Autoyast Installation fails with <mail> section in the xml

This document (7015497) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP3

Situation

If the autoyast.xml to install SLES 11 SP3 from installation media has a <mail> configuration set, the installation will crash due to a wrong return code.

The problem is known and fixed with Postfix version postfix-2.9.4-0.15.1.x86_64.rpm but that rpm is not part of the SP3 installation media.

Resolution

To be able to work around this a custom channel (SUSE Manager / repo (SMT) has to be created:

(1) download "postfix-2.9.4-0.15.1.x86_64.rpm":

(2) copy the file to /srv/www/htdocs/<custom repo>

(3) on a SUSE Manager system issue the command inside the new path:

createrepo .

or:

createrepo /srv/www/htdocs/<custom repo>

URL for Autoyast later on will be: <media_url>http://<SUSE Manager>/<custom repo name></media_url>

on a SMT system you will have to install the "createrepo" package via "zypper in createrepo" or on the long run use the "create_update_source.sh" script:

mkdir -p /srv/www/htdocs/<custom repo name>
cd /srv/www/htdocs/<custom repo name>

./create_update_source.sh .

mkdir -p ./updates/suse/x86_64

cp -a <new-postfix-rpm> ./updates/suse/x86_64

cd updates/suse

create_package_descr -x setup/descr/EXTRA_PROV

cd setup/descr

ls > directory.yast

cd ../../..
create_sha1sums -x -n .

URL for autoyast later on will be different if you were using the "create_update_source.sh" script : <media_url>http://<SMT URL>/<custom repo name>/updates</media_url>

(4) once that is done you will have to add the new custom repo to the autoyast XML "<add-on>" section:

<add-on>

<add_on_products config:type="list">

<listentry>

<media_url>http://<SUSE Manager or SMT URL>/<custom repo name></media_url>

<product>SuSE-Linux-Updates</product>

<product_dir>/</product_dir>

<name><custom repo name></name>

</listentry>

</add_on_products>

</add-on>

Note: Please make sure to replace <SUSE Manager or SMT URL> with the URL of your SUMA/SMT and of course <custom repo name> with the name of the custom repo.

Cause

The postfix package in installation media does not include the latest patches needed for autoyast to work

Disclaimer

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