Kickstart tests are one way of testing the Anaconda Installer, by running an automated installation based on a kickstart file and checking the results.
- Authors
Chris Lumens <clumens@redhat.com> Martin Kolman <mkolman@redhat.com>
This is the canonical way to run tests, as it requires very little setup, does not do any permanent changes to your system, and exactly reproduces results from CI runs.
Clone the kickstart-tests repository and enter its directory:
git clone https://github.com/rhinstaller/kickstart-tests
cd kickstart-testsThe launch script downloads a current Fedora Rawhide boot.iso, downloads and starts the runner container, and runs a set of tests in it:
containers/runner/launch keyboard [test2 test3 ...]Please see the runner documentation for further details, like how to run all tests or some test types, running the container manually, using a different boot.iso, enabling caching, and more.
Warning: This is deprecated now.
First you need to install the needed dependencies:
- livemedia-creator
- Python bindings for libvirt
- libguestfs-tools
- virt-install
- parallel
- createrepo
- python3-rpmfluff
- squid
- scp
- genisoimage
- make
You also need to start libvirt service to be able to use virt-install:
sudo systemctl start virtqemudThen clone the kickstart-tests repository:
git clone https://github.com/rhinstaller/kickstart-testsAnd you also need a rawhide boot.iso (provided you want to run the kickstart tests on Rawhide):
wget https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Server/x86_64/os/images/boot.isoPlease note that due to the dynamic nature of Rawhide the boot.iso might not always work.
Lets just run a simple test to check that everything works correctly – for example the simple tmpfs kickstart command test. First change directory to the kickstart-tests folder:
cd kickstart-testsThen run the single test:
scripts/run_kickstart_tests.sh -i ../boot.iso -k 2 tmpfs-fixed_size.shAbout the parameters:
-i sets the path to the boot.iso -k sets if logs from the run should be kept, as for the values:
- 0 = keep nothing (the default)
- 1 = keep log files
- 2 = keep log files and disk images (will take up a lot of space)
-u use updates image given by URL or local file path -b use additional installer boot options
And at the end name of the kickstart test script to run.
The -k 2 option is especially useful if you are doing more complicated post-install test validation in you kickstart test script that needs to check contents of the disk image/images.
If everything worked out, you should be greeted by a successful test result similar to this one:
===========================================================================
tmpfs-fixed_size.ks on computer.hostname
===========================================================================
PYTHONPATH=
...................................................
Domain LiveOS-1710fd05-898c-4cf2-b4e1-67d40aaf5f3d has been undefined
Pool kstest-tmpfs-fixed_size.RI8HWHMF destroyed
Pool kstest-tmpfs-fixed_size.RI8HWHMF has been undefined
RESULT:tmpfs-fixed_size:SUCCESS
2017-06-06 16:46:34,477: install_log = /var/tmp/kstest-tmpfs-fixed_size.RI8HWHMF/virt-install.log
2017-06-06 16:46:34,513: Running virt-install.
2017-06-06 16:46:35,903: Processing logs from ('127.0.0.1', 53130)
2017-06-06 16:55:06,646: Install finished. Or at least virt shut down.
2017-06-06 16:55:06,650: Shutting down LiveOS-1710fd05-898c-4cf2-b4e1-67d40aaf5f3d
error: Failed to destroy domain LiveOS-1710fd05-898c-4cf2-b4e1-67d40aaf5f3d
error: Requested operation is not valid: the domain is not running
2017-06-06 16:55:06,777: Shutting down log processing
2017-06-06 16:55:06,778: unmounting the iso
2017-06-06 16:55:06,812: Disk Image install successful
2017-06-06 16:55:06,812: SUMMARY
2017-06-06 16:55:06,812: -------
2017-06-06 16:55:06,813: Logs are in /var/tmp/kstest-tmpfs-fixed_size.RI8HWHMF
2017-06-06 16:55:06,813: Disk image(s) at /var/tmp/kstest-tmpfs-fixed_size.RI8HWHMF/disk-a.img,cache=unsafe
2017-06-06 16:55:06,813: Results are in /var/tmp/kstest-tmpfs-fixed_size.RI8HWHMFA kickstart test consists of two files:
- <TEST_NAME>.sh - a file defining installer boot options and procedures to set up test-specific environment (eg http server for providing the kickstart file, special virtual networks, iscsi targets for test, etc). This file name is used to specify the kickstart test to be run.
<TEST_NAME>.ks.in - the kickstart file belonging to the test, containing variables that would be preprocessed (as described in following chapters) to generate the actual kicstart file passed to installer. By default, the file with the same name as the .sh file is used. This can be overriden (eg to share kickstarts among tests that differ only in boot options) in .sh file using KICKSTART_NAME=<ANOTHER_TEST_NAME> variable. For example by defining
KICKSTART_NAME=network-device-defaultin network-device-default-httpks.sh test, the test will use kickstart network-device-default.ks.in.
NOTE: possible redefinintions of KICKSTART_NAME value in files included in the the .sh file (eg to reuse .sh file of another test) are ignored.
NOTE: The fragments (%ksappend) mechanism does not work together with KICKSTART_NAME setting (%ksappend is not applied).
A lot of tests need configuration. This is information that is required by tests but typically cannot be hard coded. Typically, this configuration is a package repository needed for testing an installation method. It is up to the user running the tests to do whatever local setup is required and set these configuration parameters.
Configuration parameters come from the environment. All environment variables starting with KSTEST will be grabbed by run_kickstart_tests.sh and automatically substituted in to the kickstart file before it is run. In the kickstart file, the target of a substitution is any string starting with @KSTEST_ and ending with another @. This is similar to how the autotools work.
Configuration parameters may also come from special shell scripts that are sourced during run_kickstart_tests.sh. It will first look at the defaults in scripts/defaults.sh. Next, if platform is specified using -p PLATFORM option, the scripts/defaults-PLATFORM.sh file is sourced. Finally it will source any user-specific defaults in ~/.kstests.defaults.sh. These take precedence over the local environment. Environment variables set on the command line have the highest priority.
Note that not every test needs every setting. You can determine which are required for the test you are running by simply running "grep KSTEST" on it.
The following environment variables are currently supported:
- KSTEST_HTTP_ADDON_REPO - This variable is a URL that points to an addon repository. It is only needed if you are testing that functionality, not if you are testing something else that just happens to use the url command. It will be set up for you automatically with a web server and auto-generated packages. There is no need to specify this variable.
- KSTEST_LIVEIMG_CHECKSUM - This variable is the checksum of the image given by KSTEST_LIVEIMG_URL. It is only needed if you are testing the liveimg command. It will be set up for you automatically. There is no need to specify this variable.
- KSTEST_LIVEIMG_URL - This variable is a URL that points to an install.img that is used by the liveimg command. It is only needed if you are testing that command. It will be set up for you automatically based on the boot.iso specified on the command line. There is no need to specify this variable.
- KSTEST_NFS_ADDON_REPO - This variable points to an NFS server and path where an addon repository can be found. This is different from KSTEST_NFS_PATH and KSTEST_NFS_SERVER. Those are used with the nfs command. This variable is used with the repo command, and its format is different. Here, it takes the form of nfs://<server>:<path>. See the kickstart documentation. You will need to set up your own NFS server.
- KSTEST_NFS_PATH - This variable points to the path of a package repository on the NFS server given by KSTEST_NFS_SERVER. It is only needed if you are testing the nfs command and installation method. You will need to set up your own NFS server.
- KSTEST_NFS_SERVER - This variable points at an NFS server, and is only needed if you are testing the nfs command and installation method. You will need to set up your own NFS server.
- KSTEST_OSTREE_REPO - This variable points at the atomic repo, and is only needed if you are testing the ostreesetup command and installation method. You will need to set up your own repo.
- KSTEST_FTP_URL - This variable is used by FTP tests. It is set to a Fedora mirror in Texas, USA in scripts/defaults.sh. This is potentially slow and you may want to point it at a local mirror.
- KSTEST_URL - This variable is used by all tests that don't test installation method and instead just use the default. It is set to the Fedora mirrors in scripts/defaults.sh. This is potentially slow if you are running a lot of tests, and you may want to point it at a local mirror.
- KSTEST_OS_NAME - This variable is read from the input boot.iso and it contains a name of the OS. Possible names can be "fedora", "rhel".
- KSTEST_OS_VERSION - This variable is read from the input boot.iso and it contains version of the OS. For example Fedora 26 has KSTEST_OS_VERSION = 26, Fedora rawhide has "Rawhide", and RHEL 7.3 has KSTEST_OS_VERSION = 7.3 .
- KSTEST_EXTRA_BOOTOPTS - This variable is used in functions.sh to pass additional kernel command line options. For example, setting this to inst.text enables Anaconda's text mode (instead of the default GUI). Multiple values separated by semicolon can be passed.
- KSTEST_OSINFO_NAME - This variable is used as the default to be used in case of failed virt-install os detection (--osinfo name=). It may by useful to specify for a new platform (os release) that is not detectable yet, for example to make sure the expected network device naming scheme is used.
To include kickstart or code snippets into test kickstart file during its pre-processing (just after KSTEST variables are substituted) use @KSINCLUDE@ <FILE_NAME> directive.
For example to include post-lib-network.sh which is a library with functions for checking test results of network tests, include it in ks.in test file:
%post
@KSINCLUDE@ post-lib-network.sh
check_device_connected ens4 yes
%endThe including is flat, only one level is supported. Do not use @KSINCLUDE@ in included files, the results could be unexpected.
This section contains tips for creating kicstart tests for network configuration. In some test cases special or additional network devices and virtual networks for test/virt-install instance are defined in prepare() and prepare_network() functions of .sh test file.
Network device names used in guest may differ for tested os variants (eg RHEL vs Fedora). Actual naming scheme to be used by the tests is defined in network-device-names.cfg snippet which is sourced both in .sh files for boot options network configuration (via functions.sh) and .ks.in files for kickstart network configuration (via @KSTEST_ substitution). The variables used in .sh and .ks.in files have the form of KSTEST_NETDEV<INDEX> where <INDEX> is the numerical index of the device, starting from 1.
For tests using static IP configuration, separate NATed network is created in prepare() function for each test so IP address collisions between tests running in parallel are prevented. Static configuration generated during network creation is referred to in kickstart using @KSTEST_ substitiution described above.
For tests requiring definition of MAC address assigned to the device the address is statically assigned in prepare_network() function. For kvm/qemu virtual machines it must start with 52:54:00.
The tests containing httpks in its name are fetching kickstart from https server (prepare() function of .sh test file) instead of including it via initrd inject into initramfs - which is the default approach used in tests. The reason is that using the inject method the network devices are not initialized in time of parsing kickstart and obtaining information from sysfs (mostly getting hw address) fails which results in incomplete ifcfg file generated.
Every night, the scenarios workflow runs all tests on all our supported operating systems/repositories, like "Fedora Rawhide" or "RHEL 9". They essentially call the runner container's launch script documented above with the desired parameters.
The actual set of tests run in a scenario is defined using TESTTYPE tags in skip-testtypes file.
The rawhide and daily-iso scenarios can in principle run on any host that has enough resources. The rhelX tests however needs to run on RHEL internal infrastructure.
Currently all scenarios run on self-hosted GitHub action runners, which are running in our upshift cluster. See our internal builders.git repository for details and the launch/setup playbooks. These have little magic, though, they mostly just create an OpenStack instance and install/configure the action runner binary as a service. All the actual test logic is contained in the workflow files and the runner container.
The results can be viewed on the GitHub Daily run workflows page. Each run has an artifact attached with the detailed log files. This is currently not very comfortable, and we are actively looking for a better solution how to publish the test result history.
These tests are expected to succeed normally. On failures, rhinstaller maintainers get a "failed workflow" notification email and should investigate the cause.
Sometimes tests fail due to networking/infrastructure flakes. To avoid this kind of noise, the nightly runs use the --retry option to re-run a test which failed due to an unspecific reason (i.e. not due to a skip or a syntax error in the kickstart file, etc.). The test log will still show both results right after each other, so that the original failure can be examined; but if the retry works, the test as a whole counts as success.
PRs are gated to avoid introducing broken or unstable tests, and to validate changes to existing tests. To keep PRs open to the whole community, we want to avoid running them in self-hosted internal infrastructure (if we did, we'd need to restrict running the tests to avoid exfiltrating secrets from the internal Red Hat network).
Thus PR tests run on Travis, which is one of the few public CI providers who offer /dev/kvm. The entry point is .travis.yml. The run_travis.sh script checks which tests are affected by the PR, and runs the first six in the runner container's launch script. Travis jobs are limited to 50 minutes, so we cannot currently run more; but that should suffice in most cases.
PR runs do not auto-retry test failures. This avoids introducing unstable tests, and PRs usually just run a few tests so that flakes are much less likely to ruin the result.
To test a PR on all supported os versions (including rhel) there is a test-os-variants workflow running the tests on a comment in a PR. Running it requires admin repository permissions.
- The container-autoupdate workflow refreshes the runner container every week, and pushes it to quay.io/rhinstaller/kstest-runner. Developers, CI, and the
launchscript usually download it from there. - The daily-boot-iso workflow creates a
boot.isoout of current Fedora Rawhide and various COPRs every night, so that we can test updates to anaconda, dnf, or blivet before they get released. This is consumed by thedaily-isoscenario.
These jobs don't have any particular infrastructure requirements. They run on GitHub's infrastructure and can be run manually by a developer.