Bug#1062189: simple-cdd: Linux Kernel of generated ISO (.udeb) and Kernel to be installed (.deb) don't match

Marcel Bosling

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Jan 31, 2024, 11:10:04 AM1/31/24

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Package: simple-cdd
Version: 0.6.9
Severity: important
X-Debbugs-Cc: marcel....@steinert.de

When building on/for Debian 12, the kernel to start d-i is kernel-image-6.1.0-16-amd64-di_6.1.67-1_amd64.udeb
but linux-image-6.1.0-17-amd64_6.1.69-1_amd64.deb (from security) is the installation candidate resulting in d-i not being able
to find a proper kernel during installation.

Funnily kernel-image-6.1.0-17-amd64-di_6.1.69-1_amd64.udeb exists in

http://security.debian.org/debian-security/pool/updates/main/l/linux-signed-amd64/kernel-image-6.1.0-17-amd64-di_6.1.69-1_amd64.udeb

but is not considered while creating the image.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 12.4
APT prefers stable-updates
APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable-security'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 6.1.0-17-amd64 (SMP w/4 CPU threads; PREEMPT)
Locale: LANG=de_DE.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=de_DE.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE not set
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
LSM: AppArmor: enabled

Versions of packages simple-cdd depends on:
ii dctrl-tools 2.24-3+b1
ii debian-cd 3.2.1
ii lsb-release 12.0-1
ii python3 3.11.2-1+b1
ii python3-simple-cdd 0.6.9
ii reprepro 5.3.1-1+deb12u1
ii rsync 3.2.7-1
ii wget 1.21.3-1+b2

Versions of packages simple-cdd recommends:
ii dose-distcheck 7.0.0-1+b2

Versions of packages simple-cdd suggests:
pn qemu-system | qemu-kvm <none>

-- no debconf information

Sietze van Buuren

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Feb 4, 2024, 10:00:04 AM2/4/24

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I have observed similar behavior.

Also trying to build on and for Debian 12 (Bookworm). Simple-CDD finishes successfully, but fails to create a working installer.

The installer complains that it can't find any matching kernel modules.

Kernel version for the Debian Installer:
/tmp/simple-cdd/tmp/cd-build/bookworm/CD1/install.amd/vmlinuz: Linux kernel x86 boot executable bzImage, version 6.1.0-15-amd64 (debian...@lists.debian.org) #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.66-1 (2023-12-09), RO-rootFS, swap_dev 0x7, Normal VGA

Kernel version to be installed:

/tmp/simple-cdd/tmp/cd-build/bookworm/CD1/pool/main/l/linux-signed-amd64/linux-image-6.1.0-17-amd64_6.1.69-1_amd64.deb

I tried to replace the to be installed kernel version linux-image-6.1.0-17-amd64 with linux-image-6.1.0-15-amd64 to no avail.

(Using Vagrant's instructions here: https://lists.debian.org/debian-custom/2009/03/msg00006.html).

Any suggestions for a workaround?

Sietze van Buuren

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Feb 6, 2024, 4:00:05 PM2/6/24

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Fortunately, I was able to find a workaround.

At least for my case, the DebianInstaller was complaining about kernel modules.

So I tried to add these via the variable kernel_packages in the NAME.conf file.

My d-i is of version v.6.1.0-15, so I added the following di packages by stating:

kernel_packages="linux-image-amd64 kernel-image-6.1.0-15-amd64-di efi-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di ext4-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di md-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di sata-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di nic-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di"

Depending on your needs, I guess you might need other kernel modules. Also note linux-image-amd64 in the beginning, that's the default value for kernel_packages.

With this additional setting, the DebianInstaller does not complain anymore and produces a functional installation!

Not a real solution though.

Why doesn't Simple-CDD pull these packages automatically?

And why doesn't it pull the latest stable d-i version (v6.1.0-17 at the time of writing) in the first place?

On Sun, 4 Feb 2024 15:54:10 +0100 Sietze van Buuren <s.van....@gmail.com> wrote:

> I have observed similar behavior.
>
> Also trying to build on and for Debian 12 (Bookworm). Simple-CDD finishes
> successfully, but fails to create a working installer.
> The installer complains that it can't find any matching kernel modules.
>
> Kernel version for the Debian Installer:
> /tmp/simple-cdd/tmp/cd-build/bookworm/CD1/install.amd/vmlinuz: Linux kernel
> x86 boot executable bzImage, version 6.1.0-15-amd64 (
> debian...@lists.debian.org) #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.66-1
> (2023-12-09), RO-rootFS, swap_dev 0x7, Normal VGA
> Kernel version to be installed:
> /tmp/simple-cdd/tmp/cd-build/bookworm/CD1/pool/main/l/linux-signed-amd64/linux-image-6.1.0-17-amd64_6.1.69-1_amd64.deb
>
> I tried to replace the to be installed kernel version
> linux-image-6.1.0-17-amd64 with linux-image-6.1.0-15-amd64 to no avail.
> (Using Vagrant's instructions here:
> https://lists.debian.org/debian-custom/2009/03/msg00006.html).
>
> Any suggestions for a workaround?
>
> On Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:02:50 +0100 Marcel Bosling <
> marcel....@steinert.de> wrote:

Sietze van Buuren

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Feb 7, 2024, 6:10:06 AM2/7/24

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The workaround I proposed can be accomplished in a simpler way.

Just add the required d-i packages to the downloads file containing packages to be included (i.e. the file NAME.downloads) as follows:

kernel-image-6.1.0-15-amd64-di
efi-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di
ext4-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di
md-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di
sata-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di
nic-modules-6.1.0-15-amd64-di

This has the same effect.