Fix SElinux labels on CoreOS

If your CoreOS fails to boot due to SELinux issue.

Option 1

Reboot the system

Inside the grub menu:

  • hit e to modify the entry, then remove the console=<...> parameters (there are 2 of them) from the kernel cmdline

  • append rd.break

Hit CTRL-x to boot, once dracut prompts for it hit enter to get into the emergency console.

Then run: 

1
2
3
4
5
mount -o remount,rw /sysroot
mount -o remount,rw /sysroot/usr
chroot /sysroot
setfiles /etc/selinux/targeted/contexts/files/file_contexts /
setfiles /etc/selinux/targeted/contexts/files/file_contexts /*

Mileage may vary with this command.

Option 2

Did not work for me: Restorecon from selinux permissive mode

Edit the grub kernel cmdline. Change the kernel cmdline and append: 

1
selinux=0

Then, edit /etc/selinux/config and set the system to "permissive" 

1
vi /etc/selinux/config

Then, reboot the system. 

1
reboot

Then, run the following to fix the labels again: 

1
restorecon -RF / 2>/dev/null

Then, change /etc/selinux/config again to enforcing: 

1
vi /etc/selinux/config

Option 3

coreos-relabel from rd.break

Remove the console=<...> parameters (there are 2 of them) from the CLI and append rd.break

Then, run: 

1
2
3
mount -o remount,rw /sysroot
mount -o remount,rw /sysroot/usr
coreos-relabel /sysroot/*

Resources

https://github.com/coreos/ignition-dracut/pull/138 https://github.com/coreos/fedora-coreos-config/search?q=coreos-relabel https://github.com/coreos/ignition/pull/996 https://lore.kernel.org/selinux/[email protected]/ https://github.com/coreos/ignition/pull/846/commits/80ca4b2f834007ea13762cec5f9df43fd7061d00 https://github.com/coreos/fedora-coreos-tracker/issues/94 https://github.com/coreos/ignition/issues/635