Linux/Ubuntu/Automated Installation

From Omnia
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Get Preseed

Install debconf: 

apt install debconf-utils

find out all of the current preseed settings from your current install, you would run: 

debconf-get-selections --installer > install-options.cfg

To dump the entire debconf database containing these values: 

debconf-get-selections > alloptions.cfg

debconf pulls these options from: 

/var/log/installer/cdebconf/questions.dat

Ref:

Make Fully

src: https://askubuntu.com/questions/806820/how-do-i-create-a-completely-unattended-install-of-ubuntu-desktop-16-04-1-lts

Current Solution I have currently created an unattended install, but am not sure if it is correct - meaning that I should have edited the isolinux/isolinux.cfg

There were many differences between the post I linked and the Ubuntu Desktop image. Here is my solution:

Step 1

Mounted Ubuntu ISO so that I can copy the contents to another directory and then edit the pertinent files. 

mkdir -p /mnt/iso
mount -o loop ubuntu.iso /mnt/iso

Step 2

I then copied the ISO files to another directory for editing. 

mkdir -p /opt/ubuntuiso
cp -rT /mnt/iso /opt/ubuntuiso

Step 3

I edited the isolinux/isolinux.cfg file and replaced everything inside with the following: 

default live-install
label live-install
  menu label ^Install Ubuntu
  kernel /casper/vmlinuz.efi
  append  file=/cdrom/ks.preseed auto=true priority=critical debian-installer/locale=en_US keyboard-configuration/layoutcode=us ubiquity/reboot=true languagechooser/language-name=English countrychooser/shortlist=US localechooser/supported-locales=en_US.UTF-8 boot=casper automatic-ubiquity initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash noprompt noshell ---

The append line is very long so for easy reading, here are all the options I used: 

file=/cdrom/ks.preseed 
auto=true 
priority=critical 
debian-installer/locale=en_US 
keyboard-configuration/layoutcode=us 
ubiquity/reboot=true 
languagechooser/language-name=English 
countrychooser/shortlist=US 
localechooser/supported-locales=en_US.UTF-8 
boot=casper 
automatic-ubiquity 
initrd=/casper/initrd.lz 
quiet 
splash 
noprompt 
noshell

I found that all these boot parameters were needed to get a completely unattended install. For Ubuntu Server, it may be different.

Step 4

I tried using and creating many preseed files, but I found the more complex, the more chance for errors. This is currently my simple preseed file that works with the above isolinux.cfg file. 

### Partitioning
d-i partman-auto/disk string /dev/sda
d-i partman-auto/method string regular
d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm boolean true
d-i partman-md/device_remove_md boolean true
d-i partman-auto/choose_recipe select atomic

# This makes partman automatically partition without confirmation
d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
d-i partman/choose_partition select finish
d-i partman/confirm boolean true
d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true

# Locale
d-i debian-installer/locale string en_US
d-i console-setup/ask_detect boolean false
d-i console-setup/layoutcode string us

# Network
d-i netcfg/get_hostname string unassigned-hostname
d-i netcfg/get_domain string unassigned-domain
d-i netcfg/choose_interface select auto

# Clock
d-i clock-setup/utc-auto boolean true
d-i clock-setup/utc boolean true
d-i time/zone string US/Pacific
d-i clock-setup/ntp boolean true

# Packages, Mirrors, Image
d-i base-installer/kernel/override-image string linux-server
d-i base-installer/kernel/override-image string linux-image-amd64
d-i mirror/country string US
d-i mirror/http/proxy string
d-i apt-setup/restricted boolean true
d-i apt-setup/universe boolean true
d-i pkgsel/install-language-support boolean false
tasksel tasksel/first multiselect ubuntu-desktop

# Users
d-i passwd/user-fullname string Liason
d-i passwd/username string liason
d-i passwd/user-password-crypted password [crpyt 3]
d-i passwd/root-login boolean true
d-i passwd/root-password-crypted password [crypt 3]
d-i user-setup/allow-password-weak boolean true

# Grub
d-i grub-installer/grub2_instead_of_grub_legacy boolean true
d-i grub-installer/only_debian boolean true
d-i finish-install/reboot_in_progress note

# Custom Commands

I didn't include my encrypted passwords so if you try this preseed file, please change them to an encrypted password. Here is 3 ways to make the password.

Step 5

I created the new ISO from the the /opt/ubuntuiso/ directory. 

mkisofs -D -r -V ATTENDLESS_UBUNTU -cache-inodes -J -l -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -o /opt/autoinstall.iso /opt/ubuntuiso

Step 6

I finally tested it with Virtualbox and it created a completely unattended install.

Script on Ubuntu 18

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/42145522/debconf-get-selections-installer-output-empty

mail script: 

$ cat mail
set -x
# x=mail; cd /var/tmp; wget http://gw/ks/post/ub/$x -O $x; sh ./$x
#
# ref: http://blog.delgurth.com/2009/01/19/pre-loading-debconf-values-for-easy-installation/

d=`grep search /etc/resolv.conf | sed 's/search //'`
hostname=`hostname`
fqdn=$hostname.$d

cat<<EOF | debconf-set-selections
postfix postfix/main_mailer_type        select  Internet with smarthost
postfix postfix/recipient_delim string  +
postfix postfix/mailname        string  $fqdn
postfix postfix/chattr  boolean false
postfix postfix/destinations    string  $fqdn, \$myhostname, $hostname, localhost.localdomain, localhost
postfix postfix/relayhost       string  mailhost.foobar.com
postfix postfix/procmail        boolean true
postfix postfix/compat_conversion_warning       boolean true
postfix postfix/mynetworks      string  127.0.0.0/8 [::ffff:127.0.0.0]/104 [::1]/128
postfix postfix/mailbox_limit   string  0
postfix postfix/rfc1035_violation       boolean false
postfix postfix/protocols       select  all
postfix postfix/main_cf_conversion_warning      boolean true
postfix postfix/root_address    string
EOF

debconf-get-selections | grep postfix

apt-get -qq -y install postfix

here is the %post section of the kickstart with that mail script: 

%post --interpreter=/bin/bash

exec > /root/post.log 2>&1
set -x
scripts="
autofs
rootssh
users
sudo
mail
"
for x in $scripts; do
wget http://gw/ks/post/ub/$x -O $x; sh ./$x
done

Ubuntu 16.04.6 Preseed

See Linux/Ubuntu/Automated Installation/Ubuntu 16.04.6

Ubuntu 18.04.1 Preseed

See Linux/Ubuntu/Automated Installation/Ubuntu 18.04.1

Ubuntu 18.04.2 Preseed

See Linux/Ubuntu/Automated Installation/Ubuntu 18.04.2

Ubuntu 18.10 Preseed

See Linux/Ubuntu/Automated Installation/Ubuntu 18.10

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