XUbuntu 22.04 Unattended install help

[AndyCot]

Has anyone successfully done an unattended install of Xubuntu or Ubuntu 22.04?

The iso files do not include the isolinux directory and as such does not include the isolinux/isolinux.cfg that VB needs to do the unattended install.

Installing LinuxMint 20.3 has the required files and therefore the unattended install works fine.

[SteveT-CP]

The setup where I have the same issue is:

• - macOS 12.3.1 on Intel MacBook Pro 2018
  - VirtualBox 6.1.34
  - Ubuntu Live Server 20.04 AMD64

Serving up user-data and meta-data with a python server on port 3003, based on this doc: ubuntu server docs install/autoinstall-quickstart

Getting the following error message:

VBoxManage: info: Preparing unattended installation of Ubuntu_64 in machine 'axxxxx' (b7e7ff1a-1f41-4320-8e9f-c84a2cf4d185).
VBoxManage: error: Failed to open '/isolinux/isolinux.cfg' on the ISO '/Users/sxxxxx/dev/vm/iso/ubuntu-22.04-live-server-amd64.iso' (VERR_PATH_NOT_FOUND)
VBoxManage: error: Details: code VBOX_E_FILE_ERROR (0x80bb0004), component UnattendedWrap, interface IUnattended, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "ConstructMedia()" at line 1859 of file VBoxManageMisc.cpp

Anyone has suggestions, solutions?

Thanks in advance!

[AndyCot]

My solution is to use Linux Mint.

[scottgus1]

Maybe the Ubuntu folks forgot to put them in? Perhaps a ping on their forums might get to the bottom of these missing files.

[SteveT-CP]

They didn't forget them. These files are no longer needed, because the server autoinstall is no longer based on the debian-installer (aka d-i), but rather it is based on Subiquity. Therefore, the VBoxManage unattended installer should not be looking for these... I'm afraid that this might require a VBoxManage upgrade or patch to support the new 'cloud-init' and 'curtin' with 'subiquity' based installer, unless someone can come up with a neat workaround.

[SteveT-CP]

From browsing the source code under UnattendedTemplates/ubuntu_preseed.cfg that the template is entirely based on the debian-installer (ubiquity) and seems to have no knowledge of the new installer (subiquity).

See the source code under: /browser/vbox/trunk/src/VBox/Main/UnattendedTemplates/ubuntu_preseed.cfg on VirtualBox dot org.

[scottgus1]

This would be good to post on the Bugtracker.

[Whiskeyjack]

They didn't forget them. These files are no longer needed, because the server autoinstall is no longer based on the debian-installer (aka d-i), but rather it is based on Subiquity. Therefore, the VBoxManage unattended installer should not be looking for these... I'm afraid that this might require a VBoxManage upgrade or patch to support the new 'cloud-init' and 'curtin' with 'subiquity' based installer, unless someone can come up with a neat workaround.

Do you confuse desktop with server ISOs. Looking at ubuntu 22.04 desktop ISO I still see preseed file with d-i commands. That tells me that that ISO still utilizes debian installer. Or they have forgotten to remove the file which is unlikely. 22.04 server ISO does not have that preseed file. I have kicked around to adjust our preseeding code to adapt Ubuntu 21.x and 22.x where they have dropped isolinux. With no success so far. I have to note that this has been very poorly documented. All I could find documentation related to server autoinstall which, again, does not apply to desktop ISOs.

[AndyCot]

Thanks for taking the time to check it out. I checked the preseed file and agree.

The URL's may be helpful:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/1403546 ... br-and-efi
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/hpc/H ... init-2213/
https://www.linuxbabe.com/desktop-linux ... oot-loader

I use Linux for development, but am not a kernel/grub/driver guru.

[Whiskeyjack]

As far as I can see Ubuntu 21.x and 22.x desktop (not server) ISOs still use d-i based installer. The original question was about a desktop ISO. Proposed cloud based autoinstall works for server ISOs (and VirtualBox's unattended install does not support that either). Too bad all these things are poorly documented. It would make our lives much easier if it was the other way.

[SteveT-CP]

They didn't forget them. These files are no longer needed, because the server autoinstall is no longer based on the debian-installer (aka d-i), but rather it is based on Subiquity. Therefore, the VBoxManage unattended installer should not be looking for these... I'm afraid that this might require a VBoxManage upgrade or patch to support the new 'cloud-init' and 'curtin' with 'subiquity' based installer, unless someone can come up with a neat workaround.

Do you confuse desktop with server ISOs. Looking at ubuntu 22.04 desktop ISO I still see preseed file with d-i commands. That tells me that that ISO still utilizes debian installer. Or they have forgotten to remove the file which is unlikely. 22.04 server ISO does not have that preseed file. I have kicked around to adjust our preseeding code to adapt Ubuntu 21.x and 22.x where they have dropped isolinux. With no success so far. I have to note that this has been very poorly documented. All I could find documentation related to server autoinstall which, again, does not apply to desktop ISOs.

All my experiments were with the Ubuntu 22.04 Server installer. Thus the message I posted refers to the server. However, I read somewhere that even the desktop installer is going in this direction, so it is worth adding support asap.

It seemed to me that the problem that the OP reported and the one I reported are related.

[Whiskeyjack]

My frustration is almost entirely directed at Ubuntu people who have caused such a mess. For seemingly random and not properly documented changes.

[SteveT-CP]

Understandably. I would prefer a bit more docs and sample code. I have a handful of 18.04 servers that really need some TLC, but I don't want to do it by hand, so that's how I got into this situation.

BTW: I filed a ticket for this: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/20917

Hopefully the team can get to it...

[Whiskeyjack]

We have added the code path necessary for unattended install from Ubuntu 21+ desktop ISOs. I am afraid that would not be available in 6.1.x branch as the surrounding code is very different between our development and 6.1.x branches. But the next test build from the development branch will have the mentioned fix. Moreover unattended install has been integrated into the new vm wizard in the development branch.

[SteveT-CP]

Awesome news! Thank you. Looking forward to trying it out.