How to setup a net console preseed file?

[dmadon]

Hi there,

I am trying to setup a preseed file to automatically boot and install Ubuntu server using the net console mode on a box without screen and keyboard. I have found an outdated documentation (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/NetworkConsole) that doesn't work with the 11.10 release. I have tried adding a few more variables to my custom preseed file (grabbed from a debconf-get-selections) but I always get stuck with the "[!!] Select a Language" window.

Does anyone know what is the variable I need to set in my preseed file to pass this step?


Many thanks,
Dominik

[Ranseyer]

Hi,

i have a problem like you. I dont wanna see any questions. (My Goal: Remastered Alternate-DVD)

I'm using this config and the installer asks only for "keyboard" and "keyboard" variant. So this preseed works for the language questions.



label install
menu label ^xxx Installation
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append noprompt cdrom-detect/try-usb=true file=/cdrom/preseed/easyvdr.seed locale=de_DE console-setup/ask_detect=false console-setup/layoutcode=de localechooser/translation/warn-light=true localechooser/translation/warn-severe=true initrd=/install/initrd.gz quiet --
Im shure the are a lot of wrong entries:

#d-i keyboard-configuration/layout select Deutsch
#d-i keyboard-configuration/variant select Deutsch
#d-i keyboard-configuration/unsupported_options boolean true
#d-i keyboard-configuration/toggle select No toggling
#d-i keyboard-configuration/layoutcode string de
#d-i keyboard-configuration/ctrl_alt_bksp boolean false
#d-i keyboard-configuration/unsupported_config_layout boolean true
#d-i keyboard-configuration/compose select No compose key
#d-i keyboard-configuration/switch select No temporary switch
#d-i keyboard-configuration/modelcode string pc105
#d-i keyboard-configuration/altgr select The default for the keyboard layout
#d-i keyboard-configuration/unsupported_layout boolean true


# Keyboard selection.
# Disable automatic (interactive) keymap detection.
d-i console-setup/ask_detect boolean false
d-i keyboard-configuration/modelcode string pc105
d-i keyboard-configuration/layoutcode string de
# To select a variant of the selected layout (if you leave this out, the
# basic form of the layout will be used):
#d-i keyboard-configuration/variantcode string dvorak

console-setup console-setup/layoutcode select de
console-setup console-setup/modelcode select pc105
console-setup console-setup/layout select Germany
console-setup console-setup/variant select Germany


Do you have automated the keyboard questions ?

[dmadon]

Thanks Ranseyer! I have just passed the language question.

Now I have to solve the keyboard problem :(.

[dmadon]

Finally, I got my setup that goes straight to the ssh connection to finish the installation (I want to install a network box without keyboard nor screen). Here is the command I used:


[...]
default netconsole
label netconsole
menu label ^Install Ubuntu Server through SSH
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append noprompt initrd=/install/initrd.gz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-netconsole.seed netcfg/get_hostname=NEWMACHINE locale=fr_CH console-setup/ask_detect=false console-setup/layoutcode=us console-setup/modelcode=SKIP translation/warn-light=true localechooser/translation/warn-severe=true keyboard-configuration/modelcode=SKIP keyboard-configuration/layout="English (US)" keyboard-configuration/variant="English (US)" debian/priority=critical quit --
[...]

[Ranseyer]

keyboard-configuration/modelcode=SKIP keyboard-configuration/layout="English (US)" keyboard-configuration/variant="English (US)"


Thanks. This worked for me.