Custom Kickstart Install Image Fails to Boot EFI

Support
1

I’m having an issue with my new kickstart image (Alma9.2), which I’m trying install on different Dell laptops with BIOS version 1.13.1. When I boot my USB containing my new image with UEFI/Secure Boot enabled in the BIOS, I see the output shown in the attached picture and it reverts to the default AlmaLinux 9 install menu instead of mine. I’m wondering if this is a battle with the BIOS or if there is something glaringly wrong with my bootable USB kickstart image. It’s important to note that I am able to boot the USB to the EFI menu and successfully install on a system that has a bit older BIOS version (1.11.0), but I’m not totally convinced that my problem is 100% a BIOS issue given the message that I see in the attached photo in both cases. I’m grateful for any input you may have in assisting me.

Here is my command-line to build the image (done using sudo), with no errors:

mkisofs \ 
       -o ${ISODIR}.iso \ 
       -b isolinux/isolinux.bin \ 
       -J -R -l -c isolinux/boot.cat \ 
       -no-emul-boot \ 
       -boot-load-size 4 \ 
       -boot-info-table \ 
       -eltorito-alt-boot \ 
       -e images/efiboot.img \ 
       -no-emul-boot \ 
       -graft-points \ 
       -joliet-long \ 
       -V ${BLKID} .

 isohybrid --uefi ${ISODIR}.iso
 implantisomd5 ${ISODIR}.iso

Here is my grub.cfg, which resides under EFI/BOOT:

set default="0"

function load_video {
  insmod efi_gop
  insmod efi_uga
  insmod video_bochs
  insmod video_cirrus
  insmod all_video
}

load_video
set gfxpayload=keep
insmod gzio
insmod part_gpt
insmod ext2

set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=yellow/black

# This disables timeout (waits forever) *note - timeout in isolinux.cfg is 0.
set timeout=10
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

search --no-floppy --set=root -l 'AlmaLinux-9-2-x86_64-dvd'

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'XYZ System' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	linuxefi /images/pxeboot/vmlinuz inst.ks=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-2-x86_64-dvd:/xyz-systems/xyz-el9-ks.cfg inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-2-x86_64-dvd fips=1 quiet
	initrdefi /images/pxeboot/initrd.img
}

Here are the contents of the directory EFI/BOOT:
BOOTX64.EFI fonts grub.cfg grubx64.efi mmx64.efi

c986a9b4ae14ba7ef6dd2a1e5dc0655aefbe2a11_2_281x500

  • image stolen from here, but same exact error I’m getting.
2

your commands are correct assuming you’re using AlmaLinux-9-2-x86_64-dvd for BLKID as i’ve done this successfully myself using the same command.

my EFI/BOOT/grub.cfg is almost the same, i’m using cdrom for the kickstart not hd and i haven’t enabled fips mode as the fips modules on the dvd aren’t validated, only the ones from the repo are, although that shouldn’t be a problem:

menuentry 'Kickstart AlmaLinux 9.2' --class fedora --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	linuxefi /images/pxeboot/vmlinuz inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-2-x86_64-dvd quiet inst.ks=cdrom:/ks.cfg inst.text net.ifnames=0
	initrdefi /images/pxeboot/initrd.img
}

i just put the ks.cfg in the root of the ISO, my EFI/BOOT contents are the same as yours.

i also modify isolinux/isolinux.cfg, see this section:

...blah...

menu separator # insert an empty line
menu separator # insert an empty line

label kickstart
  menu label ^Kickstart AlmaLinux 9.2
  menu default
  kernel vmlinuz
  append initrd=initrd.img inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-2-x86_64-dvd quiet inst.ks=cdrom:/ks.cfg inst.text net.ifnames=0

label linux
  menu label ^Install AlmaLinux 9.2
  kernel vmlinuz
  append initrd=initrd.img inst.stage2=hd:LABEL=AlmaLinux-9-2-x86_64-dvd quiet

...blah...
3

Yes, thank you for verifying my files. I’m still a bit baffled because the vanilla Almalinux9 install installs with no issues. So the key to this is somewhere between my image and the vanilla Alma install image.