Geert Stappers wrote:
On Tue, Feb 24, 2004 at 09:38:43PM -0500, Joey Hess wrote:Erik Dykema wrote:Hi-Thanks for the links to the other automatic installation packages. Looking at what they do, they confirm that what I think I want to do is use the actual debian-installer, as suggested where you wrote:1) Manual install. 2) Save the answers from the debconf database into a file. 3) Put the file in a preseeding udeb. Can anyone expand on points two and three?The debconf database is in /var/log/debian-installer/cdebconf on the installed system.Updated in the doc/manual/en/install-methods/automatic-install.xmlor what/where the debconf database is, or once I have them what format to put them into in the 'file', and once I have that file how to make it into a 'preseeding udeb'. I taught myself the bare minimums of making regular deb's last week, is it a similar process?I guess you could put the files into a deb, moved to /var/lib/cdebconf, and then you'd have to work out how to make d-i load this deb. It might be better though to have the preseeding deb get the files from the network, then you'd not need to change the installation media, assuming the preseeder was on the default media.
Regarding working out how to make d-i load the deb, there are at least two ways that other distro's do this:
1) Have the installer look in a pre-designated filesystem place for the pre-seed file (I.e. '/di/tools/preseeder/preseed.deb' below). This would be useful for automated CD-ROM installs, grab the ISO, stick in your preseed file, re-burn it, and go. 2) Pass the installer an http / ftp / nfs url at boot time (APPEND preseed=http://192.168.1.1/preseed.deb). This would be useful for cluster / multiple machine installations particularly in combination with syslinux / pxelinux.
If one or both of these could be implemented in D-I, that would be fantastic.
It is fine that I create a tools/preseeder directory?
>
Next step will be discussing the functionality of that udeb. (should it be code or only data)
Regarding code or only data, I think that there are two paths to take. Data only would be limited to doing the things that D-I already knows how to do. However, it seems like it would be fairly simple to do this preseeding thing. Putting code into the mix enables more functionality, however this would increase the complexity of the task involved in making it work, and would also dramatically overlap with a number of other projects, including FAI and cfengine.
If: d-i can install the cfengine clients, and d-i can configure them to connect to the proper cfengine 'server'Then it's not necessary to include the code stuff in the preseeder udebs, because that functionality (scripting & etc.) is totally handled by cfengine.
Erik