own ubuntu meta-distribution / installer problems

[Tim Eighty]

Hello,

I'm am trying to create my own meta-distrib out of ubuntu.
The reason for this is that i have to modify the default packing list as 
ubuntu-standard is way to large for my needs and I will also have to include 
my own (aditional+modified) packages for our oem setup.

So i am trying to create my own packing-list as i believe that modifying 
ubuntu-standard is not a good idea at all (as the risk of beeing overwritten 
with the next update ist too high and then the customer installation gets 
poisoned).

Ok, i have my own ftp server running, created my own packing list (lets say 
myubuntu-standard) and set up a preseeding file. I also used the mini.iso 
(feisty) for the network-install as a starting point and modified it for my 
needs.
After doing a hundreds of installations i found most of the d-i options but 
still can't get the installer to use myubuntu-standard. It continues using 
ubuntu-standard regardless what i am telling. I tried to set:

tasksel tasksel/first multiselect myubuntu-standard
tasksel tasksel/tasks multiselect myubuntu-standard
d-i     pkgsel/install-pattern  string ~t^myubuntu-standard$

anything without success. Still goes on installing ubuntu-standard. :(
So is there any recommended way for creating a meta-distribution or defining 
own default packages?


Another problem with the installer:
I created my own partman-auto/expert_recipe looking like this (derived from 
the preseed example):
d-i partman-auto/expert_recipe string my-hd ::           \
              400 10000 1000000000 ext3                       \
                      $primary{ } $bootable{ }                \
                      method{ format } format{ }              \
                      use_filesystem{ } filesystem{ ext3 }    \
                      mountpoint{ / }                         \
               .
so there should only be on partition for everything, no swap.
1st problem: it always creates an extended partition for the / (root). How can 
I prevent this?
2nd prob: It continues asking "You did not define a swap partition. Do you 
want to go back?"
If i preseed this with
partman-basicfilesystems partman-basicfilesystems/no_swap boolean false
but then the installer hangs in an endless loop. And i did not find any other 
preseed-options that have to do with swap. Any idea whats going wrong?

Cheers,
Tim