fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

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jmechler
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:37 pm

fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by jmechler »

Is anyone using PXE boot to deploy Linux to their fitlet2 units? If so, can you share your grub template?

I am trying to use cobbler to install Centos7 on a fitlet2 configured for UEFI and PXE boot. This setup is working fine on a device from another vendor that is also using UEFI, as well as an older fitlet model that uses legacy BIOS mode.

I can see from DHCP and TFTP logs on the server that the fitlet2 is successfully getting an IP address and starting the boot process. It downloads grub/grub-x86_64.efi and grub/01-00-01-C0-20-EF-D1, and then displays "succeed to download NBP file"

After that nothing happens. Running tcpdump on the server shows that it doesn't make any other attempts to connect after the TFTP download.

I have tried various suggestions in more general forums. The mac-address specific grub file is currently configured as below. I've changed the host name and IP address, but they are definitely correct in the real one.

The only thing that's a bit different is that other examples have said you need to add splashimage=(nd)/splash.xpm.gz. It looks like this has changed to splash.png in Centos7. Regardless, it is not making an attempt to retrieve it.


default=0
timeout=0
splashimage=(nd)/splash.png

title myhostname
root (nd)
kernel /images/CentOS7-1511-Everything-x86_64/vmlinuz ksdevice=bootif lang= nomodeset text xdriver=vesa kssendmac ks=http://192.168.1.100/cblr/svc/op/ks/system/myhostname
initrd /images/CentOS7-1511-Everything-x86_64/initrd.img


Thanks,
Jason

tamir
Site Admin
Posts: 419
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2017 4:21 pm

Re: fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by tamir »

Working to investigate this behavior with our R&D.
Will get back as soon as possible.

jmechler
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:37 pm

Re: fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by jmechler »

I've made some progress. By switching to the grub2-based grubx64.efi that ships with CentOS7 (vs grub1-based grub-x86_64.efi), I can get it to download vmlinuz and initrd.img, but then it just hangs, fairly hard.

The cursor stops blinking. It doesn't respond to Ctrl-Alt-Del. I have to hold down power for several seconds to get it to turn off.

I am using the grub2 menu shown below, which I've confirmed works with other hardware.

I've also updated to the latest CentOS release just in case there were issues with the older version, but the previous version I was using also didn't work.

This unit is on BIOS 0.40.01.00. I will also try another unit and then try updating the BIOS to the latest, 0.46.01.00

Code: Select all

set default=0
set timeout=2

menuentry "myhostname net install" {
        echo "loading kernel..."
        linuxefi /images/CentOS7-1810-DVD-x86_64/vmlinuz  ksdevice=bootif lang=  kssendmac text  ks=http://192.168.1.100/cblr/svc/op/ks/system/myhostname
        echo "loading root image..."
        initrdefi /images/CentOS7-1810-DVD-x86_64/initrd.img
        echo "booting kernel..."
}

tamir
Site Admin
Posts: 419
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2017 4:21 pm

Re: fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by tamir »

Our Linux expert has just documented a step by step guide to configure PXE server on your machine.

Please see - https://fit-pc.com/wiki/index.php?title ... Linux_Mint

This Application note is available at our fitlet2 WiKi page at "Guides and application notes":
http://fit-pc.com/wiki/index.php?title= ... tion_notes

jmechler
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:37 pm

Re: fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by jmechler »

I did manage to make this work on a different unit with the grub2 menu using linuxefi from my second post. I can PXE boot and deploy the OS using Cobbler.

However, installing CentOS7 on the fitlet2 is much slower than I expected. Are the times below typical or expected for fitlet2?

Even just the very first step to TFTP download the kernel/initrd and then boot takes 11 minutes vs. 50 seconds for the other devices, with the total fitlet2 install taking 55 minutes vs 14 or 22.

I have three devices I am testing, all three are using the same switch port and cable to connect to the same cobbler boot server and install the same CentOS image.

I understand the Atom is a bit lower spec than the Celeron, but I would have expected the install process to be IO or network bound, not CPU bound.


fitlet2: (55 min install) Intel Atom E3930 @ 1.3GHz, 2GB RAM from compulab, 32GB mSATA SSD from compulab

fit-PC4 (14 min install): AMD GX-420CA @ 2GHz, 4GB Kingston RAM, 128GB Samsung 850 PRO

Jetway (22 min install): Intel Celeron N2930 @ 1.8GHz, 2GB RAM, 32GB mSATA SSD

Thanks,
Jason

tamir
Site Admin
Posts: 419
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2017 4:21 pm

Re: fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by tamir »

There are some distributions that have difficulty with the fitlet2's SDIO driver and sometimes disabling it might solve problems, among them is slow operation, please try to disable the following BIOS features:

Chipset -> South Cluster Configuration -> SCC Configuration -> SCC SD Card Support [Disabled]
Chipset -> South Cluster Configuration -> SCC Configuration -> SCC eMMC Support [Disabled]
Chipset -> South Cluster Configuration -> SCC Configuration -> SCC SDIO Support [Disabled]

jmechler
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:37 pm

Re: fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by jmechler »

Thanks Tamir.

Exec Summary: changing OS setting in BIOS from Windows to Linux dropped install time from 55min to 22min. Big win. However, 10 of the 22 remaining minutes is spent in TFTP download of kernel/initrd, vs 30-45 seconds for other systems.

Details:

Most posts I saw about the OS setting in the forum were around various audio related challenges. Consensus seemed to be that Windows setting should work for most Linux distros, except Yocto. I decided to give it a try, and it clearly has a big impact on CentOS7 too. Is there documentation that describes what all the OS setting does?

Regarding TFTP download of kernel. Is there any experience/feedback here, either from Fit-PC support or other users? You referenced an example setup for a network boot. How long does kernel/initrd download take for your engineer? I know TFTP is not a particularly efficient protocol, but it is 10x slower on fitlet2 than other systems I'm testing, for the exact same files. Every system is using same port, cable, etc.

I will try disabling the SCC options you suggested and see if that makes a difference.

tamir
Site Admin
Posts: 419
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2017 4:21 pm

Re: fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by tamir »

Unfortunately there's no documentation of the Os selection configuration, in this regard Compulab is following Intel's recommendations, and has to do with the loading of system drivers.
There's a fix we added in regard to the OS selection and audio issue correlated to it, perhaps if the impact is the same on CentOS it's worth a try:
http://fit-pc.com/wiki/index.php?title= ... ut.2FSPDIF

barry
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 5:48 am

Re: fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by barry »

Can you detail how you solved your PXE boot problem? Or did this just start working on different hardware? I am having the same issue as you.

BIOS firmware is the latest available.

I've tried both the SYSLINUX PXE for efi and the GRUB2 EFI loader and they both hang after loading the initrd.

I am however not seeing the slow copy times from TFTP for the kernel and initrd using either PXe install method

I added echo statements similar to yours and nothing happens after the last echo.

Code: Select all

menuentry 'Install CentOS Linux 7' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
  echo "Loading Kernel....."
  linuxefi (tftp)/centos7/vmlinuz ip=dhcp inst.repo=http://mirror.rackspace.com/CentOS/7/os/x86_64/
  echo "Loading Root Image...."
  initrdefi (tftp)/centos7/initrd.img
  echo "Booting Kernel....."
}
I also tried booting from a CentOS and a Mint linux bootable USB image. Both of them show the "select installation" screen. As soon as they start to boot it looks like the usb bus power gets turned off. The indicator light on the usb stick and the num lock key on the keyboard both go off.

I was able to get it to actually start booting exactly once in 5 hours of working on it. But during the udev process there was a kernel panic.

To me this seems like a defective unit. But to be thorough I though I would post and see what you successful recipe was

jmechler
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:37 pm

Re: fitlet2 PXE boot stuck at "succeed to download NBP file"

Post by jmechler »

grubx64.efi from CentOS and the grub menu below are working for me now.

Regarding speed issues, changing OS Type to Linux made a huge difference in install time once it booted.

The really slow TFTP download times went away when I started testing in a different location. Maybe original location had bad duplex or other setting on the switch port.

I may also have had a bad unit. I think once I got to this grub2 menu, switching units finally made it work... Need to go back and retest all of mine.

Code: Select all

set default=0
set timeout=2

menuentry "myhostname net install" {
        echo "loading kernel..."
        linuxefi /images/CentOS7-1810-DVD-x86_64/vmlinuz  ksdevice=bootif lang=  kssendmac text  ks=http://192.168.1.100/cblr/svc/op/ks/system/myhostname
        echo "loading root image..."
        initrdefi /images/CentOS7-1810-DVD-x86_64/initrd.img
        echo "booting kernel..."
}

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