Network install beta test feedback

[PhilE]

This is a feedback thread for the network install beta test (announced here: https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/networ ... -required/ and here: viewtopic.php?t=329323).

Please reply with any questions and problems.

[tbauer]

I tested the new beta bootloader and it worked flawlessly...it worked just as described from the Pi website. I had absolutely no issues, it was very seamless. This will save some time once official and burned into new Pi's. BTW I used a Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB and a 16GB microSD card.

[Akkiesoft]

I tested network install but could not start install.

After failed instlattion, I checked below messages.
Perhaps Pi4 does not get default gateway...?

7c50046008185929.jpg (231.92 KiB) Viewed 8310 times

I'm using dnsmasq as DHCP server.
And tested Pi 4 revision is d03114.

[PhilE]

Did you press SPACE as instructed?

[peterharperuk]

@Akkiesoft Does it consistently fail like that? It will need a gateway (the router address) to reach the internet to download the imager binary. It's possible the software needs to be cleverer to ignore dnsmasq and wait for a response from the router?

[Akkiesoft]

Did you press SPACE as instructed?

of course.

I recorded video here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhSXzV5z_S4

(1) show network installer screen
(2) Press shift for 3 sconds
(3) Press space
(4) wait for about 50 sec. installer showing "Progress: Downloading installer: 0/0MB at 0KBps"
(5) fail install. installer show "Waiting for long press of <SHIFT> key"
(6) press esc key to back diagnostic screen
(7) diagnostic screen shows some error, "HTTP: timeout event", "Error 12 loading boot.img"

[davidcoton]

Pi4 4GB, starting with up-to-date Buster 64-bit.
Installed Imager -- okay.
Downloaded beta bootloader to new SDCard, rebooted to this card, green screen -- okay.
Rebooted without SDCard, got new network install -- okay.
Selected RPiOS-64, set custom options but left first-run config to run, inserted SDCard with old NOOBS, wrote to SDCard slot (not via USB) -- okay.

Then it all got messy. On reboot, network installer reappeared and needed ESC to exit. Same again after auto resize of FS. Could be better, currently not intuitive and not completely NOOB-worthy. ISSUE 1.

The first-run config appeared not to pick up all the options previously set, in particular, it claimed the Pi account password was the default raspberry, not what I had set (I just set my password again, can retest to see if this is just an infelicity in the on-screen text). ISSUE 2.

[Akkiesoft]

@Akkiesoft Does it consistently fail like that? It will need a gateway (the router address) to reach the internet to download the imager binary. It's possible the software needs to be cleverer to ignore dnsmasq and wait for a response from the router?

Unfortunately, it's difficult test to stop dnsmasq and test with router...
I'll try to prepare another router (and separeted network environment) for testing later.


I read the dnsmasq log and it looks like dnsmasq is sending the router address.

Code: Select all

dnsmasq-dhcp[27812]: 3198022504 sent size:  4 option:  3 router  192.168.29.1

Is the network installer use dhcp option 3?

[peterharperuk]

@Akkiesoft we do use option 3. uart logging might reveal the issue as it shows the options received - here's what I see for example.

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LINK STATUS: speed: 1000 full duplex
Link ready
GENET START: 64 16 32
GENET: UMAC_START 0xe45f0120 0x240b0000
RX: 0 IP: 0 IPV4: 0 MAC: 0 UDP: 0 UDP RECV: 0 IP_CSUM_ERR: 0 UDP_CSUM_ERR: 0
DHCP src: a0:36:9f:85:29:34 10.3.14.1
YI_ADDR 10.3.14.174
SI_ADDR 10.3.14.1
OPTIONS:-
        op: 53 len:   1 DHCP recv OFFER (2) expect OFFER
        op: 54 len:   4 10.3.14.1
        op: 51 len:   4
        op: 58 len:   4
        op: 59 len:   4
        op:  1 len:   4 255.255.255.0
        op: 28 len:   4 10.3.14.255
        op:  3 len:   4 10.3.14.1
        op:  6 len:   4 10.3.14.1
DHCP src: 52:54:00:ae:0d:66 10.3.14.18
OPTIONS:-
        op: 53 len:   1 DHCP recv OFFER (2) expect ACK
        op: 54 len:   4 10.3.14.18
        op: 60 len:   9
        op: 97 len:  17
        op: 43 len:  32
                PXE op:  6 len:   1
                PXE op: 10 len:   4
                PXE op:  9 len:  20
00000000  52 61 73 70 62 65 72 72  79 20 50 69 20 42 6f 6f |Raspberry Pi Boo|
00000010  74 ff ff 00                                      |t...            |

NET 10.3.14.174 255.255.255.0 gw 10.3.14.1 tftp 0.0.0.0
DHCP src: a0:36:9f:85:29:34 10.3.14.1
YI_ADDR 10.3.14.174
SI_ADDR 10.3.14.1
OPTIONS:-
        op: 53 len:   1 DHCP recv ACK (5) expect ACK
        op: 54 len:   4 10.3.14.1
        op: 51 len:   4
        op: 58 len:   4
        op: 59 len:   4
        op:  1 len:   4 255.255.255.0
        op: 28 len:   4 10.3.14.255
        op:  3 len:   4 10.3.14.1
        op:  6 len:   4 10.3.14.1
        op: 15 len:  12
NET 10.3.14.174 255.255.255.0 gw 10.3.14.1 tftp 0.0.0.0
RX: 45 IP: 0 IPV4: 19 MAC: 4 UDP: 4 UDP RECV: 3 IP_CSUM_ERR: 0 UDP_CSUM_ERR: 0
Loading boot.img ...
HTTP: GET request for https://fw-download-alias1.raspberrypi.com:443/net_install/boot.sig

[peterharperuk]

@davidcoton

On reboot, network installer reappeared and needed ESC to exit

Depending on your boot order, it's possible that the net install screen will appear soon after detecting the keyboard. But in the background the bootloader should still be trying to boot. It's only after the long press of the shift key that boot is stopped. When you press the esc key it switches to the old diagnostic screen but it shouldn't change it's behaviour until you've long pressed shift.

[davidcoton]

@davidcoton

On reboot, network installer reappeared and needed ESC to exit

Depending on your boot order, it's possible that the net install screen will appear soon after detecting the keyboard. But in the background the bootloader should still be trying to boot. It's only after the long press of the shift key that boot is stopped. When you press the esc key it switches to the old diagnostic screen but it shouldn't change it's behaviour until you've long pressed shift.

I carefully avoided pressing SHIFT, and it sorted itself out in the end (maybe I didn't need to press ESC), but something to set expectations or to note that no action was necessary once the download and verify was completed would make things clearer, especially if this is aimed at completely novice users who don't know what to expect, and could easily be confused by the re-appearance of the original screen asking for a long press of SHIFT. Maybe just add that the Pi is trying to boot from USB/SDCard, don't press SHIFT if you have already (just) installed an OS.

[peterharperuk]

@davidcoton Thanks - that's useful feedback.

I tested setting the account password in advanced and it seemed to work for me when testing the lite image. Which operating system did you select out of interest?

[davidcoton]

@davidcoton Thanks - that's useful feedback.

I tested setting the account password in advanced and it seemed to work for me when testing the lite image. Which operating system did you select out of interest?

I installed RPiOS-64 Bullseye. Again, the option may have worked, but the first-run config has fixed text stating that the current password is the default "raspberry". That may be true if no other pre-installation config has been done, but is untrue, misleading and unhelpful if the Imager config has been used.
Obviously, the first-run config cannot just display the current password, but the text needs to allow for (and preferably confirm) cases where the password is already changed. Assuming the Imager config is working, this is an incompatibility between Imager config and the first-run config.
One solution is to say "don't do that". Another is to remove the first-run config of the password if it is already not the default.

[peterharperuk]

@davidcoton I see what you mean!

[JasonTRS]

I tried it using the mesh Wi-Fi system in my house. It worked fine .

[Filipe Reis]

Hardware: RPI 4B 8GB microSD 32GB SanDisk
I followed the procedures to update the bootloader(v.beta).Ok
I started the installation of the operating system from the network as indicated.Ok

I was pleasantly surprised, as the installation was super fast.
I did some tests and the system behaved spectacularly well.
Bullseye 64-bit system is much faster compared to 32-bit.
...SBC is closer to a PC...

Thanks to the Raspberry Pi programmers for their innovation.

[nmstoker]

This looks v. interesting (although I've yet to be able to try it)

A few questions spring to mind:

1. I assume the download is secure, as one of the screenshots shows the network installer accessing an https address. Are there any complications from the Pi not initially having a reliable time/date? (or maybe there's some way it's getting time from the network)

2. Will it still be possible to install to USB attached drives rather than an SD Card? (hoping so, as that's pretty much the only way I boot my Pi's now)

3. Will there still be the Advanced Options menu? (some of the choices could still be useful but I'm guessing entering SSH public keys would be kind of impractical, unless there's some new option to point the Pi to download them from a URL)

4. I read in the beta instructions that this is only going to be for Pi 4 / Pi 400. Will the scenario of using one of those two Pi's to create an SD Card for a Pi that doesn't support network installation be covered? I realise if you have a working Pi 4 you could then install the imaging tools manually but this network method seems like it would be marginally simpler (especially if you don't have a separate SD Card reader)

[Akkiesoft]

I'll try to prepare another router (and separeted network environment) for testing later.

I use another router (YAMAHA RTX1100).
Now I can get IP and default gateway address from router DHCP normally.

However the downloading boot.img was failed at 95%.
I got below message.

IMG_9735D.jpeg (190.69 KiB) Viewed 7682 times

Code: Select all

mbedtls read failed -30848
HTTP: abort
Error 8 loading boot.img

[TheNoOne]

Seems to be not working if you only have IPv6 connectivity, it is stuck at "Progress: Setting up connection"
Also the Imager seems to be IPv4 depended, the only option is to erase the sdcard or use a custom image.

[MK97_2007]

Will there wireless be possible? It could also be smart if there where programs like gparted or file manager???
Bonus question: is it a minimal linux os ??

[PhilE]

Will there wireless be possible?

It's too early to say.

is it a minimal linux os ??

The network installer give you access to the same images as the regular Raspberry Pi Imager.

[incognitum]

Will there wireless be possible? It could also be smart if there where programs like gparted or file manager???
Bonus question: is it a minimal linux os ??

Once netbooted, Imager does run under a minimal Linux OS (created with buildroot).

Uses Qt 5 with EGLFS platform plugin though, that draws directly to screen.
There is no X11 environment available (at least not in the current build) to start gparted or other graphical rescue and utility programs under. And not sure if there is much demand for that. Keep in mind that if you have a spare USB stick laying around, you can also use Imager to install RPI OS on that, and boot from that to fix up your SD card.

[peterharperuk]

@nmstoker

>> Are there any complications from the Pi not initially having a reliable time/date?

We're not checking date and time validity of the HTTPS certificate. As you say - we'd have to get the date from somewhere - probably a network time server which isn't secure or very reliable in my experience. We're using a self signed CA cert for this service so we're in control of the root certificate. The imager is signed with another key to check it's not been modified or corrupted before it's executed.

>> Will it still be possible to install to USB attached drives rather than an SD Card?

Yes you can install to a USB disk.

>> Will there still be the Advanced Options menu?

Yes - it's the same as the version you run on a PC.

>> I read in the beta instructions that this is only going to be for Pi 4 / Pi 400.

You could use network install to create an image for another Pi. You can use network install on CM4 but it's just not enabled by default. You can override this with NET_INSTALL_ENABLED=1 in the bootloader config. But there are two ways to use USB on CM4, via the internal USB (boot order 5) and PCIe USB (boot order 4). Only one of these can be used at once so the installer will disappear when it switches between these modes and tries to find a keyboard again.

[peterharperuk]

Sorry @TheNoOne it does currently need an IPV4 address.

[peterharperuk]

@Akkiesoft Does that always happen? It's an mbedtls error "The peer notified us that the connection is going to be closed". So it looks like the connection has closed before all the data was received.

I'm still interested in knowing how / why it didn't get a gateway from DHCP. Have you configured the PI with a static IP address?