hands off install

[Carl Karsten]

 >>> My Kickstart test machine has two network cards, so I don't believe
 >>> that's true. Preseeding netcfg/choose_interface to eth1 (or whatever)
 >>> should do the job; in the netboot case, you'll have to do this on the
 >>> kernel command line (netcfg/choose_interface=eth1).
 >>
 >>
 >> I am focusing on netboot, so preseed doesn't apply.
 >
 >
 >
 > I don't understand this statement. Why not?


um, guessing misunderstanding on what is/isn't "preseed" - I only 
considered it the file, not kernel options.  netboot will only read it 
over the lan, so the file can't be used to set network settings.

If "preseed" includes kernel parameters, then it does apply.

I can see how preseed is the collection of answers passed to the installer.

 >
 >
 >> I think it would make testing easier if the netboot supported a floppy
 >> preseed, otherwise I have to burn a CD.
 >
 >
 >
 > netboot supports preseed/url, i.e. network preseeding; this is
 > documented here:
 >
 > 
http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/hoary/main/installer-i386/current/doc/manual/en/apcs01.html
 >
 > You don't have to burn a CD.


I do if I want to use a floppy, which could be useful for both testing 
and production.

In both cases, having the preseed.cfg file on media that is physically 
near the box makes it very easy to figure out what file will be used by 
the box.  Yes, the same level of configuration can be achieved by 
different pxelinux.cfg/default files that are keyed on the MAC of the 
box.  That just seems like extra work that isn't needed in some cases.

However, it would just be easier on a very small group of people, so I 
don't think netboot + floppy/pressed needs to be added now, given that 
it seems everything should be handled by kernel options.

 >
 > (netcfg/choose_interface is read before the network preseed file,
 > though, for obvious reasons, so it still needs to go on the kernel
 > command line.)



 >> This should be noted on 
http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/hoary/main/installer-i386/current/doc/manual/en/ch05s02.html#installer-args
 >
 >
 >
 > I disagree, since it's not a top-level argument in the same sense as
 > everything else there; the language/country preseed arguments aren't
 > documented there either. That section would get unreadably long if every
 > possible debconf question were documented there.
 >
 > It should be documented a little more clearly in
 > 
http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/hoary/main/installer-i386/current/doc/manual/en/apcs01.html,
 > though (and the language/country configuration there should be updated
 > to be just "preseed/locale=en_US"). Fixed in my local tree, so no need
 > to file a bug.


As long as it is somewhere ;)

 >
 > Thanks,
 >

You're welcome.  Glad I can help.

Quick reiteration: I am more interested in helping the Ubuntu project 
than getting Hoary on my 5 or 6 boxes, so feel free to tell me "not now, 
file a low priority report and maybe it will be considered for Grumpy."

Carl K