Re: preseeding choice of init system? - followup info

[Miles Fidelman <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net>]

Since I asked the question, I figure I should follow up with what I 
found out....

Cyril Brulebois wrote:
> Miles Fidelman <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net> (2014-10-16):
> > 1. Where in the installer code does the init system get installed
> > into the target build?
> >
> > As far as I can tell, from somewhat out-of-date documentation
> > (http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/doc/internals/ - last updated 2010):
> >
> >   - the installer runs the base-installer package, which uses
> > debootstrap, to install the base system - including the init system
> > - before the tasksel phase, or installation of additional packages.
> >
> > - In turn, this process uses the hard-coded package priorities, in
> > the repository, to determine which init system to install (which,
> > for jessie, are set to favor systemd)
> >
> > Is this correct?  If not, where does the init system get selected
> > and installed?
> Yes.
>
> > 2.  Assuming the above is correct, is there any way to preseed an
> > alternate choice?
> >
> > - so far, I haven't been able to find any such command that could be
> > put into a preseed file
> Not sure pkgsel/include will help since some packages will need a
> removal.
>
> preseed/late_command is a generic thing that should work.
>
> KiBi.

Received this info from another source:
- looks like it's debootstrap that installs the init system
- it might be possible to preseed things with a combination of:

base-installer/includes
and/or
base-installer/excludes

So, in theory, it looks like there IS a way to preseed things during the 
early install process - but....

- bug #668001 in debootstrap (open since 2012) seems to get in the way

Miles Fidelman







--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.   .... Yogi Berra