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Bug#277356: base-config: apt-setup loops in the mirror_dir function



> mirror_dir is only run if you do manual mirror entry. I assume that
> you've somehow gotten base-config to loop through manual mirror entry
> repeatedly with your preseeding. Are you sure you were not using
> critical priority?


I reproduce this problem in the following conditions:

-sid_d-i netinst image 20041019
-boot= linux http://192.168.7.1/~bubulle/preseed/unstable.cfg
 (file attached)
-language: Arabic
-country: Egypt (default)
-keyboard: French (the one with a parenthese in the first screen)
-network: DHCP from the vmware host

When coming at apt-setup, it cycles with "Unable to fetch...."
screens. At the time this happens, I'm out of network connection, so
this is not surprising, but there is no way to get out of this loop.

After one of the screens appear (there are two of them), a message
briefly shows up at the bottom of the screen. See snapshot.

I keep this system snapshot in VmWare so that further investigation is
possible on 2nd console.



#### Modifying syslinux.cfg.

# Edit the syslinux.cfg (or similar) file, and add parameters to the end
# of the append line(s) for the kernel.
#
# You'll at least want to add a parameter telling the installer where to
# get its preseed file from.
# If you're installing from USB media, use this, and put the preseed file
# in the toplevel directory of the USB stick.
#   preseed/file=/hd-media/preseed
# If you're netbooting, use this instead:
#   preseed/url=http://host/path/to/preseed
# If you're remastering a CD, you could use this:
#   preseed/file=/cdrom/preseed
# Be sure to copy this file to the location you specify.
# 
# While you're at it, you may want to throw a debconf/priority=critical in
# there, to avoid most questions even if the preseeding below misses some.
# And you might set the timeout to 1 in syslinux.cfg to avoid needing to hit
# enter to boot the installer.
#
# Language, country, and keyboard selection cannot be preseeded from a file,
# because the questions are asked before the preseed file can be loaded.
# Instead, to avoid these questions, pass some more parameters to the kernel:
#
#    languagechooser/language-name=English
#    countrychooser/shortlist=US
#    console-keymaps-at/keymap=us

#### Shell commands.

# d-i preseeding is inherently not secure. Nothing in the installer checks
# for attempts at buffer overflows or other exploits of the values of a
# preseed file like this one. Only use preseed files from trusted
# locations! To drive that home, and because it's generally useful, here's
# a way to run any shell command you'd like inside the installer,
# automatically.

# This first command is run as early as possible, just after
# preseeding is read.
#d-i    preseed/early_command           string wget http://url/to/my.udeb -O /tmp/my.udeb ; udpkg -i /tmp/my.udeb
# This command is run just before the install finishes, but when there is
# still a usable /target directory.
#d-i    preseed/late_command            string for deb in /hd-media/*.deb; do cp $deb /target/tmp; chroot /target dpkg -i /tmp/$(basename $deb); done
# This command is run just as base-config is starting up.
#base-config    base-config/early_command       string echo hi mom
# This command is run after base-config is done, just before the login:
# prompt. This is a good way to install a set of packages you want, or to
# tweak the configuration of the system.
#base-config    base-config/late_command        string apt-get install zsh; chsh -s /bin/zsh

#### Network configuration.

# Of course, this won't work if you're loading your preseed file from the
# network! But it's great if you're booting from CD or USB stick. You can
# also pass network config parameters in on the kernel params if you are
# loading preseed files from the network.

# netcfg will choose an interface that has link if possible. This makes it
# skip displaying a list if there is more than one interface.
d-i     netcfg/choose_interface select auto

# If you prefer to configure the network manually, here's how:
#d-i    netcfg/disable_dhcp     boolean true
#d-i    netcfg/get_nameservers  string 192.168.1.1
#d-i    netcfg/get_ipaddress    string 192.168.1.42
#d-i    netcfg/get_netmask      string 255.255.255.0
#d-i    netcfg/get_gateway      string 192.168.1.1
#d-i    netcfg/confirm_static   boolean true

# Note that any hostname and domain names assigned from dhcp take
# precidence over values set here. However, setting the values still
# prevents the questions from being shown even if values come from dhcp.
d-i     netcfg/get_hostname     string unassigned-hostname
d-i     netcfg/get_domain       string unassigned-domain

# Disable that annoying WEP key dialog.
d-i     netcfg/wireless_wep     string 
# The wacky dhcp hostname that some ISPs use as a password of sorts.
#d-i    netcfg/dhcp_hostname    string radish

#### Mirror settings.

d-i     mirror/country          string enter information manually
d-i     mirror/http/hostname    string ftp.fr.debian.org
d-i     mirror/http/directory   string /debian
d-i     mirror/suite            string unstable
d-i     mirror/http/proxy       string 

### Partitioning.

# If the system has free space you can choose to only partition that space.
#d-i    partman-auto/init_automatically_partition       select Use the largest continuous free space
# Alternatively, you can specify a disk to partition. The device name can
# be given in either devfs or traditional non-devfs format.
# For example, to use the first disk devfs knows of:
d-i     partman-auto/disk       string /dev/discs/disc0/disc

# You can choose from any of the predefined partitioning recipes:
d-i     partman-auto/choose_recipe      select All files in one partition (recommended for new users)
#d-i    partman-auto/choose_recipe      select Desktop machine
#d-i    partman-auto/choose_recipe      select Multi-user workstation
# Or provide a recipe of your own...
# The recipe format is documented in the file devel/partman-auto-recipe.txt.
# If you have a way to get a recipe file into the d-i environment, you can
# just point at it.
#d-i    partman-auto/expert_recipe_file string /hd-media/recipe
# If not, you can put an entire recipe in one line. This example creates
# a small /boot partition, suitable swap, and uses the rest of the space
# for the root partition:
#d-i    partman-auto/expert_recipe      string boot-root :: 20 50 100 ext3 $primary{ } $bootable{ } method{ format } format{ } use_filesystem{ } filesystem{ ext3 } mountpoint{ /boot } .  500 10000 1000000000 ext3 method{ format } format{ } use_filesystem{ } filesystem{ ext3 } mountpoint{ / } .  64 512 300% linux-swap method{ swap } format{ } . 
# For reference, here is that same recipe in a more readable form:
#       boot-root ::
#       40 50 100 ext3
#               $primary{ } $bootable{ }
#               method{ format } format{ }
#               use_filesystem{ } filesystem{ ext3 }
#               mountpoint{ /boot }
#       .
#       500 10000 1000000000 ext3
#               method{ format } format{ }
#               use_filesystem{ } filesystem{ ext3 }
#               mountpoint{ / }
#       .
#       64 512 300% linux-swap
#               method{ swap } format{ }
#       .

# This makes partman automatically partition without confirmation.
d-i     partman/choose_partition        select Finish partitioning and write changes to disk
d-i     partman/confirm                 boolean true

#### Boot loader installation.

# Grub is the default boot loader (for x86). If you want lilo installed
# instead, uncomment this:
#d-i    grub-installer/skip             boolean true

# This is fairly safe to set, it makes grub install automatically to the MBR
# if no other operating system is detected on the machine.
d-i     grub-installer/only_debian      boolean true
# This one makes grub-installer install to the MBR if if finds some other OS
# too, which is less safe as it might not be able to boot that other OS.
d-i     grub-installer/with_other_os    boolean true
# Alternatively, if you want to install to a location other than the mbr,
# uncomment and edit these lines:
#d-i    grub-installer/bootdev          string (hd0,0)
#d-i    grub-installer/only-debian      boolean false
#d-i    grub-installer/with_other_os    boolean false

##### Finishing up the first stage install.

# Avoid that last message about the install being complete.
d-i     prebaseconfig/reboot_in_progress        note 


##### Preseeding base-config.
# XXX: Note that most of this will not work right until base-config 2.40.4
# is available.

# Avoid the intorductory message.
base-config     base-config/intro       note 

# Avoid the final message.
base-config     base-config/login       note 

# If you installed a display manager, but don't want to start it immediately
# after base-config finishes.
#base-config    base-config/start-display-manager       boolean false

###### Time zone setup.

# Controls whether or not the hardware clock is set to GMT.
base-config     tzconfig/gmt            boolean true

# If you told the installer that you're in the United States, then you
# can set the time zone using this variable.
# (Choices are: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii,
# Aleutian, Arizona East-Indiana, Indiana-Starke, Michigan, Samoa, other)
base-config     tzconfig/choose_country_zone/US select Eastern
# If you told it you're in Canada.
# (Choices are: Newfoundland, Atlantic, Eastern, Central,
# East-Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Mountain, Pacific, Yukon, other)
base-config     tzconfig/choose_country_zone/CA select Eastern
# If you told it you're in Brazil. (Choices are: East, West, Acre,
# DeNoronha, other)
base-config     tzconfig/choose_country_zone/BR select East
# Many countries have only one time zone. If you told the installer you're
# in one of those countries, you can choose its standard time zone via this
# question.
base-config     tzconfig/choose_country_zone_single boolean true
# This question is asked as a fallback for countries other than those
# listed above, which have more than one time zone. You can preseed one of
# the time zones, or "other".
#base-config    tzconfig/choose_country_zone_multiple select 

###### Account setup.

# To preseed the root password, you have to put it in the clear in this
# file. That is not a very good idea, use caution!
# (XXX: In fact, this won't work, because passwd clears the settings
# before asking for a root password. This may not be fixed before the sarge
# release, if it's fixed at all.)
passwd         passwd/root-password            password costa6203
passwd         passwd/root-password-again      password costa6203

# If you want to skip creation of a normal user account.
#passwd         passwd/make-user                boolean false
# Alternatively, you can preseed the user's name. Note that the username
# will be derived from this; it cannot be overridden currently. The
# username will be the (lowercase) first name of the full name.
passwd         passwd/user-fullname            string Christian Perrier
passwd         passwd/username                 string bubulle
# And their password, but use caution!
passwd         passwd/user-password            password pic889
passwd         passwd/user-password-again      password pic889

###### Apt setup.

# This question controls what source the second stage installation uses
# for packages. Choices are cdrom, http, ftp, filesystem, edit sources list
# by hand
base-config     apt-setup/uri_type      select http

# If you choose ftp or http, you'll be asked for a country and a mirror.
base-config     apt-setup/country       select enter information manually
base-config     apt-setup/hostname      string http.us.debian.org
base-config     apt-setup/directory     string /debian
# Stop after choosing one mirror.
base-config     apt-setup/another       boolean false

# You can choose to install non-free and contrib software.
#base-config    apt-setup/non-free      boolean true
#base-config    apt-setup/contrib       boolean true

# Do enable security updates.
base-config     apt-setup/security-updates      boolean true

###### Package selection.

# You can choose to install any combination of tasks that are available.
# Available tasks as of this writing include: Desktop environment,
# Web server, Print server, DNS server, File server, Mail server, 
# SQL database, manual package selection. The last of those will run
# aptitude. You can also choose to install no tasks, and force the
# installation of a set of packages in some other way.
# XXX: this will not work until tasksel 2.12 is available
tasksel         tasksel/first   multiselect Desktop environment
#tasksel        tasksel/first   multiselect Web server, Mail server, DNS server

###### Mailer configuration.

# During a normal install, exim asks only two questions. Here's how to
# avoid even those. More complicated preseeding is possible.
exim4-config    exim4/dc_eximconfig_configtype  select no configuration at this time
# It's a good idea to set this to whatever user account you choose to
# create. Leaving the value blank results in postmaster mail going to
# /var/mail/mail.
exim4-config    exim4/dc_postmaster             string 

###### X Configuration.

# Preseeding Debian's X config is possible, but you probably need to know
# some details about the video hardware of the machine, since Debian's X
# configurator does not do fully automatic configuration of everything.

# X can detect the right driver for some cards, but if you're preseeding,
# you override whatever it chooses. Still, vesa will work most places.
#xserver-xfree86        xserver-xfree86/config/device/driver    select vesa

# A caveat with mouse autodetection is that if it fails, X will retry it
# over and over. So if it's preseeded to be done, there is a possibility of
# an infinite loop if the mouse is not autodetected.
#xserver-xfree86        xserver-xfree86/autodetect_mouse        boolean true

# Monitor autodetection is recommended.
xserver-xfree86         xserver-xfree86/autodetect_monitor      boolean true
# Uncomment if you have a LCD display.
#xserver-xfree86        xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/lcd      boolean true
# X has three configuration paths for the monitor. Here's how to preseed
# the "medium" path, which is always available. The "simple" path may not
# be available, and the "advanced" path asks too many questions.
xserver-xfree86 xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/selection-method select medium
xserver-xfree86 xserver-xfree86/config/monitor/mode-list        select 1024x768 @ 60 Hz

###### Everything else.

# Depending on what software you choose to install, or if things go wrong
# during the installation process, it's possible that other questions may
# be asked. You can preseed those too, of course. To get a list of every
# possible question that could be asked during an install, do an
# installation, and then run these commands:
#   debconf-get-selections --installer > file
#   debconf-get-selections >> file

# If you like, you can include other preseed files into this one.
# Any settings in those files will override pre-existing settings from this
# file. More that one file can be listed, separated by spaces; all will be
# loaded. The included files can have preseed/include directives of their
# own as well. Note that if the filenames are relative, they are taken from
# the same directory as the preseed file that includes them.
#d-i    preseed/include string x.cfg
# More flexably, this runs a shell command and if it outputs the names of
# preseed files, includes those files. For example, to switch configs based
# on a particular usb storage device (in this case, a built-in card reader):
#d-i    preseed/include_command string if $(grep -q "GUID: 0aec3050aec305000001a003"  /proc/scsi/usb-storage-*/*); then echo kraken.cfg; else echo otherusb.cfg; fi

Attachment: apt-setup-loop.png
Description: PNG image


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