Ubuntu 20.04 user-data files for autoinstall ISO

gistfile1.txt

#cloud-config
autoinstall:
  version: 1
  refresh-installer:  # start with an up-to-date installer
  update: yes
  interactive-sections:  # Install groups listed here will wait for user input
    - storage
  storage:  # should set the interactive default but doesn't seem to work??
    layout:
      name: direct
  locale: en_US.UTF-8
  keyboard:
    layout: us
  identity:  # This is section you may want to add to interactive-sections  (user name and password are ubuntu here)
    hostname: puget-000
    password: "$6$exDY1mhS4KUYCE/2$zmn9ToZwTKLhCw.b4/b.ZRTIZM30JZ4QrOQ2aOXJ8yk96xpcCof0kxKwuX1kqLG/ygbJ1f8wxED22bTL4F46P0"
    username: ubuntu
  ssh:
    allow-pw: true
    install-server: true
  apt:
    sources:
      ignored1:  # This is here to get the yaml formatting right when adding a ppa
        source: ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
  packages: 
    - build-essential
    - network-manager
    - dkms
    - emacs-nox
    - ubuntu-desktop-minimal
  package_update: true
  package_upgrade: true
  late-commands:
    # Changing from networkd to NetworkManager
    # move existing config out of the way
    - find /target/etc/netplan/ -name "*.yaml" -exec sh -c 'mv "$1" "$1-orig"' _ {} \;
    # Create a new netplan and enable it
    - |
      cat <<EOF | sudo tee /target/etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml
      network:
        version: 2
        renderer: NetworkManager
      EOF
    - curtin in-target --target /target netplan generate
    - curtin in-target --target /target netplan apply
    - curtin in-target --target /target systemctl enable NetworkManager.service
    # Write a script that can take care of some post install setup "late-commands" cannot be interactive unfortunately"
    # - |
    #   cat <<EOF | sudo tee /target/etc/finish-install-setup.sh
    #   #!/usr/bin/env bash
    #   echo *************************
    #   echo ****  Finish Setup   ****
    #   echo ************************* 
    #   echo 'Enter the hostname for this system: '
    #   read NEW_HOSTNAME
    #   hostnamectl set-hostname \${NEW_HOSTNAME}
    #   echo
    #   echo 'Enter the timezone for this system: '
    #   echo 'America/Los_Angeles America/Denver America/Chicago America/New_York'
    #   read NEW_TIMEZONE
    #   timedatectl set-timezone \${NEW_TIMEZONE}
    #   echo *************************
    #   echo
    #   echo *************************
    #   echo 'Restarting to finish ...'
    #   shutdown -r 3
    #   EOF
    # - curtin in-target --target /target chmod 744 /etc/finish-install-setup.sh
    - cp /target/cdrom/extras/Puget_Systems.png /target/usr/share/backgrounds/
  user-data: # Commands here run during first boot (cannot be interactive)
    runcmd:
      # Install the NVIDIA driver from the ppa we setup earlier
      - [apt-get, update]
      - [apt-get, dist-upgrade, --yes]
      - [apt, autoremove, --yes]
      - [apt-get, install, --yes,  nvidia-driver-470] #, --no-install-recommends]
      - [sudo, -u, ubuntu, dbus-launch, gsettings, set, org.gnome.desktop.background, picture-uri, file:///usr/share/backgrounds/Puget_Systems.png]
      # - |
      #   #!/usr/bin/env bash
      #   echo ''
      #   echo '***************************************'
      #   echo ' To complete install setup please run, '
      #   echo ' sudo /etc/finish-install-setup.sh'
      #   echo '***************************************'
      #   echo ''

user-data-server

#cloud-config
autoinstall:
  version: 1
  refresh-installer:  # start with an up-to-date installer
  update: yes
  interactive-sections:  # Install groups listed here will wait for user input
    - storage
  storage:  # should set the interactive default but doesn't seem to work??
    layout:
      name: direct
  locale: en_US.UTF-8
  keyboard:
    layout: us
  identity:  # This is section you may want to add to interactive-sections  (user name and password are ubuntu here)
    hostname: puget-000
    password: "$6$exDY1mhS4KUYCE/2$zmn9ToZwTKLhCw.b4/b.ZRTIZM30JZ4QrOQ2aOXJ8yk96xpcCof0kxKwuX1kqLG/ygbJ1f8wxED22bTL4F46P0"
    username: ubuntu
  ssh:
    allow-pw: true
    install-server: true
  apt:
    sources:
      ignored1:  # This is here to get the yaml formatting right when adding a ppa
        source: ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
  packages: 
    - build-essential
    - network-manager
    - dkms
    - emacs-nox
    #- ubuntu-desktop-minimal^
  package_update: true
  package_upgrade: true
  late-commands:
    # Changing from networkd to NetworkManager
    # move existing config out of the way
    - find /target/etc/netplan/ -name "*.yaml" -exec sh -c 'mv "$1" "$1-orig"' _ {} \;
    # Create a new netplan and enable it
    - |
      cat <<EOF | sudo tee /target/etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml
      network:
        version: 2
        renderer: NetworkManager
      EOF
    - curtin in-target --target /target netplan generate
    - curtin in-target --target /target netplan apply
    - curtin in-target --target /target systemctl enable NetworkManager.service
    # Write a script that can take care of some post install setup "late-commands" cannot be interactive unfortunately"
    # - |
    #   cat <<EOF | sudo tee /target/etc/finish-install-setup.sh
    #   #!/usr/bin/env bash
    #   echo *************************
    #   echo ****  Finish Setup   ****
    #   echo ************************* 
    #   echo 'Enter the hostname for this system: '
    #   read NEW_HOSTNAME
    #   hostnamectl set-hostname \${NEW_HOSTNAME}
    #   echo
    #   echo 'Enter the timezone for this system: '
    #   echo 'America/Los_Angeles America/Denver America/Chicago America/New_York'
    #   read NEW_TIMEZONE
    #   timedatectl set-timezone \${NEW_TIMEZONE}
    #   echo *************************
    #   echo
    #   echo *************************
    #   echo 'Restarting to finish ...'
    #   shutdown -r 3
    #   EOF
    # - curtin in-target --target /target chmod 744 /etc/finish-install-setup.sh
    - ls -l > /target/root/ls.out
    - pwd > /target/root/pwd.out
    - mount > /target/root/mount.out
    - touch afile
    - cp afile /target/root/
    - ls -l / > /target/root/ls-root.out
    - ls -l /target > /target/root/ls-target.out
    - ls -l /target/cdrom > /target/root/ls-target-cdrom.out
  user-data: # Commands here run during first boot (cannot be interactive)
    runcmd:
      # Install the NVIDIA driver from the ppa we setup earlier
      - [apt-get, install, --yes,  nvidia-driver-470, --no-install-recommends]
      - |
        #!/usr/bin/env bash
        echo ''
        echo '***************************************'
        echo ' To complete install setup please run, '
        echo ' sudo /etc/finish-install-setup.sh'
        echo '***************************************'
        echo ''

Hi @homaur as mentioned above - create the user-data file that has apt and packages parts, where you add repositories and packages for you use. as an example, part of user-data file:

apt:
    sources:
      ignored1:  # This is here to get the yaml formatting right when adding a ppa
        source: ppa:saltstack/salt
  packages: 
    - build-essential
    - network-manager
    - dkms
    - salt # <-- here you add the package 

Great! But as I mentioned above, I am not clear on how to create the user-data file and where this file should be located. I can't find any blogs for how to create the user-data file and where this file is and so on. There are many blogs with rough explanations. No details. Please help me how to do that. Did you understand what I want to do?
I have set up an iPXE boot server and that works. However, I would like to automate the installation of additional software so Ubuntu installs automatically with either autoinstall/preseed. However I am not sure how to add additional software packages to the autoinstall file and where is autoinstall configuration file etc. Finally, I'd like to install salt at the end so it can finish configuring the device with the software I need.

Hi @homaur In regards to where, It depends - if you wish to use iPXE then it should be located on PXE server , on the path that is share. For example: /var/www/pxe/user-data folder. All is left is to take ISO file of ubuntu -> boot -> choose boot from PXE(should be in advanced settings) -> give it pxe address and path to user-data, and it will perform what ever is configured in user-data In regards to How to create user-data : @jnlickey provided link to github repository with example of user-data and tool to build the file. there is also cloud-init documentation that is used to create the file and also there is youtube tutorial to guide you and another one that might be useful

Oh so, for example, autoinstall configuration file will be located in /var/www/pxe/user-data folder in iPXE server, right?

Yes - indeed ...

Ah!!! Great!!!
Thank you for your kind reply.
I will try with your suggestion and let you know.
I really appreciate it.
Thank you again!!!

Hello there,

I am currently building an autoinstall ISO using Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS live server. A blog post by @dbkinghorn has been immensely helpful in this process. However, I have encountered an issue with the autoinstall script I created, specifically with regard to enabling autologin for the new user.

The purpose of this autoinstall is to run docker engine. I am in need of suggestions or assistance to resolve this issue. Below is my 'user-data' configuration:

#cloud-config
autoinstall:
  version: 1
  storage:
    layout:
      name: direct
  partitions:
    - name: primary
      number: 1
      size: 100%
      type: ext4
      wipe: superblock
  preserve_layout: false
  overwrite: true
  filesystems:
    - device: /dev/disk/by-id/*
      format: ext4
      label: ubuntu
  locale: en_US.UTF-8
  keyboard:
    layout: us
  identity:
    hostname: ubuntu_machine
    password: $6$NpdhCKROExJxGAP9$uJ/hKo9ON7VZ.nwC02p8yKHPFtEWz.aphNk7D1fDI7aUmtrXTN5i/QmDhtbCf0xNQEr/LTphOfdcgovbDwG8l.
    username: ubuntu
  ssh:
    allow-pw: true
    install-server: true
  apt:
    primary:
      - arches: [default]
        uri: http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/
  packages:
    - build-essential
    - network-manager
    - dkms
    - vim
    - git
    - docker.io
    - nodejs
    - npm
    - sqlite

  package_update: true
  package_upgrade: true
  late-commands:
    # Changing from networkd to NetworkManager
    # move existing config out of the way
    - find /target/etc/netplan/ -name "*.yaml"
      -exec sh -c 'mv "$1" "$1-orig"' _ {} \;
    # Create a new netplan and enable it
    - |
      cat <<EOF | sudo tee /target/etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml
      network:
        version: 2
        renderer: NetworkManager
      EOF
    - curtin in-target --target /target netplan generate
    - curtin in-target --target /target netplan apply
    - curtin in-target --target /target systemctl enable NetworkManager.service
  users:
    - name: ubuntu
      groups: docker
      shell: /bin/bash
      sudo: ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
  autologin:
    enable: true
    user: root

I have been working on this problem for several weeks and would greatly appreciate any guidance or help. Thank you.

You probably still have a little more experimenting to do. Here are a couple of things to try;

• You have the user 'ubuntu' already defined with a password (effectively the install root user'.) You might want to try setting up your auto-login user with at different name. (I'm not sure how this is done with a manual install. Maybe you want to do this in the identity section and not assign a password at all??)

• If you want to have the user 'ubuntu' as the auto login user then you might have better luck in late-commands using curtin in-target --target to do the config change manually with system commands like usermod etc..

I don't have experience using auto login but I hope I'm giving you good advise on things to try. Best wishes --Don

@shubham-kshetre I had a kinda successful but disgusting method go get autologin working.

In late_commands add this:

# Create a service to run above script on bootup
- |
  cat <<EOF | sudo tee /target/etc/systemd/system/setup_autologin.service
  [Unit]
  Description=Configure autologin for user "tester"

  [Service]
  Type=oneshot
  ExecStart=/bin/bash -c "sed -i 's/#  AutomaticLoginEnable = true/AutomaticLoginEnable = true/' /etc/gdm3/custom.conf && sed -i 's/#  AutomaticLogin = user1/AutomaticLogin = tester/' /etc/gdm3/custom.conf && groupadd docker && usermod -aG docker tester && newgrp docker"

  [Install]
  WantedBy=multi-user.target
  EOF
- curtin in-target --target /target chmod 0644 /etc/systemd/system/setup_autologin.service
- curtin in-target --target /target systemctl enable setup_autologin

Basically create a service that will run prior to the desktop loading. Problem is that you have to delete the service file post login.