[Cbe-oss-dev] PS3 Fedora 12 install notes

[Geoff Levand]

Hi,

On 11/23/2009 03:42 PM, Levand, Geoffrey wrote:
> On 11/21/2009 08:34 AM, Andrea wrote:
>> On 21/11/09 00:33, Geoff Levand wrote:
>>> 
>>> Fedora 12 was released this week.  Unfortunately, due to
>>> an increase in memory usage of anaconda the Fedora installer
>>> program some special procedures are needed to install it
>>> on the PS3.
>> 
>> 1) if I use the new petitboot AND pass the extra parameters, is there a chance to get the graphical
>> installer?
> 
> No, I don't think so, it never worked for me.
> 
> It may be possible to get anaconda to run in graphical mode
> on the retail PS3 if you use a custom kernel and/or a custom
> initrd.  I will try these as time permits.

I did a little work on why anaconda can't run in graphical
mode.  Here is the actual mem check in the anaconda source:

  http://git.fedoraproject.org/git/?p=anaconda.git;a=blob;f=anaconda;h=c8c90e1ddae823fffd8cfde9b8869eb770f8be42;hb=0d7c3b4f31ecd85f3c89df47a00e940b7a6f872a#l365

Which I cut and paste here:

----
    #define MIN_GUI_RAM 393216

    # override display mode if machine cannot nicely run X
    if not flags.test and not flags.usevnc:
        if opts.display_mode not in ('t', 'c') and iutil.memInstalled() < isys.MIN_GUI_RAM:
            stdoutLog.warning(_("You do not have enough RAM to use the graphical "
                                "installer.  Starting text mode."))
            opts.display_mode = 't'
----

The retail PS3 has less than 256 MiB available to Linux, and
anaconda wants 384 MiB to run in graphical mode.

As seen in the code, you can avoid the MIN_GUI_RAM check by running
anaconda in VNC mode (pass the 'vnc' option on the kernel command
line).  I tried this using all the default install selections and
anaconda did finish and I had a bootable system, but the anaconda
developers said it was unsafe since VNC mode uses as much memory as
graphical mode.  For this reason I do not recommend using VNC
mode to the average user.  Different option selections will most
likely have different memory needs so install my fail, but anaconda
does have swap enabled for later parts of its operation.

Also, I found an easier workaround for the NetworkManager eth0 config
bug (https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=523872), which is
hit early in VNC mode where no TTY available yet.  When the net config
error dialog is shown, close the error dialog and go back to the network
device selection dialog, select the wlan0 interface and run the
configuration again.  Due to the bug, this will actually configure the
Ethernet (eth0) interface.

If anyone trys the VNC install, please report your results.

-Geoff