Re: Need detialed info on preseeding

[Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net>]

Richard Owlett wrote:
> Bob Proulx wrote:
> > Richard Owlett wrote:
> > > Salvatore Bonaccorso wrote:
> > > > Does this helps?
> > >
> > > No :(
> > > Those only tell me the commands exist.
> > > I need to know what constraints exist for using them.
> >
> > On the topic of pkgsel/include:
> >
> > Here is an example from my preseed configuration:
> >
> >    d-i pkgsel/include string dnsutils less nvi
> > openssh-server postfix rsync sudo
> >
> > All of those packages will be installed.  Any dependencies
> > that they
> > declare will be installed.  The effect will be very
> > similar to running
> > this command:
> >
> >    # apt-get install -y dnsutils less nvi openssh-server
> > postfix rsync sudo
>
> Similar as a "a Cadillac is similar to a Pinto" ;/
> I was looking for something similar to a manpage.
> http://manpages.debian.net did not have an entry for
> "pkgsel/include" nor "preseed/late_command".
>
> > What are you trying to accomplish and what problems are
> > you having?
>
> The same as I had when using  "apt-get" but moved into
> preseed phase rather than after reboot following install.
> I blindly followed your example and used
>   d-i pkgsel/include string gnome-session gdm3 gedit
> gnome-terminal gparted
> It booted to the desired configuration. BUT with a new [and
> I hope unrelated glitch],

It was unrelated. In editing  my preseed.cfg the line "d-i 
partman-auto/init_automatically_partition select 
biggest_free" should have been commented out. It wasn't. :{


> I get a screen asking where to
> install grub. Things got hectic around here and I haven't
> had a chance to do even preliminary troubleshooting.
>
> [ not snipping rest of Bob's post to maintain context]
>
> > > In another thread ["apt-get BUG"  OR  "OPERATOR Error"?
> > > [🔎] 50BEBE94.3080209@cloud85.net">http://lists.debian.org/[🔎] 50BEBE94.3080209@cloud85.net] I
> > > described my
> > > problems using apt-get.  Andrei Popescu identified the
> > > problem how
> > > dependencies were resolved
> > > [[🔎] 50C1E3F5.6070703@cloud85.net">http://lists.debian.org/[🔎] 50C1E3F5.6070703@cloud85.net]
> >
> > That was good debugging on Andrei's part.  :-)
> >
> > > I'm running into apparently the same problem when trying
> > > to do it
> > > with preseeding.
> >
> > It will behave exactly the same when preseeded as when
> > done from the
> > command line.  Same thing.  No difference.  If you have
> > figured it out
> > on the command line then it should be the same in the
> > preseed file.
> >
> > The previous problem you reported was:
> >
> >    apt-get install gdm  # installs gnome-session
> >    apt-get install gdm gnome-terminal  # does not install
> > gnome-session
> >
> > Was identified by Andrei as:
> > Andrei wrote:
> > |Depends:
> > |  ...
> > |  gnome-session | x-session-manager | x-window-manager |
> > x-terminal-emulator,
> > |  ...
> > |
> > | If you install both gdm and gnome-terminal in the same
> > run apt will
> > | correctly consider this dependency satisfied (since
> > gnome-terminal
> > | Provides: x-terminal-emulator), otherwise it will chose
> > the first
> > | alternative, which is gnome-session (which then pulls an
> > entire Gnome
> > | session via Depends and Recommends)
> >
> > And you didn't say what you did then but I assumed you
> > would add
> > gnome-session to the list.
> >
> >    # apt-get install gdm gnome-terminal gnome-session
> >
> > And then with that the problem would be solved because it
> > would
> > explicitly include gnome-session which was implicitly
> > added before and
> > then wasn't needed as described above.  And if so then the
> > same thing
> > in the preseed file.  Add gnome-session to the list.
> >
> >    d-i pkgsel/include string gdm gnome-terminal gnome-session
> >
> > If that makes sense then great!  If not please clarify.
> >
> > On the topic of preseed/late_command:
> >
> > I have this for example:
> >
> >    d-i preseed/late_command string wget
> > -O/target/var/tmp/bootstrap
> > http://despair/medley/medley-bootstrap; in-target sh
> > /var/tmp/bootstrap
> >
> > There are many different ways to do this.  I wanted to
> > keep a copy
> > after the install but not permanently.  So I dropped the
> > copy into
> > /var/tmp where it would survive a reboot.  /tmp is purged
> > on reboot.
> > (My systems have a real filesystem, not tmpfs, for
> > /var/tmp.)  Then
> > since wget won't leave it executable I run sh on it since
> > it is a
> > "#!/bin/sh" script.  At that point the script can do
> > almost anything.
> > It can 'apt-get install ...' additional packages.
> >
> > Note however that the installer will think it is 27% of
> > the way
> > through when running the late_command.  So there is still a
> > significant amount more to go.  If you spend an hour doing
> > things in
> > that script then it will be at 27% for an hour.  Any
> > output it
> > generates will be on vt4 (available with Alt-F4) and you
> > can view it
> > in progress.  I personally try to keep that relatively
> > short.  Since I
> > want to do a lot there I install a one time running boot
> > time script
> > to install a lot more.  That runs after the reboot and the
> > output is
> > on the default console and visible without switching VTs.
> >
> > > I asked this time in general terms because I have ideas
> > > of other
> > > things I may wish to preseed so I was looking for a broad
> > > answer.
> >
> > Did the above answer your question?  If not then please
> > keep asking
> > questions.
> >
> > Bob