Mounting VIOS ISO media as
udfs instead of cdrfs
VIOS iso install media loopmount error: “A system call received a parameter that is
not valid”
If you see this error, "A system call received a parameter that is not valid", when copying the mksysb image from a (loop) mounted VIOS flash image, try using the udfs option instead of cdrfs. You'll find this documented here: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/vios-31-viosupgrade-process, but it also applies to any situation where you have mounted the VIOS install media ISO image and need to copy the mksysb (or other files) from it, to another location.
I do this all the time on my NIM master when I'm installing new versions of VIOS using NIM.
Here's an example of the error:
# loopmount
-i flash.iso -m /mnt -o "-V cdrfs -o ro"
# cd
/mnt
# find
. | grep mksysb
./nimol/ioserver_res/mksysb
./usr/sys/inst.images/mksysb_image
# cp
./usr/sys/inst.images/mksysb_image /export/cg/vios/
cp: ./usr/sys/inst.images/mksysb_image: A system call received a
parameter that is not valid.
Try using udfs with the loopmount command, instead of cdrfs:
# cd
/
# umount
/mnt
# loopmount
-i flash.iso -m /mnt -o "-V udfs -o ro"
# cd
/mnt
# find
. | grep mksy
./nimol/ioserver_res/mksysb
./usr/sys/inst.images/mksysb_image
# file
./usr/sys/inst.images/mksysb_image
./usr/sys/inst.images/mksysb_image:
backup/restore format file
#
cp ./usr/sys/inst.images/mksysb_image /export/cg/vios/
#
Check that the mksysb image has been copied to
the desired location successfully. Use the lsmksysb and restore
commands to confirm that the mksysb image is readable and not corrupt.
# ls
-ltr /export/cg/vios/mksysb_image
-r--r--r-- 1 root
system 2250854400 Oct 25 23:49
/export/cg/vios/mksysb_image
# lsmksysb
-lf /export/cg/vios/mksysb_image
VOLUME
GROUP: rootvg
BACKUP
DATE/TIME: Fri Oct 20 15:59:48 CDT
2023
UNAME
INFO: AIX pkgvic61 3 7
00C645B44C00
BACKUP
OSLEVEL: 7.3.2.1
MAINTENANCE
LEVEL: 7300-02
SERVICEPACK
LEVEL: 7300-02-01-2346
BACKUP
SIZE (MB): 23360
SHRINK
SIZE (MB): 6955
VG
DATA ONLY: no
rootvg:
LV
NAME TYPE LPs
PPs PVs LV STATE
MOUNT POINT
hd5 boot 1
1 1 closed/syncd N/A
hd6 paging 8
8 1 open/syncd N/A
hd8 jfs2log 1
1 1 open/syncd N/A
hd4 jfs2 4
4 1 open/syncd /
hd2 jfs2 52
52 1 open/syncd /usr
hd9var jfs2
9 9 1
open/syncd /var
hd3 jfs2 75
75 1 open/syncd /tmp
hd1 jfs2 160
160 1 open/syncd /home
hd10opt jfs2 1
1 1 open/syncd /opt
hd11admin jfs2 2
2 1 open/syncd /admin
lg_dumplv sysdump 32
32 1 open/syncd N/A
livedump jfs2 4
4 1 open/syncd /var/adm/ras/livedump
paging00 paging 16
16 1 open/syncd N/A
# restore
-Tqvf /export/cg/vios/mksysb_image
New
volume on /export/cg/vios/mksysb_image:
Cluster
size is 51200 bytes (100 blocks).
The
volume number is 1.
The
backup date is: Fri Oct 20 16:59:58 EDT 2023
Files
are backed up by name.
The
user is .
5670 ./bosinst.data
11 ./tmp/vgdata/rootvg/image.info
11707 ./image.data
234860 ./tmp/vgdata/rootvg/backup.data
0 ./usr
0 ./usr/X11R6
19 ./usr/X11R6/lib
8 ./usr/adm
0 ./usr/aix
0 ./usr/aix/bin
41239 ./usr/aix/bin/cancel
42127 ./usr/aix/bin/lp
41707 ./usr/aix/bin/lpq
43191 ./usr/aix/bin/lpr
42127 ./usr/aix/bin/lprm
43911 ./usr/aix/bin/lpstat
...etc...
3328 ./sbin/comp.uext
4173 ./sbin/comp.uext64
29 ./sbin/install-info
0 ./tftpboot
0 ./tmp
5 ./u
21 ./unix
0 ./var
0 ./proc
0 ./aha
The
total size is 3208785070 bytes.
The
number of archived files is 69567.
#