(this bug has been detected on Mandriva2010.1 and seems to be forked to Mageia1)

Steps to Reproduce:
Use a PC with no disk repository of distribution, bring the dual CD or download its iso file.

Copy the i586 directory to a partition, but do not put the i586 at the top of the partition. Example : /a/b/i586

Boot rescue whith these grub commands
root (hd0,4)
kernel /a/b/i586/isolinux/alt0/vmlinuz rescue expert automatic=met:disk,dis:sda,par:sda5,dir:/a/b/i586
initrd /a/b/i586/isolinux/alt0/all.rdz

Then the install/stage2/rescue.sqfs cannot be found and the interactive dialog appears to select manually the disk/partition/directory. If you select/enter the same values of the kernel line, all works fine, the rescue.sqfs is found. The same problem appears while installing, or while using a customized cdrom whith no install nor i586 directory at top.

I am using a slow serial line 9600 bauds, and before the dialog appears I can see a workaround of searching (/install, /i586) on all partitions reachable on the PC. So if I create a link at the top of the sda5 partition i586->a/b/i586, the workaround makes find the install directory. Then the dialog does not appear.

My PC has many repository directories on multiple disks, and it is impossible to choose one automatically. It is a problem for me because I use the AutoInstall facility. Automatic installation is then impossible. In some cases, the workaround finds a raid1 partition, mounts it, and if install fails, the raid1 array becomes corrupted. Maybe the mount is not read-only ?

I downloaded the dual.iso file to the top of the directory. I did not find how to use it as install media. On Mandriva 2008.1 all worked fine. Usage of iso files as source installation seems impossible on Mageia 1.


I think the problem is in the all.rdz/stage1 program, while computing the kernel parameters. Disk and cdrom methods are affected. Network methods work fine. I did not find the source of the stage1 program. If it is possible, I'd like to look at the source code and suggest modifications (computing of parameters and mount read-only). A diff with the Mandriva 2008.1 version can be usefull.


As linked subjet, I suggest to add at the /etc/inittab of the rescue.sqfs these 2 lines (I make it myself by hacking the sqfs file)
s0:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -h -t 60 ttyS0 9600 ansi
#s1:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -h -t 60 ttyS1 115200,9600 linux

The s0 line allows me to use the rescue whith a serial line. The s1 line is for reminding possible parameters. The linux value of TERM variable allows to launch the dhcp-client program.
Of course the menu.lst file begins whith
serial --unit=0 --speed=9600 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1
terminal --timeout=5 console serial