is the case, I would like to know if there is a way where I can package everything into a single USB bootable as my hardware has some limitation.

[ttyz]

Using 2 usb drives, 1 with CentOS8 bootable usb and the other containing ks.cfg labeled "OEMDRV" is working!
Thanks for your support!