SDB:Linuxrc

linuxrc is a small program that runs before the actual installation program YaST is started.

It is responsible for the hardware setup and will search for an installation repository. To specify the repository location, use the install option.

The use of linuxrc is not limited to the installation. You can also use it as a boot tool for an installed system and even for an independent RAM disk–based rescue system.

Linuxrc writes its settings to a special file /etc/install.inf that makes them easy-to-read later. See the reference page here.

Passing parameters

linuxrc accepts parameters either by commandline or through configuration files. For this, pass the file location using the info parameter. You can use this option several times - linuxrc will read all files.

linuxrc parameters are case-insensitive and you can add as many hyphens, underscores, or dots as you want.

The option argument can be put in doublequotes.

For example, the following are all equivalent:

SSHPassword=foo
sshpassword="foo"
ssh.password=foo
ssh-password="foo"
ssh_password=foo
S.Shp-AsSw._.orD=foo

Parameters that are unknown to linuxrc but are of the form foo.bar are interpreted as options to kernel modules. See options for details.

Network Config

linuxrc configures the network automatically when it is needed. That is, it has to access files via a network url or an ssh/vnc setup is requested. The default is to send a dhcp request.

This section summarises how to influence linuxrc's network setup.

Note that linuxrc will store the network config in /etc/sysconfig/network/ and then run wicked to actually configure the network.

There are two ways:

Classical

Use the hostip, gateway, nameserver, domain, and vlanid options to setup a static config. Otherwise dhcp is used. Use netdevice to specify the interface (otherwise it tries all interfaces until things work).

If linuxrc itself does not need a network but you want to setup it anyway, use the netsetup option.

Using ifcfg

With SLE12/openSUSE 13.2 comes a new ifcfg option that gives you more control over network settings. It also lets you configure several network interfaces.

Use ifcfg=$IF_NAME=dhcp for dhcp or ifcfg=$IF_NAME=hostip,gateway,nameserver,domain as a shorthand to the options described above. Instead of dhcp, you can use dhcp4 or dhcp6 to force either ipv4 or ipv6 dhcp leases.

For example:

ifcfg=*=dhcp

This will run dhcp on all interfaces. If you do this with a static setup, only the first matching interface is configured:

ifcfg=eth*=10.0.1.1/24,10.0.1.254

This will setup only your first ethernet interface.

The shell wildcard pattern is matched against interface names and MAC addresses. But it will never match 'lo'.

You can setup vlans by adding a vlan id to the interface.

ifcfg=eth0.66=10.0.1.1/24,10.0.1.254

For more esoteric uses you can append (comma-separated) arbitrary keys from /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg.template and /etc/sysconfig/network/config.

ifcfg=*=dhcp6,DHCLIENT6_MODE=managed,CHECK_DUPLICATE_IP=no

Note that hostip, gateway, nameserver, and domain accept space separated multiple values. So please add quotes (") when doing this on the kernel command line.

ifcfg="eth0=10.0.1.1/24,10.0.1.254,10.0.1.10 10.0.1.11,foo.bar zap.bar"

When using bonding you have to also use an additional parameter so linuxrc takes the device into account.

hwprobe=+200:*:*:bond0

Wireless Network Setup

linuxrc supports three authentication variants: open (no authentication) wlan, WPA-PSK (WPA with pre-shared key), and WPA-PEAP (WPA with user id and password authentication).

More specialized variants or the obsolete WEP are not directly supported but you can still pass suitable WIRELESS_* parameters directly via the ifcfg option.

linuxrc will normally ask the necessary parameters automatically when it is about to set up a wifi interface. But you can also pass the values via boot options.

For an open wlan use, e.g.:

 essid=foo wlanauth=open

For a WPA-PSK setting use, e.g.:

 essid=foo wpapsk=foobarsecret

For a WPA-PEAP setting use, e.g.:

 essid=foo wpaidentity=foouser wpapassword=barsecret

AutoYaST Profile Handling

AutoYaST=<autoyast_url>
AutoYaST2=<linuxrc_url>
/autoinst.xml on local storage with label 'OEMDRV'
/autoinst.xml on install media
/autoinst.xml in initrd

The first AutoYaST profile found is used. In 1. just the profile location is passed to YaST. In all other cases linuxrc reads and parses the profile (so you can embed linuxrc options).

Service Location Protocol (SLP)

linuxrc can discover installation repositories and other network resources using the slp URL scheme.

For a general overview of SLP see the openSLP documentation.

In the simplest case, using boot option install=slp will result in linuxrc presenting a list of available installation repositories.

The slp URL scheme can have these parameters:

service: service type, default is 'install.suse'
descr: case insensitive (extended) shell pattern to match the description
url: case insensitive (extended) shell pattern to match the URL
auto: if set to 1, no interactive dialog is presented; instead the first matching entry is used

Notes:

auto is only available in Tumbleweed and SLE15-SP5+.
Older linuxrc versions (before SLE15-SP5) had a bug requiring service types to have a length of exactly 12 characters.

Examples:

 # install using the first repository that has 'Tumbleweed' in its description
 install=slp:?descr=*tumbleweed*&auto=1
 
 # use entry with description 'foobar-autoyast' as AutoYaST config, using the
 # 'autoyast.suse' service type for AutoYaST files
 autoyast=slp:?service=autoyast.suse&descr=foobar-autoyast
 
 # use entry with description 'foobar-update' as driver update, using the
 # 'dud.suse' service type for driver updates; automatically pick the first
 # if there are several matches and don't throw an error if the driver update
 # is not found
 dud=slp:?service=dud.suse&descr=foobar-update&auto=1&quiet=1

Technical note: the quiet=1 parameter in the above driver update example works because all URL parameters except those reserved for the slp scheme are appended to the final URL.

Parameter Reference

Some parameters expect a URL as argument. Here is a short overview of the syntax.

Supported schemes:

cd (or cdrom)         # CD-ROM
hd (or harddisk)      # local hard disk
disk                  # any local disk device (CD-ROM, hard disk or floppy)
file                  # local file
floppy                # floppy (better use disk)
ftp                   # ftp server
http                  # http server
https                 # https server
nfs                   # nfs server
slp                   # use SLP to get the real URL
smb (or cifs)         # Windows share
tftp                  # tftp server
rel (or repo)         # location relative to the installation medium

General format:

scheme://domain;user:password@server:port/path?query

If scheme: is missing, a relative URL is assumed which is normally relative to the repository.

You can use rel or repo to reference locations relative to the installation medium. For example autoyast=repo:/foo.xml would look for ftp://example.com/bar/foo.xml if used together with install=ftp://example.com/bar.

Don't forget the brackets if you enter a literal IPv6 address; e.g.:

http://[2001:db8:42:815::1]/some_dir

For smb/cifs path is preceded with the share name:

path = share/path

domain is only for scheme smb/cifs and specifies the domain/workgroup of the user.

For references to local devices, using cd, disk, floppy, hd, path can optionally be preceded with the device name

 path = device/path

For another way to specify the device, see below.

query may be one or more of

device=device_pattern
type=file|dir           # url points to a file or directory
instsys=URL             # install parameter only
service=slp_service     # slp scheme only
descr=slp_descr         # slp scheme only
url=slp_url             # slp scheme only

separated by '&'.

device specifies the device to use (linuxrc will normally try all devices in turn). You can use typical shell metacharacters here. Like:

install=cd:/?device=sr0                  # first CD-ROM
install=cd:/sr0                          # alternative form
install=cd:/dev/sr0                      # optionally add /dev
install=hd:/?device=sdb*                 # any partition on 2nd hard disk
install=hd:/?device=*label/foo           # partition with fs label 'foo'
install=nfs://foo/bar?device=eth0        # works with network devices, too
install=nfs://foo/bar?device=00:0e:0c:*  # matches MAC addresses, too

instsys is only relevant for the install parameter. Also, see instsys option.

service, descr and url are only useful for scheme slp and limit the list of URLs. Like:

# get URL list via SLP
install=slp:/
# ... but only those with 'openSUSE' in the description
install=slp:/?descr=*openSUSE*
# ... and only ftp URLs
install=slp:/?descr=*openSUSE*&url=ftp:*

URLs may contain repository variables as described in the libzypp documentation. At the moment only $releasever is supported.

For example

 https://download.opensuse.org/distribution/leap/$releasever/repo/oss

Here, $releasever will be replaced with the Leap version (e.g. 15.2).

You will probably never need any parameter except install. But in case you do, here is the complete list.

Parameter	Description
addon	Add an additional add-on product, the parameter is a comma separated list of URLs. Addons can be added interactively during installation, this parameter is useful for PXE boot of custom boot media to define the default addons. If multiple products are found, YaST will give you a choice which of them to use. Examples: # a single addon addon=https://example.com/addon # multiple addons addon=https://example.com/addon1,ftp://user:password@example.com/addon2 # one medium with multiple addons, choose later addon=dvd:///?devices=/dev/sr1 # multiple addons addon=dvd:///?devices=/dev/sr1,dvd:///?devices=/dev/sr2 # one addon with a fallback list, so YaST will use the first device containing a # repository (note that you need to use '%2C' instead of a comma) addon=dvd:///?devices=/dev/sr0%2C/dev/sr1
AddSwap	Tries to activate a swap partition. If set to 0, the system does not try to activate a swap partition. If set to a positive number, the partition corresponding to the number is activated as a swap partition. With a negative number, linuxrc will present you a dialog for selecting the swap partition or creating a swap file. Alternatively, specify the full device name of a partition. Examples: addswap=/dev/sda2 # '/dev/' is optional addswap=sda2 # 3rd swap partition addswap=3 # never ask for swap (even if it might be a good idea) addswap=0 # interactive addswap=-1
Alias
AutoAssembly	This parameter can be used to enable MD/RAID auto-assembly (the default is 0 - disabled). You might use this option if you have a RAID or multipath setup and your repository is located there. You can then use this option to assemble the RAID or multipath devices before linuxrc starts locating the repository. Note that in the default installation workflow YaST's storage module will take care of the storage device setup. Example: # enable auto-assembly AutoAssembly=1
AutoYaST	This parameter can be used to initiate an automatic installation using AutoYaST. The value must be a URL pointing to an AutoYaST installation profile. Note that linuxrc does not use this option in any way. It just passes it on to YaST. Note also that AutoYaST uses its own URL schemata that differ from linuxrc's. See the AutoYaST documentation for details. Example: AutoYaST=ftp://example.com/autoyast_profile.xml
AutoYaST2	This parameter can be used to initiate an automatic installation using AutoYaST. The value must be a URL pointing to an AutoYaST installation profile. For supported schemes and a syntax description, look here. In contrast to the AutoYaST option linuxrc loads the AutoYaST file and passes it to YaST. You can embed linuxrc options into the AutoYaST file as described in the AutoYAST documentation. This option has no effect if an AutoYaST option is used at the same time. Example: AutoYaST2=ftp://example.com/autoyast_profile.xml
AUTOUPGRADE	This parameter can be used to initiate an automatic upgrade using AutoYaST. The value must be 1. The additional path of the AutoYaST configuration file must be given too. This option has no effect if an AutoYaST or AutoYaST2 option is not used at the same time. Example: autoupgrade=1 AutoYaST2=ftp://example.com/autoyast_profile.xml
biosdevname	Use BIOS network interface names (instead of eth*). The option itself is not used by linuxrc but passed on to YaST. Example: biosdevname=1
BOOTPTimeout	Timeout for BOOTP requests in seconds.
Bootpwait	Sets a delay between interface setup and bootp request in seconds. Example: BootpWait=10
Broadcast	Broadcast IP address Example: Broadcast=10.10.255.255
BrokenModules	Comma-separated list of modules that will not be loaded during initialization. You can prepend a '+' or a '-' to the (whole) list indicating the modules should be added or removed (instead of replacing) the broken modules list. Example: BrokenModules=ahci,ata_piix BrokenModules=-tg3
ConsoleDevice	Console device name. Example: ConsoleDevice=/dev/tty9
debug.shell	Specify the command to run when linuxrc starts a shell for debugging. Example debug.shell=bash
debug.wait	For debugging purposes linuxrc can stop at a number of places and offer to start a shell to inspect the system. You can pass a comma-separated list of such control points. Each entry is a shell wildcard pattern that must match either a function name or module:line_number. Examples: # stop in the network code around line 2500-2599 and in lxrc_end() debug.wait=net:25??,lxrc_end
defaultinstall	Comma-separated list of installation sources to try when no install option is given. Example: # first look at cdroms, then check local disks install.default=cd:/,hd:/
defaultrepo	An alias for defaultinstall.
device	Specify the storage device to use when looking for a repository. See device description for allowed values. Normally, this is not necessary. But if you really need this option, consider adding it to the URL of the install parameter. Examples: device=sr1 # 2nd CD-ROM drive device=sdc* # partition on 3rd disk
DeviceAutoConfig	On S390 machines, this option controls the use of I/O device auto-configuration data. If set to 0, no auto-config data are used. If set to 1, existing auto-config data are applied. If set to 2 (the default), a dialog is show if auto-config data are present, asking the user whether to apply them. Example: # disable device auto config DeviceAutoConfig=0
display	Sets the linuxrc color scheme. 1 - Monochromatic display [black/white] 2 - VGA colors [blue/white] (default) 3 - Alternative VGA colors [green/white] Example: # go greenish display=3
Display_IP	IP address of X server for remote installation via X11 Example: Display_IP=10.10.1.57 Note: Screen `:0.0` is used by default. Since SLE11-SP4 and SLE12-SP1 it possible to specify the required screen number, e.g. `Display_IP=10.10.1.57:1`. IPv6 address needs to be enclosed in square brackets, e.g. `Display_IP=[2001:db8::ff00:42:8329]:1`.
DHCP	No longer supported.
DHCPCD	Additional options for dhcpcd (the DHCP client used by linuxrc). Example: dhcpcd=-B
DHCPTimeout	Timeout for DHCP requests in seconds. Example: dhcptimeout=120
DisableSnapshots	Temporarily disables creating filesystem snapshots during installation or system upgrade. There are different types of snapshots: single are common snapshots when a defined milestone is reached, around stand for pre and post snapshots that are usually created right before and right after calling YaST. Example: disable_snapshots=all # disables creating all snapshots disable_snapshots=single,around # disables creating pre, post, and single snapshots Note: Since openSUSE 13.3 or SLE 12 SP1
Domain	Domain search path for DNS. Only useful for non-DHCP network config. Example: domain=opensuse.org
DriverUpdate	Obsolete alias for dud parameter. Please use dud instead.
DUD	For documentation on driver updates see http://ftp.suse.com/pub/people/hvogel/Update-Media-HOWTO/index.html. An easy to use script for creating driver updates is available at http://software.opensuse.org/package/mkdud?search_term=mkdud There are two semantics: dud=1 and dud=<url>. With dud=1 linuxrc lets you interactively select a driver update. dud=<url> specifies the location of the driver update directly. <url> should point either to a directory with the unpacked driver update or to a driver update archive. You can use this option several times; linuxrc will load all specified updates. For supported schemes and a syntax description, look here. Note that driver updates are automatically searched for on your installation server/media. You don't have to use this option for that. Examples: # ask for driver update disk dud=1 # load 'myupdate' from server 'foo' dud=ftp://foo/myupdate # search & load 'update1' on local disks and load update2 from network dud=disk:/update1 dud=http://foo/update2 For easy testing the semantics has been extended a bit: if <url> does not point to a driver update but rather a normal filesystem image, cpio archive, or rpm, it is unpacked and the files are added to the install (or rescue) system. Examples: # add vsftpd ftp server to rescue system # rescue=1 dud=http://foo/bar/vsftpd.rpm
EDID	Override display properties by passing Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) to the drm kernel module. This is intended as debug option allowing you to set display properties (namely size in pixel and millimeter) in virtual environments. Note that if you use this option on real hardware, the EDID data are actually going to be used to drive your display. This may or may not work. To be on the safe side: do not do this. The parameter can have one of these three forms: - edid=WIDTHxHEIGHT - edid=WIDTHxHEIGHT,DPI - edid=WIDTHxHEIGHT,WIDTH_MMxHEIGHT_MM Due to technical limitations, WIDTH and HEIGHT must be less than 4096. Note also, since this only works together with the kernel drm module, this does not work if you use a different video driver. Examples: # pretend you have a 4k display (default to 96 dpi) edid=3840x2160 # pretend you have a 4k display with 150 dpi edid=3840x2160,150 # pretend you have a 4k display with a size of 697 mm x 392 mm edid=3840x2160,697x392
ESCDelay
ESSID	An alias for WlanESSID
ethtool	Run ethtool for any or all network interfaces. Ethtool can change ethernet card settings. See man ethtool for details. Format: [if0=]option Examples: "ethtool=eth0=duplex full" # only applies to eth0 "ethtool=speed 10" # applies to all network interfaces
Exec	Executes an additional binary. Example: exec=/usr/bin/top
Expert	deprecated Combines Textmode and DriverUpdate Values: 0 ignored 1 enable text mode 2 ask for driver update disk 3 both
Extend	Load additional installation system parts. An installation system part is any file that is available on the installation medium in the /boot/ARCH directory. The argument is a comma-separated list. If a part is preceded with a '?' it marks this part as optional (linuxrc will not abort the installation if it is missing). Note that several extend options override each other. So don't do, for example, 'extend=foo extend=bar', rather do 'extend=foo' 'extend=+bar' if really necessary (this is similar to the handling of BrokenModules). Examples: # load foo and bar extend=foo,bar # load foo and (optionally, if it exists) bar extend=foo,?bar
FloppyDevice	No longer supported. Use install.
ForceRootimage	No longer supported.
Gateway	This specifies the gateway through which the installation server can be reached if it is not located in the subnetwork of the host. Example: gateway=192.168.1.1
HasPCMCIA
HostIP	Specifies the static IP address of the host. The number of network bits can be appended, saving you the extra netmask parameter. Examples: hostip=192.168.1.101 # or, giving netmask 255.255.255.0 as well hostip=192.168.1.101/24
Hostname	Full qualified hostname.
HWDetect	Controls hardware detection. Values: 0 (off), 1 (on)
ifcfg	Use this option to configure network interfaces. This option directly controls the content of the /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-* files. linuxrc normally will try to find and configure a suitable network interface when it needs one. But sometimes you want to have network configured even if it's not directly necessary for installation or you need to configure several interfaces or you need special config options for your interface. The general syntax is, for dhcp: ifcfg=<interface_spec>=[try,]dhcp,[rfc2132,]OPTION1=value1,OPTION2=value2... and, for a static setup: ifcfg=<interface_spec>=[try,]IP_LIST,GATEWAY_LIST,NAMESERVER_LIST,DOMAINSEARCH_LIST,OPTION1=value1,... <interface_spec>* is either an interface name or hardware address or a shell glob that is matched against interface names and hardware addresses. Since SLE-15-SP2 is able to be a little more smart when matching device for static configuration. You can use try keyword to tell linuxrc to find the best matching device for given static configuration. It means that if you for example want to install from network with statically configured network device, then with the try keyword linuxrc will try to assign the configuration in a way that installation source is reachable. See below for an example. It also means that try keyword makes sense only for static configurations with pattern in the interface_spec. Up to SLE-15-SP1 linuxrc used first matching device for such configuration. Since SLE-15-SP2 first matching device which makes (e.g.) installation source available is used. ifcfg==try,dhcp* is also allowed. In opposite to pure ifcfg==dhcp* it assigns the dhcp configuration only to the first working device. Since SLE-15-SP3 you can send DHCP requests using a client id according to RFC2132 using ifcfg==dhcp,rfc2132. This is basically a short-hand for ifcfg==dhcp,DHCLIENT_CREATE_CID=rfc2132. See the ifcfg-dhcp(5) man page for a details about DHCLIENT_CREATE_CID. Examples: ifcfg=eth1=dhcp # run dhcp on eth1 ifcfg=eth=dhcp # run dhcp on all ethernet interfaces ifcfg=12:34:56:78:9A:BC # run dhcp on an interface with the specified mac address ifcfg=:BC # run dhcp on all interfaces whose mac address ends in ':BC' ifcfg=eth=try,192.168.0.2/24 install=http://192.168.0.1/iso # this will assign the static config in a way that makes 192.168.0.1 reachable ifcfg=eth=try,dhcp # only first matching device with working dhcp configuration is used The interface spec will never match the loopback interface lo. So it's ok to use ifcfg==dhcp* to configure all interfaces via dhcp. dhcp* above stands for either dhcp, dhcp4, or dhcp6. Note that _LIST above are space-separated lists. So please don't forget to put quotes around the whole option when necessary (e.g. when used on the kernel command line). You can use either ipv4 or ipv6 addresses (and even mix them). IP_LIST* contains values in IP_ADDRESS/PREFIX form (there's no separate netmask value). Both dhcp and static config parameters can be optionally followed by an arbitrary list of OPTION=value pairs. All these are put verbatim into /etc/sysconfig/network/ifcfg-* or /etc/sysconfig/network/config resp. (depending on where they belong).
IgnoreFeatures	Comma-separated list of features in installer that should not be used. Right now, only import_users (imports local users from previous installation on disk) and import_ssh_keys (imports SSH keys from previous installation on disk) are supported. If you don't want this parameter to be appended to Kernel commandline later, use also PTOptions. Added in SLE 12. Examples: ignore_features=import_users ignore_features=import_users,import_ssh_keys
Info	Specifies the file to read more options from as URL. For supported schemes and a syntax description, look here. linuxrc reads all specified files. A file may contain further info parameters. Examples: info=cd:/info1 info=disk:/install/info2 info=http://foo/bar/info3
InitrdID	Forces initrd ID to a given value. linuxrc compares instsys and initrd IDs and only proceeds if both are identical.
Insecure	linuxrc checks SHA1 sums of all files it downloads. They are taken from (repository):/content after its signature has been verified. If you don't want this, do: insecure=1 Note that it is not possible to bring linuxrc back into secure mode after this. In particular: insecure=0 will not work.
insmod	This specifies a module the kernel should load, together with any parameters needed for it. Module parameters must be separated by blanks. The module is loaded before hardware detection starts. Module dependencies are automatically resolved (the name insmod is a bit misleading here). Note that modules blacklisted with brokenmodules cannot be loaded this way. Examples: # load ahci insmod=ahci # remember the quotes insmod="loop max_loop=100" # load several modules insmod=tg3 insmod=e1000
insmod.pre	This is similar to insmod. The difference is that the module is loaded earlier, before udevd is started. This might be useful in cases where the module loading order does matter (say there are a number of network or storage controllers and the setup relies on a specific device order). Examples: # load ahci insmod.pre=ahci
install	Specifies the installation repository as URL. For supported schemes and a syntax description, look here. It must point to either a directory or an ISO image. If you point to an ISO image, you must use a 'mountable' URL scheme (e.g. cd, hd, nfs, or cifs). Schemes like ftp, tftp, http, or https will not work. If a user/password authentication is needed, include the credentials in the URL as shown in the examples below. Additionally, a special scheme exec is supported which does not need a repository but just runs the argument after linuxrc did the hardware setup. Examples: # from CD-ROM install=cd:/ # ftp from server foo, directory pub/bar install=ftp://foo/pub/bar # local disk, ISO image zap.iso in directory bar install=hd:/bar/zap.iso # Windows share bar, ISO image zap.iso on server foo install=smb://foo/bar/zap.iso # with user/password for authentication install=https://user:password@example.com/repo # get real URL via SLP install=slp:/ # just start a shell install=exec:/bin/sh The installation program is normally loaded from the repository. If for some reason you don't want this, you can specify the installation system image to use explicitly by adding ?instsys= or using the instsys parameter; for example: install=cd:/?instsys=ftp://testserver/foo # is the same as instsys=ftp://testserver/foo install=cd:/
instsys	Specifies the installation system to use. Default value is boot/<arch>/root. May point to a filesystem image or to a directory. For supported schemes and a syntax description, look here. See install for an alternative way to specify it. Example: instsys=my/zappel # use my/zappel from repository instsys=http://foo/zappel # use zappel from server foo
instsys.complain	Controls what initrd should do if initrd ID and instsys ID do not match. Values: 0 ignore 1 print a warning 2 abort with an error (default)
InstsysID	Force instsys ID to a given value. linuxrc compares instsys and initrd IDs and only proceeds if both are identical.
ipv4	Enable or disable IPv4 support. (Both IPv4 and IPv6 are enabled by default.) Example: # disable IPv4 ipv4=0
ipv4only	Enable IPv4 support, disable IPv6. Example: ipv4only=1 # is identical to ipv4=1 ipv6=0 # or ipv6only=0
ipv6	Enable or disable IPv6 support. (Both IPv4 and IPv6 are enabled by default.) Example: # disable IPv6 ipv6=0
ipv6only	Enable IPv6 support, disable IPv4. Example: ipv6only=1 # is identical to ipv4=0 ipv6=1 # or ipv4only=0
KBDTimeout	windowed only Keyboard timeout in seconds. The time after which linuxrc proceeds with default values if no input is made. Default to 0 (off).
Kexec	linuxrc has the capability to download and run a new kernel and initrd pair from the repository. The installation process will basically be restarted (with this option disabled). This can spare users installing via network the download of a new boot medium as they can keep using the existing one. There are four settings for the kexec option: 0: feature disabled 1: always restart with kernel/initrd from repository (without bothering to check if it's necessary) 2: restart only if needed - that is, if linuxrc detects that the booted initrd is outdated (this is the default) 3: like kexec=2 but without user interaction The difference between `kexec=2` and `kexec=3` is that in the first case the user is presented a dialog asking for confirmation before downloading kernel and initrd. Example: # do it without asking the user kexec=3
kexec_reboot	If set to 1 (the default on most machines), then kexec will be used to reboot the machine after finishing the 1st stage of installation. If set to 0, a normal reboot will be used. There is some blacklist maintained in YaST (for example for VirtualBox) for machine that are known to be broken with kexec.
Keytable	Virtual console keyboard map to load. Example: Keytable=fr-latin1
Lang	Alias for Language parameter.
Language	Language preselected for the installation. Example: Language=de_DE Language=fr_FR Language=cs_CZ
Linemode	Enables line-mode usable on dumb terminals. Example: linemode=1
linuxrc	Obsolete. Please don't use.
linuxrc.core	Enable linuxrc core dumps. The argument must be either a block device or a character device. If it is a block device, it is mounted (so there must be a file system on it) and core files are written onto this device. If it is a character device (e.g. a serial line), the core dump is written uuencoded to this device. Use the uudecode tool to decode it. Note that as linuxrc runs as init process the kernel will stop right after writing the core dump and the last bytes may never get flushed. You will have to fix up the uuencoded dump by appending the typical trailing bytes manually before running uudecode on the serial line log. Examples: linuxrc.core=/dev/sdb1 linuxrc.core=/dev/console
linuxrc.debug	Comma-separated list of a numerical debug level (max. 4) and debug flags. Flags can be turned on or off (prepend '+' or '-'). Debug flags currently supported are: tmpfs: move everything into tmpfs at startup (default) udev: use udev to manage /dev tree (default) udev.mods: let udev load modules (default) wait: stop at critical points and wait for a keypress trace: enable backtrace See also debug.wait. Examples: # a reasonable amount of debug info linuxrc.debug=1 # ... and stop at some critical points linuxrc.debug=1,wait # linuxrc loads drivers itself linuxrc.debug=-udev.mods # don't copy files into tmpfs (but keep them in ramfs) linuxrc.debug=-tmpfs
linuxrc.log	Device to print log messages to. Defaults to /dev/tty3. To see more log messages, increase the debug level. If you want you log to be automatically saved to the target system, place it in /var/log/YaST2/. Example: # save all log messages to 'foo.log' linuxrc.log=/foo.log # show them on the default console (ideally together with linemode) linuxrc.log=/dev/console linemode=1
linuxrc.stderr	Obsolete. Use linuxrc.log.
listen	* experimental * linuxrc sets up the network and listens on the specified port for input. (You may want to use manual=1 along with this option and then connect via telnet to linuxrc.) Examples: # wait for input on port 1234 listen=1234
Loghost	Hostname to redirect syslog to. Also YaST will log both to y2log and to the remote syslog. To enable log reception on the destination host, see "source" section in /etc/syslog-ng/syslog-ng.conf
LogLevel	Set kernel log level. Values: 1 - 8 Defaults to 1 for serial consoles, 7 for all other consoles.
LXRCDebug	Obsolete. Use linuxrcdebug.
Manual	Start linuxrc in manual mode. Values: 0 automatic mode (this is the default) 1 manual mode 2 really manual manual mode (E.g. no USB keyboard since no USB setup is done!) There's normally no reason to use manual mode. Please avoid it. You can pass everything directly via command line. manual=1 still uses hardware detection to some degree (e.g. to mark suitable modules in module loading dialogs) but you basically have to take care to load all necessary drivers yourself. manual=2 does no automatic hardware detection at all and is useful only if the hardware detection has some problem. A typical example would be linuxrc not letting you select a network interface even though the driver is loaded and the interface exists.
MediaUpgrade	Use media_upgrade=1 to force upgrading the system using the installation media instead of using the registration system. This option only makes sense with upgrade=1 option and is relevant only for registered systems, otherwise it is ignored. This option is available in SLE15 and newer.
MemLimit	Amount of free memory in kB below which linuxrc will ask the user to set up a swap partition.
MemLoadImage	Amount of free memory in kB below which linuxrc will not copy the root image into RAM.
MemYaST	Amount of free memory in kB below which linuxrc will ask the user to set up a swap partition before starting YaST.
MinMemory	Amount of memory in kB below which linuxrc will refuse to start. Defaults to 0.
Modeset	Some gfxchips are incompatible with kernel modesetting. Modeset=0 does not work. If X malfunction occurs, try nomodeset, or one of the following specific to your gfxchip: i915.modeset=0 nouveau.modeset=0 radeon.modeset=0
ModuleDelay	Wait some seconds after loading each module. Useful if your hardware is a bit slow. Example: # wait 5 seconds ModuleDelay=5 Defaults to 0.
ModuleDisks	No longer supported.
NameScheme	[openSUSE 11.3+] Selects the device name scheme linuxrc uses. Value can be by-id, by-path, by-label, "", or generally any subdirectory name of /dev/disk. Default setting is by-id Examples: # back to classical device names (like /dev/sda) namescheme= # use /dev/disk/by-path/... namescheme=by-path
Nameserver	Space or comma separated list of DNS servers. Examples: # just one Nameserver=192.168.1.1 # or more Nameserver="192.168.1.2 192.168.1.3" # or, avoiding the quotes Nameserver=192.168.1.2,192.168.1.3
Netdevice	Specify the network interface. See device description for allowed values. Normally, this is not necessary. But if you really need this option, consider adding it to the URL of the Install parameter. Examples: netdevice=eth1 # 2nd ethernet interface netdevice=wlan* # wlan interface
Netmask	also via DHCP Static IP netmask of the installing host.
Netretry	Netretry=N will retry all network connection attempts N times (e.g., when trying to reach the FTP server). This is mainly for debugging network problems.
NetSetup	Prompt for network parameters and setup network. Normally linuxrc will do this automatically when you install via network. But if you want to configure the network even if you install from local media, use this option. netsetup accepts a comma-separated list of default, dhcp, hostip, gateway, nameserver, vlanid, or all. Flags can be turned on or off (prepend '+' or '-'). Examples: # default = dhcp,hostip,gateway,nameserver netsetup=default # same as 'default' netsetup=1 # do dhcp netsetup=dhcp # setup all interfaces netsetup=dhcp,all On s390x/zSeries, the default netsetup includes vlanid (since SLE15-SP4).
_NetStop	internal
NetUniqueID
NetWait	Wait some seconds after activating the network interface. This might be needed in rare cases for some cards. If you have problems with DHCP, also look at dhcpcd; for BOOTP, try bootpwait Example: # wait 8 seconds NetWait=8
Network	also via DHCP
NewID
NFSOpts	NFS mount options. A comma-separated list. Supported options are vers, tcp, udp, rsize and wsize. Examples: # use NFSv2 via UDP nfsopts=udp,vers=2 # different block size nfsopts=rsize=4096,wsize=4096
NFS.RSize	Obsolete. Use NFSOpts.
NFS.TCP	No longer supported. Use NFSOpts.
NFS.WSize	Obsolete. Use NFSOpts.
NoMDNS	Turn off MDNS usage. Example: nomdns=1
NoPCMCIA	deprecated Do not start the PCMCIA card manager. This option may not be useful any more.
NoRepo	Disable the repo location check and do not write a ZyppRepoURL to /etc/install.inf; expect YaST to take care of the repo selection. This is useful for delegating the repo selection to the registration server so a user can simply enter a registration code first, then the matching product will be automatically selected based on that registration code, and the respective repos will be addded accordingly (Fate#325482). Example: norepo=1
NoShell	Do not start any shell. By default, linuxrc starts /bin/bash at /dev/tty2, /dev/tty9 and if memory requirements permit (well, about always) also at /dev/tty5 and /dev/tty6. See also parameters MemLimit, MemYaST. Example: noshell=1
Options	Pass options to kernel modules. Syntax is "module.parameter" or "module=parameter". Examples: # "tzp=50" for module "thermal" options=thermal.tzp=50 # looks a bit weird, but means the same: options=thermal=tzp=50 # create 100 loop devices options=loop.max_loop=100 Alternatively, all options that are unknown but have the form foo.bar are interpreted as option bar to module foo. Examples: thermal.tzp=50 loop.max_loop=100 To pass several options to a module, use, e.g.: libata.atapi_enabled=1 libata.ignore_hpa=1 # same as above, but in one go: options="libata.atapi_enabled=1 ignore_hpa=1"
Partition	No longer supported. Use device or install.
password	An alias for ssh.password.
password.enc	An alias for ssh.password.enc.
plymouth	Defines whether plymouth is active during installation. Example: plymouth=0
proxy	Use HTTP(S) proxy server. For a URL syntax overview, look here. If a user/password authentication is needed, include the credentials in the URL as shown in the examples below. Examples: # use proxy.foo.org at port 3128 proxy=http://proxy.example.com:3128 # using 'http://' is optional: proxy=proxy.example.com:3128 # with user/password for authentication proxy=http://user:password@proxy.example.com:3128
proxy.port	No longer supported. Use proxy.
proxy.proto	No longer supported. Use proxy.
ptoptions	Comma-separated list of option names or patterns for matching option names. linuxrc recognizes these options and passes then to YaST but does nothing else with them. Options are stored in /etc/install.inf using either the spelling given in ptoptions or, if it was a pattern match, the actual option name. The option name matching is case-insensitive. Patterns are matched using extended matching according to fnmatch. You can prepend a '+' or '-' to the (whole) option list indicating that those options should be added to or removed from the internal list, respectively. Note that linuxrc already handles a number of options this way. If you use ptoptions without a prepended '+' or '-' you will implicitly erase any existing list and in effect make linuxrc 'forget' these options. Example: ptoptions=+foo,bar,zap_* Foo=123 BAR=Nice_Bar Zap_X=100 # this will cause # foo: 123 # bar: Nice_Bar # Zap_X: 100 # to be written to /etc/install.inf
repo	An alias for install.
rescue	Load the rescue system. See install for syntax. Alternatively, use rescue=1 and install or instsys.
rescue.image	Location of the rescue system image within the installation source.
restart	If set to 1 and restarted is 0 linuxrc is immediately restarted. The new linuxrc sets restarted automatically to 1 to indicate that it has already been restarted to prevent it from looping. If you want it restarted again, set restarted to 0 first. Another way to restart linuxrc is to send it the USR2 signal. This options is basically there to allow linuxrc to be updated while running.
restarted	Indicates whether linuxrc has been restarted and prevents further restarts unless reset to 0. See restart.
root.image	Location of root image (installation system image) within the installation source.
RootPassword	The password to use for the 'root' account of the installed system. If set to 'ask' linuxrc will show a dialog to enter the 'root' password. This will override any settings you make for the 'root' password in the installer UI during the installation or the corresponding setting in your AutoYaST profile. Note: this is not the temporary password used during installation. Use password for that. Examples: # set password RootPassword=t0psecr5t # get dialog asking for password RootPassword=ask
Screenmap	Obsolete, do not use (it does not do what you probably think [if you think of anything it could do ;) ]).
Screenmode (experimental)	Set an alternative style (colors and fonts) for the installer. Current supported values are 'highcontrast', 'white-black' and 'cyan-black'. This feature will land in Tumbleweed shortly (oct/nov 2016), but it's not supported yet in openSUSE or SLE. Example: screenmode=white-black
Server
Serverdir	No longer supported. Use install.
SetHostname	Set the hostname via DHCP. Example: SetHostname=1
SetupCmd	This option sets the command that is executed to start the installer. The default value is 'setsid -wc inst_setup yast'. Let's break this down a bit: 'setsid -wc' is needed for interactive console programs (e.g. installer in text mode) 'inst_setup' is a wrapper script that takes care of general installation system preparations; things like starting daemons, applying driver updates, or managing the SSH connection 'yast' is the installer itself Example: # run foobar1 instead of starting an installation SetupCmd=foobar1 # run interactive command foobar2 instead of the installer SetupCmd="setsid -wc foobar2" # run foobar3 as yast replacement SetupCmd="setsid -wc inst_setup foobar3"
SetupNetIF
Share	No longer supported. Use install.
Splash	Defines whether a splash-screen is used during initialization. Example Splash=silent Splash=verbose
ssh	This parameter enables access to linuxrc via SSH when performing the installation with YaST in text mode or via X11 forwarding. Use ssh -X root@hostname or ssh -Y root@hostname for X11 forwarding. Values: 0 (off), 1 (on) Example: # use ssh and set ssh password ssh=1 sshpassword=foobar123
sshd	This parameter enables login to the installation system while the installation is running. Use ssh -X root@hostname to connect. You must also set a password to be able to login. This option is for debugging and does not enable an installation via ssh like the ssh option. Note that this has no influence on the ssh settings of the target (installed) system. Values: 0 (off), 1 (on) Example: # start sshd ssh and set root password sshd=1 password=foobar123
ssh.key	The option takes a URL as argument. The file is downloaded and put into /root/.ssh/authorized_keys of the installation system. This key can be used to log into the SSH server during installation. The key is not copied into the final installed system. Example: # get ssh pubkey and put into authorized_keys ssh.key=https://foo.bar/my_key
ssh.password	This sets the password for the user root for logging into the SSH server during installation if ssh or sshd is set. This is not the password of the system to be installed. See RootPassword. Example: ssh.password=12345678
ssh.password.enc	This sets the password for the user root for logging into the SSH server during installation if ssh or sshd is set. This is not the password of the system to be installed. The password is passed in encrypted form. Example: ssh.password.enc=$1$Bdh9Ixdo$0me9ZFlYZ7tfKq.T5xTVQ.
ssl.certs	If set to 0, turns off ssl certificate checking during an installation using https. Example: ssl.certs=0
startshell	Boots into the installation system and starts a shell. Waits until user exits the shell. User can modify the installation system, mount or remount partitions or start YaST installation manually by running yast. It also stops again after YaST has finished the installation. Example: startshell=1
switch_to_fb	linuxrc can switch the console it runs on if it detects a working framebuffer device after udev has loaded graphics drivers. This is usually not necessary but can be useful on certain machines where you start on a serial line but then want to continue on a graphics device. The option can have 3 different values: 0: disable this feature 1: switch only if the user hasn't specified a console device explicitly (using the 'console' kernel option) 2: switch always (mainly for testing) Example: # never switch switch_to_fb=0
systemboot	If set to 1 this causes linuxrc to start with the 'Boot Installed System' menu. This menu lets you select a root partition and kernel/initrd pair and boot it via kexec. If linuxrc.debug is set you get an additional dialog letting you add kexec options. Example: systemboot=1
TERM	Terminal type on which linuxrc is running Example: TERM=dumb
textmode	Enables starting YaST in text mode otherwise it uses the Qt interface if possible. Example: textmode=1
reboot_timeout	Configures the reboot timeout countdown at the end of installation. Value in seconds. A value of 0 disables the timeout so that the reboot must be confirmed manually. Defaults to 10s. Example: reboot_timeout=0
udev.rule	Write udev rules. Currently only writing network rules to 70-persistent-net.rules is implemented. If the need arises, more can follow. Note that this option is only useful on command line or in linuxrc.config as the rules need to be written before udevd is started (which is rather early). The option can be given more than once to pass several rules. Example: # add entry to 70-persistent-net.rules udev.rule="mac=00:11:d8:39:4e:d0,name=eth0"
Upgrade	If set to a nonzero value YaST will do an update instead of a new installation. Example: Upgrade=1
USBWait	Number of seconds to wait after loading USB modules.
UseDHCP	If an automatic network setup is required, defines whether DHCP or BOOTP should be used. Default is DHCP. Example: # use BOOTP UseDHCP=0
Username	No longer supported. Use install.
UseSax2	Alias for sax2 parameter.
SSH	This parameter enables access to linuxrc via SSH when performing the installation with YaST in text mode or via X11 forwarding. Use ssh -X root@hostname or ssh -Y root@hostname for X11 forwarding. Values: 0 (off), 1 (on) Example: # use ssh and set ssh password ssh=1 sshpassword=foobar123
UseSSH	Alias for ssh parameter.
UseVNC	Alias for vnc parameter.
vlanid	If you want to setup a vlan specify the id here. Note: normally you can't enter a vlan id in manual mode. To enable the vlan dialog set any non-empty value with this option or use the netsetup option. Example: # set v lan id to 12 vlanid=12 # enable vlan, but don't set an id vlanid=0
VNC	The VNC parameter enables the installation process via VNC, making the installation more convenient on hosts that have no or no really usable local console. If enabled, a VNC server is activated on the installation host. See also VNCPassword. Example: vnc=1 # enable VNC
VNCPassword	This sets the VNC password for an installation via VNC. Minimum password length 8 characters. Example: VNCPassword=12345678
WaitReboot
WithiSCSI	The YaST:iscsi configuration module is automatically started before before YaST starts the harddisk partitioner module.
WlanAuth	Sets wireless authentication mode. Accepted values are: open, wpa, peap. Example: WlanAuth=open # open (non-authenticated) wlan
WlanDevice	WiFi capabilities of a network interface are automatically detected but if they aren't or you have several wifi interfaces and want to apply the wifi parameters to a specific one, use this option to set the device used for wifi setup. This overrides any auto-detection. If you repeat this option, the settings are tried on all interfaces you specified. Note that this is basically an option for debugging and testing. Example: WlanDevice=wlan0
WlanESSID	Select the ESSID (network name) of the wireless network to connect to. Example: WlanESSID=Foo
WPAIdentity	Identity (user name) used in WPA-PEAP authentication method. Note that this implicitly sets WlanAuth to peap. Example: WPAIdentity=MrFoo WPAPassword=Foo123
WPAPassword	Password used in WPA-PEAP authentication method. Note that this implicitly sets WlanAuth to peap. Example: WPAIdentity=MrFoo WPAPassword=Foo123
WPAPSK	Set the WPA pre-shared key. Note that this implicitly sets WlanAuth to wpa. The key must be at least 8 chars long. Example: WPAPSK=Foo.123456
WorkDomain	No longer supported. Use install.
XVideo	Set the screen resolution and logical pixel density used during installation for the graphical installer. Its applicability is limited to the first screen when multiple screens are employed. The option accepts a screen resolution optionally followed by a screen density in dpi. Note this does neither influence the text mode (console) resolution nor set the screen size for the installed system. Examples: # set screen size to 1024 x 768 XVideo=1024x768 # set screen size to 1024 x 768, and set resolution to 100 dpi XVideo=1024x768,100
YaST2update
YaST2color
Zen	No longer supported.
ZenConfig	No longer supported.
Zombies	If you don't want linuxrc to take care of zombie processes during installation, set this to 1. (Don't do this.) Example: zombies=1
zram	Enable or disable zram usage during installation. It is disabled by default. Enable using zram=1. See zram.root and zram.swap to customize zram usage. Example: # enable zram usage zram=1
zram.root	Set zram device size for root ('/') file system during installation. The root file system basically has to hold the content of the initrd and leave some working space for the installer. The default size is 1 GiB (zram.root=1G). It is ok to specify a size exceeding the actual RAM size. With an empty arg, disables zram usage for the root file system. In that case, tmpfs is used instead. Examples: # set size to 512 MiB zram.root=512M # disable zram for root zram.root=
zram.swap	Set zram device size for swap to be used during installation. A zram swap device of the specified size is created and activated before the installer (YaST) starts. The zram swap device is disabled right after the installer has activated a real swap device in the installation process. The default size is 1 GiB (zram.swap=1G). It is ok to specify a size exceeding the actual RAM size. With an empty arg, disables zram usage for swap. Examples: # set size to 512 MiB zram.swap=512M # disable zram for swap zram.swap=

Special parameters for S/390 and zSeries

Parameter	Description
CTCProtocol	CTC protocol to use. Values: 0 compatible 1 extended 2 z/OS
DataChannel	CCW data channel for CU3088 and QDIO devices Format: h.h.hhhh
InstNetDev	Network device to install from. Values: osa OSA-2 or OSA Express hsi Hipersocket ctc CTC (deprecated) escon ESCON (deprecated) iucv IUCV (deprecated)
IUCVPeer	Name of peer for IUCV networking.
Layer2	Turn on OSI layer 2 access for OSA Express Ethernet interfaces. Values: 0 (off), 1 (on)
OSAHWAddr	introduced in SLE10 SP1 Manual MAC address setting for Layer 2-enabled OSA devices. Note that this is distinct from HWAddr, which contains the default MAC address as detected by linuxrc. Example: OSAHWAddr=11:22:33:44:55:66
OSAInterface	Software interface for OSA devices. Values: qdio QDIO lcs LCS
OSAMedium	Physical medium for OSA devices. Values: eth Ethernet tr Token Ring
Portname	Portname for OSA devices.
ReadChannel	CCW read channel for CU3088 and QDIO devices. Format: h.h.hhhh
WriteChannel	CCW write channel for CU3088 and QDIO devices. Format: h.h.hhhh

Special parameters not handled by Linuxrc itself

Parameter	Description
LIBSTORAGE_MULTIPATH_AUTOSTART	When installing on a system with a network storage that is accessed via multiple paths, the installer should detect the situation and ask the user whether to enable multipath. But the detection is not always 100% reliable. This parameter can be used to enforce the installer to enable multipath in all cases, without even asking the user. Example: LIBSTORAGE_MULTIPATH_AUTOSTART=ON This parameter is ignored by AutoYaST, use the "start_multipath" property in the AutoYaST profile to specify whether multipath should be activated in AutoYaST.
LIBSTORAGE_MDPART	When set, all devices detected as software RAID will be considered BIOS RAID devices. Example: LIBSTORAGE_MDPART=ON
plymouth.debug	Turns debug for plymouth on. These messages are logged into /var/log/plymouth-debug.log.
YAST_ACTIVATE_LUKS	When installing or upgrading a system with existing LUKS encryptions, YaST normally asks for the passwords. With this parameter this behaviour can be disabled. This parameter might be removed in the future. EXAMPLE: YAST_ACTIVATE_LUKS=0
YAST_REUSE_LVM	When installing or upgrading a system with existing LVM, YaST normally reuses existing LVM. With this parameter this behaviour can be disabled. This parameter might be removed in the future. EXAMPLE: YAST_REUSE_LVM=0
Mem	Defines a maximum RAM that will be used by the installation system. It's helpful for testing installation memory requirements. Example: mem=128M
Y2_BRAILLE	This environment variable sets the style of installation textmode UI to 'braille' i.e. it is optimized for visually impaired people. Use together with 'textmode=1' Example: Y2_BRAILLE=1
Y2DEBUG	Turns all YaST debugging messages on. These messages are logged into the /var/log/YaST2/y2log file marked with <0> flag. This parameter is handled by Portal:YaST itself and can be also prepended to the command-line when starting any YaST module.
Y2DEBUGGER	Enables the Ruby debugger in the YaST installer. It can be also prepended to the command-line when starting any YaST module in installed system. See the YaST Debugger documentation for more details. Example: Y2DEBUGGER=1
TERM	Setting this environment variable influences the color style that will be used in installation text mode UI. E.g. TERM=xterm sets the theme to xterm, some TERM not supporting colors will use monochromatic theme. When not set, default theme linux is applied. However, be careful and before setting any TERM value, check that it has valid terminfo entry. Otherwise installation may abort. Available terms can be found in the /yast/instsource/inst-sys/usr/share/terminfo directory - installation system has another set of available terms than a running system. To get a monochromatic term, use linux-m. Use this parameter together with textmode=1. Example: TERM=xterm TERM=linux-m
ZYPP_FULLLOG	Sets LibZYPP logging level to the highest value. Useful for debugging products, packages and patches dependency problems. This variable can be also set on a running system before running every Portal:YaST module. Example: ZYPP_FULLLOG=1 # Linuxrc ZYPP_FULLLOG=1 /sbin/yast2 online_update # Running system