I have tried to install lubuntu 12.10 on an Acer Aspire One D257 netbook via CD, and I liked the result. Since I have a few of such netbooks, so I created a preseed file to automate the installation. The installation server that I use is cobbler 2.4.0 running also on a netbook which runs Scientific Linux 6.3.


The following are relevant d-i lines in my preseed file:


# Setup the installation source
d-i mirror/country string manual
d-i mirror/http/hostname string $http_server:$http_port
d-i mirror/http/directory string $install_source_directory
d-i mirror/http/proxy string
# Components to use for loading installer components (optional).
d-i mirror/udeb/components multiselect main, restricted
[...]
# You can choose to install restricted and universe software, or to install
# software from the backports repository.
d-i apt-setup/restricted boolean true
d-i apt-setup/universe boolean true
d-i apt-setup/backports boolean true
[...]
# Select which update services to use; define the mirrors to be used.
# Values shown below are the normal defaults.
d-i apt-setup/services-select multiselect security
d-i apt-setup/security_host string security.ubuntu.com
d-i apt-setup/security_path string /ubuntu


The first time, I tried to PXE boot the test netbook, it came up with just a text login window. No graphical UI. So, I added in the following lines:


d-i pkgsel/include string openssh-server \
lubuntu-artwork \
lubuntu-artwork-12-10 \
lubuntu-default-settings \
lubuntu-icon-theme \
lubuntu-lxpanel-icons \
lxmenu-data lxpanel \
lxsession \
lxsession-data
d-i pkgsel/language-pack-patterns string


into the preseed file, but now the debian-installer complains (Alt-F4):


[...] in-target: Package lubuntu-default-settings is not available, but is referred to by another package.
[...] in-target: This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsolted, or
[...] in-target: is only available from another source
[...] in-target:
[...] in-target: E
[...] in-target: unable to locate package lubuntu-artwork
[...] in-target: E: Unable to locate package lubuntu-artwork-12-10
[...] in-target: E: Package 'lubuntu-default-settings' has no installation candidate
[...] in-target: E: Unable to locate package lubuntu-icon-theme
[...] in-target: E: Unable to locate package lubuntu-lxpanel-icons
[...] in-target: E: Unable to locate package lxmenu-data
[...] in-target: E: Unable to locate package lxpanel
[...] in-target: E: Unable to locate package lxsession
[...] in-target: E: Unable to locate package lxsession-data
[...] main-menu[417]: WARNING **: Configurating 'pkgsel' failed with error code 100
[...] main-menu[417]: WARNING **: Menu item 'pkgsel' failed.


But, when I double checked the loop mounted lubuntu-12.10-alternate-amd64.iso, all of them are available!

[root@cobbler l]# pwd
/mnt/pool/universe/l
[root@cobbler l]# ls
lame lubuntu-artwork lxinput lxsession
ldm-ubuntu-themes lubuntu-default-settings lxkeymap lxshortcut
leafpad lubuntu-meta lxlauncher lxtask
lightdm-gtk-greeter lubuntu-software-center lxmenu-data lxterminal
linux-wlan-ng lxappearance lxpanel
loudmouth lxappearance-obconf lxrandr


I also enabled the universe in my preseed, IMHO. So, why the debian-installer was complaining? Is there a way that I can trigger the installation of the lubuntu desktop?

Regards,

-- Zack