[10:33] <Phalanx48> Can somebody please tell me how to deal with this piece of shit Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS installer. I'm trying to manually configure an IPv4 address and its asking me for a subnet which should be in CIDR format, what ever that is. I've never seen an operating system or an operating environment ask me for this except Ubuntu, which has given me a
[10:33] <Phalanx48> massive headache as I've list 1 hour over it.
[10:33] <Phalanx48> lost 1 hour
[10:34] <Phalanx48> You'd think it would just work it out itself, like every other operating system and operating environment does??!
[10:34] <ravage> use ipcalc. it will show you all the information you need
[10:34] <Phalanx48> How do I do this from the installer?
[10:34] <ravage> you dont
[10:35] <Phalanx48> Then that's not use to me.
[10:35] <Phalanx48> I in a Windows enviornment.
[10:35] <ravage> https://jodies.de/ipcalc
[10:35] <konstruktoid> https://www.cidr.eu/en/ipv4
[10:35] <ravage> enter your ip with netmask and thats it
[10:37] <Phalanx48> Thanks for your help sir. I hope Canonical improve their installer.
[10:37] <Phalanx48> Good bye
[14:48] <JanC> if you don't know what a subnet is & can't figure out what CIDR format is, maybe you shouldn't be a server admin...
[14:48] <JanC> IMNSHO
[15:07] <sdeziel> IIRC, the installer is asking both the IP in CIDR format and the subnet. The former should be sufficient
[15:08] <JanC> even then, it shouldn't be hard to figure out what to do, right?
[15:08] <sdeziel> https://bugs.launchpad.net/subiquity/+bug/1777732
[15:08] -ubottu:#ubuntu-server- Launchpad bug 1777732 in subiquity "Manual network config uselessly asks for a 'Subnet'" [Wishlist, Triaged]
[15:08] <effendy[m]> Right :) Or in any case, don't blame the installer.
[15:09] <sdeziel> not hard but annoying/pointless
[15:09] <effendy[m]> It's a negligible bug (if you have to call it that)
[15:09] <effendy[m]> Yeah, but that's a slightly different subject than what the Phalanx was complaining about.
[15:10] <sdeziel> starting with a rant wasn't a good introduction but IMHO, the installer shouldn't ask the operator pointless questions
[15:10] <effendy[m]> Yea, sure.
[15:11] <JanC> you can blame the installer for asking redundant information if it does so, but if you can't figure out what it is within an hour then how do you solve any of the many other tasks you will have to as a server admin?
[15:12] <sdeziel> that's orthogonal to having a better installer ;)
[15:14] <JanC> a better installer is unlikely to solve his issue (there are several ways to indicate subnets, and you are supposed to be able to figure out how to convert between them—something you will have to do sooner or later)
[15:44] <rbasak> It's a weird UI problem. People expect a separate subnet mask, but that's really tedious, and CIDR notation is far superior given that masks don't typically (ever?) have holes in them.
[15:44] <rbasak> But ask for CIDR and some people don't understand. So what's the UI supposed to do? Keep asking in the inefficient way forever?
[15:44] <rbasak> Of course better prompting and examples would help.
[16:02] <JanC> we all didn't understand what "CIDR" meant until we read up on it the first time we encountered it...   :)