Hi James and Andrew, [...] > Gentlemen, please give me a few days. I still have a couple > of ideas to try out before we give up on Ubuntu 12.10 and later > completely. [...] Will report back to the list. [...] I got some progress in PXE booting Ubuntu 12.10 x86_64, but still having an issue with installing the desktop UI. Once that's resolved, IMHO cobbler 2.4.0's Ubuntu import support from DVD/CD support up to 12.10 can be considered quite good - without needing any Debian/Ubuntu specific additions (e.g. the cobbler-ubuntu-import bash script and other patches). The lubuntu-12.10-alternate-amd64.iso provides netboot {initrd.gz, linux} that work OOTB for PXE booting with the server preseed that I created for Ubuntu 12.04.1 x86_64. But so far, I haven't been able to get the default desktop to install. 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 like the result for server. No graphical UI. So, I added in the following lines to see if I could trigger such an action: 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 I did so because Ubuntu 12.10 and its derivatives such as lubuntu no longer provide the ubunutu-desktop meta package that existed until 12.04.1's main/u/ubuntu-meta But now the debian-installer complains (Alt-F4): Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: Package lubuntu-default-settings is not available, but is referred to by another package. Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsolted, or Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: is only available from another source Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: E Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: unable to locate package lubuntu-artwork Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: E: Unable to locate package lubuntu-artwork-12-10 Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: E: Package 'lubuntu-default-settings' has no installation candidate Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: E: Unable to locate package lubuntu-icon-theme Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: E: Unable to locate package lubuntu-lxpanel-icons Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: E: Unable to locate package lxmenu-data Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: E: Unable to locate package lxpanel Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: E: Unable to locate package lxsession Nov 18 17:29:54 in-target: E: Unable to locate package lxsession-data Nov 18 17:29:54 main-menu[417]: WARNING **: Configurating 'pkgsel' failed with error code 100 Nov 18 17:29:54 main-menu[417]: WARNING **: Menu item 'pkgsel' failed. But, upon examing 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 think that I enabled the universe in my preseed. So, why the debian-installer was complaining? IMHO if we can figure out a way to trigger the installation of the lubuntu desktop, then we can close this chapter.

Regards, -- Zack

> You might want to check the dists folder and make sure that you > have a "universe" folder in there so that it is able to get > package listings.

> > I played with this a bit this weekend as well. I ended > up getting a minimal mirror of the Ubuntu packages needed > setup but it requires a bit of work to get going.

> > First I downloaded the quantal dists folders from a > mirror. Then, I had to create a package list of the squashfs > image on the installation disk as well as a list of packages > that failed to install during a test installation. It > isn't ideal but it is a possibility for getting 12.10 > up with a subset of the repository (thought I've only tested > the server install so I can't really help you with the > desktops issues here). If anyone is interested I > can send out instructions on what I did.

I'm grabbing the 12.10 desktop ISO now, which I'll test with the master branch.

> > You might want to check the dists folder and make sure that you > > have a "universe" folder in there so that it is able to get > > package listings. In my case, the loop mounted lubuntu-12.10-alternate-amd64.iso does show such directories: [root@cobbler quantal]# pwd /mnt/dists/quantal [root@cobbler quantal]# ls main multiverse Release Release.gpg restricted universe > > > > I played with this a bit this weekend as well. I ended > > up getting a minimal mirror of the Ubuntu packages needed > > setup but it requires a bit of work to get going. In my case, a simple cobbler import of the loop mounted lubuntu-12.10-alternate-amd64.iso is sufficient to get it going. Of course, you need to update the distro object to set the initrd.gz and linux to the pair in the netboot subdirectory, and some updates to the profile as well. > > > > First I downloaded the quantal dists folders from a > > mirror. Then, I had to create a package list of the squashfs > > image on the installation disk as well as a list of packages > > that failed to install during a test installation. It > > isn't ideal but it is a possibility for getting 12.10 > > up with a subset of the repository (thought I've only tested > > the server install so I can't really help you with the > > desktops issues here). If anyone is interested I > > can send out instructions on what I did. Please see the outline of what I did. It's quicker and simpler.

Ubuntu's documentation is pretty messy, and I take many of them with a big grain of sale. For example: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/Ubuntu states that "The Ubuntu Install CDs contain software from the "Main" and "Restricted" components of the repositories. Once your system is made aware of the Internet-based locations for these repositories, many more software programs are available for installation." But as evident from my directory listing above, loop mounted lubuntu-12.10-alternate-amd64.iso does show such directories. > > I'm grabbing the 12.10 desktop ISO now, which I'll test with > the master branch. > James, please note that I used the lubunbu alternate amd64 iso, not ubuntu-12.10-desktop-amd64.iso! Regarding the desktop issue, if I can't get it installed using regular preseed, I have the following two approaches that should work: 0. Use the d-i preseed/late_command, perhaps writing a new snippet 1. Replace the /etc/apt/sources.list with a copy that consists of the regular Ubuntu repos, and then combine with a firstboot script to get the UI installed. Still, lacking a common meta package name such as ubuntu-desktop makes even both the above a small challenge. Regards, -- Zack

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Just getting back to this, due to some testing with Ubuntu 13.04. Digging through the errors shown in the ALT+F4 window, I finally found a launchpad bug that pointed me towards this option (formatted for use in cobbler's sample.seed): d-i live-installer/net-image string http:// $http_server/cobbler/links/$distro_name/install/filesystem.squashfs Using this, I am able to netboot 12.10 and 13.04 without hitting that screen that says the "Install the System" step failed. Hope that helps you guys out. _______________________________________________ cobbler mailing list cobbler(a)lists.fedorahosted.org https://lists.fedorahosted.org/mailman/listinfo/cobbler