https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1426560
Bug ID: 1426560
Summary: vnc boot fails to find metacity
Product: Fedora Documentation
Version: devel
Component: install-guide
Severity: high
Assignee: cspicer(a)redhat.com
Reporter: mkolman(a)redhat.com
QA Contact: docs-qa(a)lists.fedoraproject.org
CC: anaconda-maint-list(a)redhat.com,
extras-qa(a)fedoraproject.org, g.kaviyarasu(a)hotmail.com,
jonathan(a)jonmasters.org, lior3.1415(a)gmail.com,
mkolman(a)redhat.com, pbokoc(a)redhat.com,
vanmeeuwen+fedora(a)kolabsys.com, vponcova(a)redhat.com,
zach(a)oglesby.co
Depends On: 1425589
+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #1425589 +++
Description of problem:
Attempting to install Fedora 25 from a live image on a USB flash drive on a
Lenovo Thinkpad T60. Wayland can't handle the video card so trying the vnc
install. This fails, and running anaconda manually from a command line shows
the problem is that the anaconda scripts expect Metacity to be available.
Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
anaconda-25.20.8
How reproducible:
Every time
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Boot live image
2. Switch to console tty and log on
3. Run "anaconda --vnc"
Actual results:
VNC server starts (can remotely connect to it) but anaconda fails to start (so
get blank screen and can't install system)
Expected results:
Anaconda starts as expected
Additional info:
--- Additional comment from Lior on 2017-02-21 21:17 CET ---
--- Additional comment from Lior on 2017-02-23 09:55:47 CET ---
I've now read the anaconda sources and it seems the choice of metacity is
hard-coded (see the function doStartupX11Actions()). On the other hand,
metacity hasn't been a default OS component for a long time (since the
transition from GNOME 2 to GNOME 3).
Given that, in my (uneducated) opinion it seems one of the following must be
done:
1. Deprecate VNC installation.
2. Have the anaconda-core package depend on the metacity package.
3. Give anaconda a fallback when metacity is unavailable.
If I'm totally off the mark I apologize and would love an explanation.
--- Additional comment from Martin Kolman on 2017-02-23 10:42:55 CET ---
In general it is expected Anaconda will be started as a graphical application
in the live environment via a desktop icon or via the liveinst script - using
the anaconda command directly might or might not work. But I agree it should
provide a better error message/warning in such a case.
As for Metacity missing - it's not needed for the expected use case (graphical
installation from the live environment), so Metacity and its dependencies are
not part of the live image, which can then be smaller.
I understand this sucks if the graphical environment does not work in your
case, but there is a possible solution - the network installation image:
https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/25/Workstati...
The netinst image still uses X & Metacity and should have working VNC
installation (as the network installation image is the expected usecase for
it).
You can even tell it to boot directly to VNC installation via boot options:
http://anaconda-installer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/boot-options.html#inst...
--- Additional comment from Lior on 2017-02-23 11:59:20 CET ---
Of course I started by trying VNC installation via boot options -- I only used
the command directly in order to investigate the problem after the inst.vnc
boot option didn't work.
Now this use case (appending inst.vnc to the boot options) is specifically
suggested by the <A
HREF="https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/25/html/Installati...
25 Installation Guide</A>, so I don't think you can fairly dismiss it as
"unexpected".
I'll try netinst, but I think that either the installation guide needs to be
changed to conform to what the LiveCD can do, or the LiveCD needs to be changed
so that procedures suggested by the installation guide actually work.
--- Additional comment from Lior on 2017-02-23 12:10:18 CET ---
For example, the installation guide can say at the beginning of Section 11 that
VNC installation is only supported by the netinst image, not by the LiveCD.
--- Additional comment from Martin Kolman on 2017-02-24 10:59:55 CET ---
(In reply to Lior from comment #5)
For example, the installation guide can say at the beginning of
Section 11
that VNC installation is only supported by the netinst image, not by the
LiveCD.
Yes - that really looks like an omission in the docs. I'll clone this bug &
assign it to the docs component so it can be fixed.
Referenced Bugs:
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1425589
[Bug 1425589] vnc boot fails to find metacity
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