Automated Installation Snag

[msp3k]

Hi guys,

I'm trying to modify an Ubuntu install CD for a (nearly) hands-off installation experience. I have almost everything working the way that I want except for one thing: Choosing the keyboard.

1) I can boot the CD

2) I am asked, via what looks like a grey GUI menu, which language I want.

Problem #1: I don't know how to bypass this and force the menu to accept "English".

3) I have added my own label to isolinux/txt.cfg for my installation, and it shows up on the install CD menu: "Install NIMBioS Enterprise"; and it's highlighted by default.

4) I press RETURN to begin the installation.

Problem #2: For some reason, the installer displays the "Ubuntu installer main menu", with "Configure the keyboard" highlighted. During a regular, unmodified installation the installer automatically goes into the "Configure the Keyboard" without me having to select it from this menu. I'm not sure why this is the case.

5) I press RETURN to select "Configure the keyboard"

Problem #3: I am then asked, "Country of origin for the keyboard". No matter what I try as a preseed argument in txt.cfg, I can't make this go away.

6) Press RETURN to accept "USA", and everything else goes on automatic.

Here is the contents of my isolinux/txt.cfg file:



default nimbios
label nimbios
menu label ^Install NIMBioS Enterprise
kernel /install/vmlinuz
# append debian-installer/locale=en_US console-setup/layoutcode=us localechooser/translation/warn-light=true localechooser/translation/warn-severe=true file=/cdrom/nimbios/preseed.cfg vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz noapic nolapic acpi=off reboot=pci --
# append file=/cdrom/nimbios/preseed.cfg vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz noapic nolapic acpi=off reboot=pci --
append debian-installer/locale=en_US.UTF-8 console-setup/layoutcode=en debian-installer/country=US keyboard-configuration/model=USA keyboard-configuration/variant=USA file=/cdrom/nimbios/preseed.cfg vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz noapic nolapic acpi=off reboot=pci --
# append debian-installer/locale=en_US.UTF-8 console-setup/layoutcode=us file=/cdrom/nimbios/preseed.cfg vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz noapic nolapic acpi=off reboot=pci --
label install
menu label ^Install Ubuntu Server
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz quiet --
label cloud
menu label Install Ubuntu ^Enterprise Cloud
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append file=/cdrom/preseed/cloud.seed vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz quiet --
label check
menu label ^Check disc for defects
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append MENU=/bin/cdrom-checker-menu vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz quiet --
label memtest
menu label Test ^memory
kernel /install/mt86plus
label hd
menu label ^Boot from first hard disk
localboot 0x80


Note the appearance of multiple "append" lines, commented out. These are all separate attempts at automation. The one line that is uncommented is the closest that I have been able to get to total automation, and it yields the aforementioned behavior.

I have tried following the directions from here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallCDCustomization
Which says:


For totally automatic installation with a predefined language (in this example, Estonian), you need to add some more parameters:


LABEL firewall
menu label ^Firewall installation (Estonian)
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append file=/cdrom/preseed/firewall.seed debian-installer/locale=et_EE console-setup/layoutcode=et localechooser/translation/warn-light=true localechooser/translation/warn-severe=true initrd=/install/initrd.gz ramdisk_size=16384 root=/dev/ram rw quiet
--

You will see one of the above commented "append" lines follows this example. However, this doesn't seem to work.

Anyone have a clue?

[vener]

I am having the same problem, using 10.10 alternate i386 ISO

[Dwaalspoor98]

Those options should work for 11.04 ;)

quiet preseed/url=http://foo.com/seedfile hostname=seed001 domain=bla.local locale=en_US.UTF-8 text interface=eth0 keyboard-configuration/layout=USA keyboard-configuration/variant=USA console-setup/ask_detect=false

Those options should work for 10.10 ;) :)

quiet preseed/url=http://foo.com hostname=seed002 domain=bla.local locale=en_US.UTF-8 text interface=eth0 console-setup/ask_detect=false countrychooser/shortlist=NL console-setup/layoutcode=us console-setup/charmap=UTF-8

[nutnut]

After hours on this and reading the few documents google turned up, I think it must broken.
With Natty 11.04, I have tried:
append keyboard-configuration/layout=USA keyboard-configuration/variant=USA console-setup/ask_detect=false

Also tried:
console-setup/layoutcode=ch country=CH

debug debug-ubiquity console-setup/layoutcode=pc105 console-setup/variantcode= console-setup/modelcode=skip

localechooser/translation/warn-light=true localechooser/translation/warn-severe=true

Is there a way for the boot phase to be verbose and explain what options it sees, which ones it accepts/ignores?

With just the following, the first and only prompt is for the keyboard:
append url=http://myserver/cdimage/preseed/sda-natty-11.04.seed locale=en_US console-setup/layoutcode=ch interface=auto netcfg/get_hostname=UBUNTU initrd=initrd.gz --

Well until its asks something about a citadel server. No examples in
https://help.ubuntu.com/11.04/installation-guide/hppa/preseed-using.html
for that though.


Some resources for reading..
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/MinimalCD
https://help.ubuntu.com/11.04/installation-guide/i386/appendix-preseed.html
https://help.ubuntu.com/11.04/installation-guide/i386/preseed-contents.html
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/NetworkConsole
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InstallCDCustomization