Installing

Procedure

1. In the graphical installer under Installation Destination in the Storage Configuration subsection, select Custom → Done to open the dialog for configuring partitions and volumes. The Manual Partitioning window is displayed.
2. Under New Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.x Installation, select Click here to create them automatically.
3. Select the root partition, /, reduce Desired Capacity so that the VG has sufficient capacity for your PVs, and then click Update Settings.

4. Complete your installation.

   Note

   For more options on partition configuration, read the guide linked in the Additional information section for Configuring Manual Partitioning.

5. As a root user, verify the VG capacity available on your system by running the following command:

   $ sudo vgs

   Example output:

   VG   #PV #LV #SN Attr   VSize    VFree
   rhel   1   2   0 wz--n- <127.00g 54.94g

Procedure

1. As a root user, enable the MicroShift repositories by running the following command:

   $ sudo subscription-manager repos \
       --enable rhocp-4.13-for-rhel-9-$(uname -m)-rpms \
       --enable fast-datapath-for-rhel-9-$(uname -m)-rpms

2. Install MicroShift by running the following command:

   $ sudo dnf install -y microshift

3. Optional: Install greenboot for MicroShift by running the following command:

   $ sudo dnf install -y microshift-greenboot

4. Download your installation pull secret from the Red Hat Hybrid Cloud Console to a temporary folder, for example, $HOME/openshift-pull-secret. This pull secret allows you to authenticate with the container registries that serve the container images used by MicroShift.

5. To copy the pull secret to the /etc/crio folder of your RHEL machine, run the following command:

   $ sudo cp $HOME/openshift-pull-secret /etc/crio/openshift-pull-secret

6. Make the root user the owner of the /etc/crio/openshift-pull-secret file by running the following command:

   $ sudo chown root:root /etc/crio/openshift-pull-secret

7. Make the /etc/crio/openshift-pull-secret file readable and writeable by the root user only by running the following command:

   $ sudo chmod 600 /etc/crio/openshift-pull-secret

8. If your RHEL machine has a firewall enabled, you must configure a few mandatory firewall rules. For firewalld, run the following commands:

   $ sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=trusted --add-source=10.42.0.0/16

   $ sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=trusted --add-source=169.254.169.1

   $ sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Procedure

1. As a root user, start the MicroShift service by entering the following command:

   $ sudo systemctl start microshift

2. Optional: To configure your RHEL machine to start MicroShift when your machine starts, enter the following command:

   $ sudo systemctl enable microshift

3. Optional: To disable MicroShift from automatically starting when your machine starts, enter the following command:

   $ sudo systemctl disable microshift

   Note

   The first time that the MicroShift service starts, it downloads and initializes MicroShift’s container images. As a result, it can take several minutes for MicroShift to start the first time that the service is deployed. Boot time is reduced for subsequent starts of the MicroShift service.

Procedure

1. Enter the following command to stop the MicroShift service:

   $ sudo systemctl stop microshift

2. Workloads deployed on MicroShift will continue running even after the MicroShift service has been stopped. Enter the following command to display running workloads:

   $ sudo crictl ps -a

3. Enter the following commands to stop the deployed workloads:

   $ sudo systemctl stop kubepods.slice

Procedure

1. Create an Image Builder configuration file for adding the rhocp-4.13 RPM repository source required to pull MicroShift RPMs by running the following command:

   $ cat > rhocp-4.13.toml <<EOF
   id = "rhocp-4.13"
   name = "Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.13 for RHEL 9"
   type = "yum-baseurl"
   url = "https://cdn.redhat.com/content/dist/layered/rhel9/$(uname -m)/rhocp/4.13/os"
   check_gpg = true
   check_ssl = true
   system = false
   rhsm = true
   EOF

2. Create an Image Builder configuration file for adding the fast-datapath RPM repository by running the following command:

   $ cat > fast-datapath.toml <<EOF
   id = "fast-datapath"
   name = "Fast Datapath for RHEL 9"
   type = "yum-baseurl"
   url = "https://cdn.redhat.com/content/dist/layered/rhel9/$(uname -m)/fast-datapath/os"
   check_gpg = true
   check_ssl = true
   system = false
   rhsm = true
   EOF

3. Add the sources to the Image Builder by running the following commands:

   $ sudo composer-cli sources add rhocp-4.13.toml

   $ sudo composer-cli sources add fast-datapath.toml

Procedure

1. Use the following example to create your blueprint:

   Image Builder blueprint example

   $ cat > minimal-microshift.toml <<EOF
   name = "minimal-microshift"
   
   description = ""
   version = "0.0.1"
   modules = []
   groups = []
   
   [[packages]]
   name = "microshift"
   version = "*"
   
   [[packages]]
   name = "microshift-greenboot" 1
   version = "*"
   
   [customizations.services]
   enabled = ["microshift"]
   EOF

   1

   Optional microshift-greenboot RPM. For more information, read the "Greenboot health check" guide in the "Running Applications" section.

   Note

   The wildcard * in the commands uses the latest MicroShift RPMs. If you need a specific version, substitute the wildcard for the version you want. For example, insert 4.13.1 to download the MicroShift 4.13.1 RPMs.

2. Add the blueprint to the Image Builder by running the following command:

   $ sudo composer-cli blueprints push minimal-microshift.toml

Verification

1. Verify the Image Builder configuration listing only MicroShift packages by running the following command:

   $ sudo composer-cli blueprints depsolve minimal-microshift | grep microshift

   Example output

   blueprint: minimal-microshift v0.0.1
       microshift-greenboot-4.13.1-202305250827.p0.g4105d3b.assembly.4.13.1.el9.noarch
       microshift-networking-4.13.1-202305250827.p0.g4105d3b.assembly.4.13.1.el9.x86_64
       microshift-release-info-4.13.1-202305250827.p0.g4105d3b.assembly.4.13.1.el9.noarch
       microshift-4.13.1-202305250827.p0.g4105d3b.assembly.4.13.1.el9.x86_64
       microshift-selinux-4.13.1-202305250827.p0.g4105d3b.assembly.4.13.1.el9.noarch

2. Optional: Verify the Image Builder configuration listing all components to be installed by running the following command:

   $ sudo composer-cli blueprints depsolve minimal-microshift

Procedure

1. Start an ostree container image build by running the following command:

   $ BUILDID=$(sudo composer-cli compose start-ostree --ref "rhel/9/$(uname -m)/edge" minimal-microshift edge-container | awk '{print $2}')

   This command also returns the identification (ID) of the build for monitoring.

2. You can check the status of the build periodically by running the following command:

   $ sudo composer-cli compose status

   Example output of a running build

   ID                                     Status     Time                      Blueprint            Version   Type               Size
   cc3377ec-4643-4483-b0e7-6b0ad0ae6332   RUNNING    Wed Jun 7 12:26:23 2023   minimal-microshift   0.0.1     edge-container

   Example output of a completed build

   ID                                     Status     Time                      Blueprint            Version   Type               Size
   cc3377ec-4643-4483-b0e7-6b0ad0ae6332   FINISHED   Wed Jun 7 12:32:37 2023   minimal-microshift   0.0.1     edge-container

   Note

   You can use the watch command to monitor your build if you are familiar with how to start and stop it.

3. Download the container image using the ID and get the image ready for use by running the following command:

   $ sudo composer-cli compose image ${BUILDID}

4. Change the ownership of the downloaded container image to the current user by running the following command:

   $ sudo chown $(whoami). ${BUILDID}-container.tar

5. Add read permissions for the current user to the image by running the following command:

   $ sudo chmod a+r ${BUILDID}-container.tar

6. Bootstrap a server on port 8085 for the ostree container image to be consumed by the ISO build by completing the following steps:

   1. Get the IMAGEID variable result by running the following command:

      $ IMAGEID=$(cat < "./${BUILDID}-container.tar" | sudo podman load | grep -o -P '(?<=sha256[@:])[a-z0-9]*')

   2. Use the IMAGEID variable result to execute the podman command step by running the following command:

      $ sudo podman run -d --name=minimal-microshift-server -p 8085:8080 ${IMAGEID}

      This command also returns the ID of the container saved in the IMAGEID variable for monitoring.

7. Generate the installer blueprint file by running the following command:

   $ cat > microshift-installer.toml <<EOF
   name = "microshift-installer"
   
   description = ""
   version = "0.0.0"
   modules = []
   groups = []
   packages = []
   EOF

1. Add the blueprint to the Image Builder by running the following command:

   $ sudo composer-cli blueprints push microshift-installer.toml

2. Start the ostree ISO build by running the following command:

   $ BUILDID=$(sudo composer-cli compose start-ostree --url http://localhost:8085/repo/ --ref "rhel/9/$(uname -m)/edge" microshift-installer edge-installer | awk '{print $2}')

   This command also returns the identification (ID) of the build for monitoring.

3. You can check the status of the build periodically by running the following command:

   $ sudo composer-cli compose status

   Example output for a running build

   ID                                     Status     Time                      Blueprint              Version   Type               Size
   c793c24f-ca2c-4c79-b5b7-ba36f5078e8d   RUNNING    Wed Jun 7 13:22:20 2023   microshift-installer   0.0.0     edge-installer

   Example output for a completed build

   ID                                     Status     Time                      Blueprint              Version   Type               Size
   c793c24f-ca2c-4c79-b5b7-ba36f5078e8d   FINISHED   Wed Jun 7 13:34:49 2023   microshift-installer   0.0.0     edge-installer

1. Download the ISO using the ID by running the following command:

   $ sudo composer-cli compose image ${BUILDID}

2. Change the ownership of the downloaded container image to the current user by running the following command:

   $ sudo chown $(whoami). ${BUILDID}-installer.iso

3. Add read permissions for the current user to the image by running the following command:

   $ sudo chmod a+r ${BUILDID}-installer.iso

Prerequisites

1. You have created an RHEL for Edge Installer (ISO) image containing your RHEL for Edge commit with MicroShift.

   1. This requirement includes the steps of composing an RFE Container image, creating the RFE Installer blueprint, starting the RFE container, and composing the RFE Installer image.

2. Create a Kickstart file or use an existing one. In the Kickstart file, you must include:

   1. Detailed instructions about how to create a user.
   2. How to fetch and deploy the RHEL for Edge image.

Procedure

1. In the main section of the Kickstart file, update the setup of the filesystem such that it contains an LVM volume group called rhel with at least 10GB system root. Leave free space for the LVMS CSI driver to use for storing the data for your workloads.

   Example kickstart snippet for configuring the filesystem

   # Partition disk such that it contains an LVM volume group called `rhel` with a
   # 10GB+ system root but leaving free space for the LVMS CSI driver for storing data.
   #
   # For example, a 20GB disk would be partitioned in the following way:
   #
   # NAME          MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
   # sda             8:0    0  20G  0 disk
   # ├─sda1          8:1    0 200M  0 part /boot/efi
   # ├─sda1          8:1    0 800M  0 part /boot
   # └─sda2          8:2    0  19G  0 part
   #  └─rhel-root  253:0    0  10G  0 lvm  /sysroot
   #
   ostreesetup --nogpg --osname=rhel --remote=edge \
   --url=file:///run/install/repo/ostree/repo --ref=rhel/<RHEL VERSION NUMBER>/x86_64/edge
   zerombr
   clearpart --all --initlabel
   part /boot/efi --fstype=efi --size=200
   part /boot --fstype=xfs --asprimary --size=800
   # Uncomment this line to add a SWAP partition of the recommended size
   #part swap --fstype=swap --recommended
   part pv.01 --grow
   volgroup rhel pv.01
   logvol / --vgname=rhel --fstype=xfs --size=10000 --name=root
   # To add users, use a line such as the following
   user --name=<YOUR_USER_NAME> \
   --password=<YOUR_HASHED_PASSWORD> \
   --iscrypted --groups=<YOUR_USER_GROUPS>

2. In the %post section of the Kickstart file, add your pull secret and the mandatory firewall rules.

   Example Kickstart snippet for adding the pull secret and firewall rules

   %post --log=/var/log/anaconda/post-install.log --erroronfail
   
   # Add the pull secret to CRI-O and set root user-only read/write permissions
   cat > /etc/crio/openshift-pull-secret << EOF
   YOUR_OPENSHIFT_PULL_SECRET_HERE
   EOF
   chmod 600 /etc/crio/openshift-pull-secret
   
   # Configure the firewall with the mandatory rules for MicroShift
   firewall-offline-cmd --zone=trusted --add-source=10.42.0.0/16
   firewall-offline-cmd --zone=trusted --add-source=169.254.169.1
   
   %end

3. Install the mkksiso tool by running the following command:

   $ sudo yum install -y lorax

4. Update the Kickstart file in the ISO with your new Kickstart file by running the following command:

   $ sudo mkksiso <your_kickstart>.ks <your_installer>.iso <updated_installer>.iso

1. System as expected: When all of the scripts in the required.d directory are successful, greenboot runs any scripts present in the /etc/greenboot/green.d directory.
2. System trouble: If any of the scripts in the required.d directory fail, greenboot runs any prerollback scripts present in the red.d directory, then restarts the system.

Procedure

1. Make the directory by running the following command:

   $ sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d

2. Create the configuration file by running the following command:

   cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/microshift.conf &>/dev/null
   [Journal]
   Storage=persistent
   SystemMaxUse=1G
   RuntimeMaxUse=1G
   EOF

3. Edit the configuration file values for your size requirements.