> https://git.ipfire.org/?p=people/ms/ipfire-2.x.git;a=shortlog;h=refs/heads/vmware-scsi

We generally have support for this in the kernel, but we might not include them in the installer. Are you able to run a build with this patch and check if the image boots?

I don't have access to any VMware product.

Created attachment 1763 [details]
Console Trace Install CU205 iso on VMware SCSI HDD

Thanks,

This patch allows the SCSI HDD to be detected for the installation, but there is still a problem after the first reboot, before the setup starts:

dracut: Scanning for all btrfs devices
dracut: Scanning for all btrfs devices
dracut: Scanning for all btrfs devices
dracut: Scanning for all btrfs devices
...
dracut: Scanning for all btrfs devices
dracut: Scanning for all btrfs devices
dracut: Scanning for all btrfs devices
dracut: Scanning for all btrfs devices

dracut Warning: Could not boot.
dracut Warning: Could not boot.

dracut Warning: /dev/disk/by-uuid/6ec976fb-95ab-4dd5-83df-3b98424f8f6f does not exist
dracut Warning: /dev/disk/by-uuid/6ec976fb-95ab-4dd5-83df-3b98424f8f6f does not exist

Generating "/run/initramfs/rdsosreport.txt"
You might want to save "/run/initramfs/rdsosreport.txt" to a USB stick or /boot
after mounting them and attach it to a bug report.

To get more debug information in the report,
reboot with "rd.debug" added to the kernel command line.

Dropping to debug shell.

dracut:/# 

Attached is the complete console output trace.

Which kernel modules would this controller normally use? Is there anything in dmesg?

Created attachment 1764 [details]
bootlog CU204

Here is the CU204 bootlog, which contains:

[    2.997581] Fusion MPT base driver 3.04.20
[    2.997737] Copyright (c) 1999-2008 LSI Corporation
[    3.023452] Fusion MPT SPI Host driver 3.04.20
[    3.025913] mptbase: ioc0: Initiating bringup
[    3.050378] ioc0: LSI53C1030 B0: Capabilities={Initiator}

And the driver in use is indeed `mptspi`:

[root@ipfireTest ~]# lspci -nnk | grep -A3 -Ei 'SCSI|SAS|storage'
00:10.0 SCSI storage controller [0100]: Broadcom / LSI 53c1030 PCI-X Fusion-MPT Dual Ultra320 SCSI [1000:0030] (rev 01)
        Subsystem: VMware LSI Logic Parallel SCSI Controller (emulated) [15ad:1976]
        Kernel driver in use: mptspi
        Kernel modules: mptspi
00:11.0 PCI bridge [0604]: VMware PCI bridge [15ad:0790]
[root@ipfireTest ~]#

I don't understand what has changed in CU205 that prevents the driver from being loaded.

With your patch, the driver is indeed loaded during the first boot:

Fusion MPT base driver 3.04.20
Copyright (c) 1999-2008 LSI Corporation
Fusion MPT SPI Host driver 3.04.20
mptbase: ioc0: Initiating bringup
ioc0: LSI53C1030 B0: Capabilities={Initiator}

But it is not loaded on the second boot.

I have the same issue when upgrading from CU204 to CU205 on my VM: after the reboot, I get the same error.

I Extract distro.img from the ISO file and compared the /boot/initramfs files from CU204 and CU205.
This seems to show where the problem is:

CU204's initramfs contains:
lib/modules/6.18.54-ipfire/kernel/drivers/message/fusion/mptbase.ko.xz
lib/modules/6.18.54-ipfire/kernel/drivers/message/fusion/mptfc.ko.xz
lib/modules/6.18.54-ipfire/kernel/drivers/message/fusion/mptsas.ko.xz
lib/modules/6.18.54-ipfire/kernel/drivers/message/fusion/mptscsih.ko.xz
lib/modules/6.18.54-ipfire/kernel/drivers/message/fusion/mptspi.ko.xz

CU205's initramfs contains none of these modules.

So your patch fixes the installer initramfs, which explains why the first boot works, but the initramfs generated for the installed system still doesn't contain the VMware SCSI drivers.

This also explains why upgrading from CU204 to CU205 has the same problem after the reboot.

It was bug in dracut
To be linked to the bug fix
https://bugzilla.ipfire.org/show_bug.cgi?id=14666

Fixed on CU205 Development Build: master/d37aca7c