LVM partitioning preseed.cfg / kickstart question

[Jim Campbell <jcampbell@gnome.org>]

Hi All,

I seem to be having trouble with correctly partitioning a hard drive using a PXE boot + preseed file , and am seeking help.

What works:
I can use an expert_recipe string as part of a preseed.cfg file contained in a custom ISO (booted via grub-imageboot), and it correctly partitions a drive with LVM.  Additionally, and I can use http-served kickstart file commands like:

part /boot --fstype ext4 --size 1024 --asprimary
part pv.01 --size 1 --grow
volgroup linuxvg pv.01
logvol swap   --fstype swap --vgname=linuxvg --size=6272   --name=swap
logvol /      --fstype xfs  --vgname=linuxvg --size=80248  --name=root_vol
logvol /spare --fstype xfs  --vgname=linuxvg --size=61440  --name=spare_vol
logvol /home  --fstype xfs  --vgname=linuxvg --size=76800  --name=home_vol --grow

in an http-served ks=http://path/to/file.ks file, and it will also partition the drive with LVM, but my issue is that the results between the two aren't consistent, and I want to use an expert_recipe string for both.  This is because the expert_recipe string allows for proportional partition sizes based on the overall size of the disk.  (Note: I use the "spare_vol" as a placeholder, and it gets removed in the "post" install section of the installer).

Where things break down for me:
For me, any attempt to use a kickstart / kickseed file served via http with an expert_recipe string doesn't give me my desired partitions.

If I use bare d-i commands for the expert_recipe string in an http-served preseed.cfg file, the partitions don't get picked-up at all.

I tried doing something like (note: this partition layout uses a "spare" partition which gets removed in the "post" installer section):

echo "d-i partman-auto/expert_recipe string \
  boot-root :: \
  1024 1024 1024 ext4 \
  $primary{ } \
  $bootable{ }            \
  method{ format }        \
  format{ }               \
  use_filesystem{ }       \
  filesystem{ ext4 }      \
  mountpoint{ /boot }     \
  . \
  100 1000 -1 xfs         \
  $defaultignore{ }       \
  $primary{ }             \
  method{ lvm }           \
  vg_name{ linux }        \
  . \
  80248 80248 80248 xfs   \
  $lvmok{ }               \
  in_vg{ linux }          \
  lv_name{ root_vol }     \
  method{ format }        \
  format{ }               \
  use_filesystem{ }       \
  filesystem{ xfs }       \
  mountpoint{ / }         \
  . \
  6272 6272 6272 linux-swap \
  $lvmok{ }               \
  in_vg{ linux }          \
  method{ swap }          \
  lv_name{ swap_vol }     \
  format{ }               \
  filesystem{ swap }      \
  .                       \
  61440 61440 61440 xfs   \
  $lvmok{ }               \
  in_vg{ linux }          \
  lv_name{ spare_vol }    \
  method{ format }        \
  format{ }               \
  use_filesystem{ }       \
  filesystem{ xfs }       \
  mountpoint{ /spare }    \
  . \
  76800 76800 76800 xfs   \
  $lvmok{ }               \
  in_vg{ linux }          \
  lv_name{ home_vol }     \
  method{ format }        \
  format{ }               \
  use_filesystem{ }       \
  filesystem{ xfs }       \
  mountpoint{ /home }     \
."  >> /var/spool/kickseed/parse/preseed.cfg

But I wind up with partitions at /dev/sda1, /dev/sda5 - /sda9 (which I don't want) instead of a primary partitions at /dev/sda1 along with a bunch of /dev/mapper/ . . .  LVM partitions (which I do want). 

I've also tried including my preseed.cfg in a custom initrd.gz which is out on the server, but to no avail.

I hope this all makes sense. Let me know if you have any advice or additional questions.

Kind regards,

Jim