Unable to image Dell OptiPlex GX320 workstations

  • 3118806
  • 15-Oct-2007
  • 30-Apr-2012

Environment

Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management - ZDM6.5
Novell ZENworks 7 Desktop Management - ZDM7
Novell ZENworks 7 Desktop Management on Linux - ZDML7
Novell ZENworks 7 Desktop Management - ZDM7 Imaging
Novell ZENworks 7 Desktop Management - ZDM7 PreBoot Services (PXE)

Dell Optiplex GX320 workstations
HP DC 5750 workstations

Situation

ERROR: Unable to find ZENworks Installation source
 
Unable use ZENworks imaging bootcd with GX320 workstation
 
Hard drive is not recognized by ZENworks imaging.
 
Able to boot PXE but hard drive is not recognized.
 
Contains a new ATI chipset.

Resolution

Fixed in ZENworks 7 Desktop Management Service Pack 1 Interim Release 1, available at Novell Downloads
The following workaround may work while Novell investigates possible solutions to this issue. This workaround is based on the imaging components included in ZENworks Desktop Management 7 Support Pack 1 Interim Release 1. It is recommended that imaging components be upgraded to this release to address other known issues before implementing the following workaround for the specific workstations affected in this TID.

PXE Boot Imaging Method:
Edit the z_xxxx.cmd files located in tftp\cmds directory by adding the parameterpci=nomsi to each initrd command line. The second line in each of these files should be on a single line.

z_auto.cmd:
KERNEL boot/linux
APPEND initrd=boot/initrd vga=0x314 pci=nomsi install=tftp://$TFTPIP/boot rootimage=/root PROXYADDR=$PROXYADDR TFTPIP=$TFTPIP splash=silent PXEBOOT=YES mode=2

z_maint.cmd:
KERNEL boot/linux
APPEND initrd=boot/initrd vga=0x314 pci=nomsi install=tftp://$TFTPIP/boot rootimage=/root PROXYADDR=$PROXYADDR TFTPIP=$TFTPIP splash=silent PXEBOOT=YES mode=5

z_zpdis.cmd:
KERNEL boot/linux
APPEND initrd=boot/initrd vga=0x314 pci=nomsi install=tftp://$TFTPIP/boot rootimage=/root PROXYADDR=$PROXYADDR TFTPIP=$TFTPIP splash=silent PXEBOOT=YES mode=3 DISABLEZEN=1

z_zpen.cmd:
KERNEL boot/linux
APPEND initrd=boot/initrd vga=0x314 pci=nomsi install=tftp://$TFTPIP/boot rootimage=/root PROXYADDR=$PROXYADDR TFTPIP=$TFTPIP splash=silent PXEBOOT=YES mode=3 ENABLEZEN=1

CD Boot Imaging Method:
This workaround requires modifying the isolinux.cfg file within the ZENworks bootcd.iso image before you burn the CD. There are a variety of utilities and methods available to open up and edit the contents of the bootcd.iso file. Use a method that you are comfortable with and edit the isolinux.cfg file by adding the parameter pci=nomsi on each initrd load line.

The edited contents of the file isolinux.cfg should look like:


default linux

label linux
kernel linux
append initrd=initrd ramdisk_size=67584 vga=0x0314 pci=nomsi splash=silent mode=2 CDBOOT=YES showopts

label manual
kernel linux
append initrd=initrd ramdisk_size=67584 vga=0x0314 pci=nomsi splash=silent mode=5 CDBOOT=YES showopts

label config
kernel linux
append initrd=initrd ramdisk_size=67584 vga=0x0314 pci=nomsi splash=silent mode=7 CDBOOT=YES showopts

label install
kernel linux
append initrd=initrd ramdisk_size=67584 vga=0x0314 pci=nomsi splash=silent mode=4 CDBOOT=YES showopts

label lilo
kernel linux
append initrd=initrd ramdisk_size=67584 vga=0x0314 pci=nomsi splash=silent mode=3 CDBOOT=YES showopts

label disable
kernel linux
append initrd=initrd ramdisk_size=67584 vga=0x0314 pci=nomsi splash=silent mode=3 DISABLEZEN=1 CDBOOT=YES showopts

label enable
kernel linux
append initrd=initrd ramdisk_size=67584 vga=0x0314 pci=nomsi splash=silent mode=3 ENABLEZEN=1 CDBOOT=YES showopts

implicit 1
gfxboot bootlogo
display message
prompt 1
timeout 200
readinfo 2
framebuffer 1

Status

Top Issue

Additional Information

This workaround may also work for Linux installations on the same workstation hardware - using the LILO boot loader. The Grub boot loader will not work with this parameter added to the load line.