[11:21] * infinity kisses ti-omap4 goodbye from the archive. [11:22] yay! [20:03] <^charlie> is there a method for popping a custom prompt during ubuntu installation, but before first boot? i want to collect a string and store it to a file for use during post-install firstboot. [20:04] <^charlie> i am currently using an unattended setup seed for 12.04LTS, plan to use it for 14.04LTS as well [21:06] <^charlie> anyone here fielding questions? [21:08] this channel is pretty quiet, even during the week ;) [21:09] infinity, cjwatson, and xnox are about the only regulars [21:09] * antarus is only in here to pester colin with annoying questions [21:10] antarus: i am about, but coding. What's up? [21:11] <^charlie> i'd like to collect a string from the user either from d-i or ubiquity during installation, and store it to a file on the system for consumption during first boot when i take over with more scripts [21:11] <^charlie> from what i see online, a custom udeb might be able to ask questions but i'm not finding enough info about it to understand. [21:12] <^charlie> online general searches about "install prompt user" et al get me a lot of hits regarding apt-get and the like [21:12] you can definitely use a udeb to add a step to the install process, that prompts the user if the answer is not preseeded [21:13] I can't say I could point you at some steps to do it though [21:13] it involves debconf, debconf templates, building udeb, and the right control fields to add your step to the right place in the install [21:13] <^charlie> dang, that was my next q :_ [21:13] and at least for me, its mostly 'find another package that does this, copy liberally' [21:13] s/package/udeb/ [21:13] ;) [21:14] fwiw, this is for d-i [21:14] <^charlie> ok i'll take a look around, thanks. [21:14] ubiquity is probably way easier [21:14] or asking them in oem-config [21:14] also way easier [21:14] <^charlie> i haven't seen oem-config yet. [21:14] <^charlie> let me look around for that. [21:14] ^charlie: all of d-i is just shell scripts that invoke debconf to ask user questions, so all / any installer screens are examples of what you want. [21:14] oem-config is (IIRC) the UI that the user gets after the install [21:14] to let them pick their TZ, language, and so forth [21:15] <^charlie> does that oem-install occur before the reboot [21:15] no [21:15] well, possibly [21:15] it doesn't in our setup ;p [21:16] <^charlie> how do i get ubiquity to askquestions? is it the same udeb type stuff? [21:17] you have to write some...python..or glade..or something [21:17] I don't have the code in front of me, and my code was written in 2008, so I'd hope there is something better now ;p [21:17] <^charlie> python is just fine. is there some example script i can look at? [21:17] I'd just go grab the ubiquity source [21:17] <^charlie> ok [21:17] or oem-config? [21:18] there are screens that Ubuntu is using [21:18] ^charlie: pure oem-config in d-i has (typically) three parts - ask questions during install / execute some things, allow reboot into final system and do as you like (optional), pop-up instance/end-user config when shipped. [21:18] also maybe search the wiki [21:18] <^charlie> yeah i'll check oem-config too. it all depends if it's executing before the first boot. [21:18] antarus: ubiquity wraps d-i with python modules, so one can do debconf based questions, or just pure python questions/answers + exec things in the target/first boot. [21:18] for our process, we have basically given up on having things ready 'pre first boot' [21:18] <^charlie> agree [21:19] antarus: e.g. see ubuntuone plugin that asks non-d-i questions and does things to /target [21:19] <^charlie> the vast majority of what i do occurs after first boot [21:19] we try to get the machine as close as we can, and then reboot into a 'provisioning environment' [21:19] (which is essentially ubiquity) [21:19] and then we prep the machine [21:19] <^charlie> i am just trying to collect some credentials and have them ready for some git/svn activities during first boot [21:20] <^charlie> first boot being what happens after ubiquity is all done and ejects the disc [21:20] <^charlie> currently those credentials are in a script in the install media.... and i dislike the idea of having to do that. [21:21] <^charlie> i'd rather make the user cough them up. [21:21] yeah putting creds in the install media is not so nice [21:21] we've been trying put stuff in the TPM [21:22] or wrapped with the TPM [21:22] but shockingly, the TPM does not function very well [21:22] <^charlie> heh [21:22] <^charlie> i'm not fond of tpm from the user side either. [21:22] we end up fighting a lot with vendors who either ship a TPM that just doesn't work, or doesn't work in linux, or... [21:23] and canonical doesn't care about the TPM (not that I blame them...since no one uses it ;p) [21:23] so even when we try to buy canonical certified hardware [21:23] it still may not work ;p [21:23] hardware is 'fun' [21:23] virtual machines for everyone! [21:23] <^charlie> TPM won't be so useful for me, i'm providing a dev/qa environment to teammates who use VMs and dumpy unwanted hardware [21:24] yeah [21:24] I'm more talking about credentials in general [21:24] <^charlie> ah okay [21:25] <^charlie> so i'll take a look at oem-config and also the ubiquity sources and see what i can come up with. [21:25] <^charlie> if anyone knows of a decent udeb tutorial that would be awesome. or source of an existing udeb that asks for a string and stores it.