Changes in booting with ubuntu-server 10.04

[Michael Waltz]

Just because they're headless doesn't mean that we wouldn't want to see 
what all is happening when it boots, especially if there's a problem.

For instance we have a lot of HP and Sun x86 infrastructure, and their 
LOMs can display graphics, but we prefer to use the text console for 
imaging and troubleshooting. Using a null-modem serial connection is 
also a common occurrence on severely distressed hosts. As most of us 
sysadmins know 99% of the time a system will boot without an issue, but 
it's that 1% of them royally screwing up that we need this type of 
verbosity.

Having it boot sequentially and in text (or the options to do so) is 
essential for systems a data center. I would think this would be default 
and am still perplexed on why a graphical splash screen on boot in the 
server edition is default.

I really want Ubuntu Server to flourish and am doing my best to make it 
a fully supported as major distribution option in our physical and 
virtual data centers. Unfortunately though this effort is stalled due to 
not meeting core functionality requirements like this. I've worked 
around the issue as much as I can but I've hit a wall since this design 
of upstart/plymouth are core features of the 10.04 release.

My boot wish list for Ubuntu Server is this:

1. Grub menu enabled by default with a timeout and "quiet" option 
removed in order to display kernel messages on boot.
2. Plymouth removed or disabled, printing all boot messages to tty1 in 
standard text with no framebuffer.
3. Upstart in sysvinit compatibility mode, booting init scripts in order 
and not relying on event triggers.

I don't want it to seem like I'm making demands and am more than willing 
to help out. I have access to datacenter grade hardware/software (HP and 
Sun x86 blade centers and single systems, and ESX, XEN, KVM virtual 
clusters) and am willing to test and develop for these platforms.

Micheal

Soren Hansen wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 10:07:51PM +0100, Egbert Jan van den Bussche wrote:
>> I have not tried any of the alpha or beta releases yet. But now I see
>> Micheal's horror story. PLEASE do not assume that a server can display ANY
>> kind of graphics. All my servers run headles and can only be logged in with
>> ssh.  If really no other way, I have to bring a keyboard/display to the
>> rack...
>> Again please let the init messages flow over our consoles.
> 
> Silly question perhaps, but if they're headless why do you care a whole
> lot about what's being shown?
> 
> 

-- 
Micheal Waltz
SMG Unix Infrastructure
Qualcomm Inc.
Phone: 858-845-6083
Cell: 858-882-7079