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I need a CD or USB stick, that will install Ubuntu on a completely headless machine. Stick CD in and restart, no keyboard or screen should be involved.
There are a few obstacles:
The complete solution is:
Remaster a CD, ie, download a non graphical ubuntu installation ISO (server or alternate installation CD), mount it
$ sudo su -
# mkdir -p /mnt/iso
# mount -o loop ubuntu.iso /mnt/iso
Copy the relevant files to a different directory
# mkdir -p /opt/ubuntuiso
# cp -rT /mnt/iso /opt/ubuntuiso
Prevent the language selection menu from appearing
# cd /opt/ubuntuiso
# echo en >isolinux/lang
Use GUI program to add a kickstart file named ks.cfg
# apt-get install system-config-kickstart
# system-config-kickstart # save file to ks.cfg
To add packages for the installation, add a %package section to the ks.cfg kickstart file, append to the end of ks.cfg file something like this.
%packages
@ ubuntu-server
openssh-server
ftp
build-essential
This will install the ubuntu-server "bundle", and will add the openssh-server, ftp and build-essential packages.
Add a preseed file, to suppress other questions
# echo 'd-i partman/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
d-i partman/choose_partition \
select Finish partitioning and write changes to disk
d-i partman/confirm boolean true' > ks.preseed
Set the boot command line to use the kickstart and preseed files
# vi isolinux/txt.cfg
Search for
label install
menu label ^Install Ubuntu Server
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz quiet --
add ks=cdrom:/ks.cfg and preseed/file=/cdrom/ks.preseed to the append line. You can remove the quiet and vga=788 words. It should look like
append file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed \
initrd=/install/initrd.gz \
ks=cdrom:/ks.cfg preseed/file=/cdrom/ks.preseed --
Now create a new iso
# mkisofs -D -r -V "ATTENDLESS_UBUNTU" \
-cache-inodes -J -l -b isolinux/isolinux.bin \
-c isolinux/boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 \
-boot-info-table -o /opt/autoinstall.iso /opt/ubuntuiso
That's it. You'll have a CD that would install an Ubuntu system once you boot from it, without requiring a single keystroke.
/isolinux/isolinux.cfg: timeout 10 Note that a value of 10 represents 1 second.
Feb 7, 2013 at 14:16
# isohybrid path/to/image.iso
Jan 24, 2017 at 15:47
The instructions at this question cover the process for creating an EFI bootable ISO (like the official Ubuntu x86_64 ISO).:
How do I create an EFI-bootable ISO of a customized version of Ubuntu?
The key differences are setting this as the preseed file:
d-i partman-auto/method string lvm
d-i partman-auto-lvm/guided_size string max
d-i partman-auto/choose_recipe select atomic
d-i partman-partitioning/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
d-i partman/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
d-i partman/choose_partition select finish
d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true
d-i partman/confirm boolean true
d-i partman-auto/purge_lvm_from_device boolean true
d-i partman-lvm/device_remove_lvm boolean true
d-i partman-lvm/confirm boolean true
d-i partman-lvm/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true
d-i partman-auto/init_automatically_partition select Guided - use entire disk and set up LVM
d-i partman/choose_partition select Finish partitioning and write changes to disk
d-i partman-auto-lvm/no_boot boolean true
d-i partman-md/device_remove_md boolean true
d-i partman-md/confirm boolean true
d-i partman-md/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true
Use this as the kickstart file:
lang en_US
langsupport en_US
keyboard us
mouse
timezone America/Los_Angeles
rootpw --disabled
user USERNAME --fullname "USERNAME" --password "PASSWORD"
reboot
text
install
cdrom
auth --useshadow --enablemd5
network --bootproto=dhcp --device=eth0
firewall --disabled
skipx
%packages
@ ubuntu-server
openssh-server
Edit the grub EFI boot configuration for the ISO:
sudo nano ~/ubuntu/boot/grub/grub.cfg
Set to:
if loadfont /boot/grub/font.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=auto
insmod efi_gop
insmod efi_uga
insmod gfxterm
terminal_output gfxterm
fi
set menu_color_normal=white/light-blue
set menu_color_highlight=light-blue/light-gray
set timeout=10
set default=0
menuentry "Automatically Install Ubuntu Server with Custom Config" {
set gfxpayload=keep
linux /install/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed quiet ks=cdrom:/ks.cfg preseed/file=/cdrom/ks.preseed --
initrd /install/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "OEM install (for manufacturers)" {
set gfxpayload=keep
linux /install/vmlinuz file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed quiet oem-config/enable=true --
initrd /install/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "Multiple server install with MAAS" {
set gfxpayload=keep
linux /install/vmlinuz modules=maas-enlist-udeb vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz quiet --
initrd /install/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "Check disc for defects" {
set gfxpayload=keep
linux /install/vmlinuz MENU=/bin/cdrom-checker-menu quiet --
initrd /install/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "Rescue a broken system" {
set gfxpayload=keep
linux /install/vmlinuz rescue/enable=true --
initrd /install/initrd.gz
}
Set isolinux/txt.cfg like this:
default install
label install
menu label ^Install Ubuntu Server with Custom Config
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-server.seed initrd=/install/initrd.gz ks=cdrom:/ks.cfg preseed/file=/cdrom/ks.preseed --
label cloud
menu label ^Multiple server install with MAAS
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append modules=maas-enlist-udeb vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz quiet --
label check
menu label ^Check disc for defects
kernel /install/vmlinuz
append MENU=/bin/cdrom-checker-menu vga=788 initrd=/install/initrd.gz quiet --
label memtest
menu label Test ^memory
kernel /install/mt86plus
label hd
menu label ^Boot from first hard disk
localboot 0x80
Create a dual boot catalog ISO:
sudo mkisofs -U -A "Custom1404" -V "Custom1404" -volset "Custom1404" -J -joliet-long -r -v -T -o ../Custom1404.iso -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -eltorito-alt-boot -e boot/grub/efi.img -no-emul-boot .
Verify an EFI-bootable ISO has been created:
dumpet -i Custom1404.iso
Outputs:
Validation Entry:
Header Indicator: 0x01 (Validation Entry)
PlatformId: 0x00 (80x86)
ID: ""
Checksum: 0x55aa
Key bytes: 0x55aa
Boot Catalog Default Entry:
Entry is bootable
Boot Media emulation type: no emulation
Media load segment: 0x0 (0000:7c00)
System type: 0 (0x00)
Load Sectors: 4 (0x0004)
Load LBA: 3100 (0x00000c1c)
Section Header Entry:
Header Indicator: 0x91 (Final Section Header Entry)
PlatformId: 0xef (EFI)
Section Entries: 1
ID: ""
Boot Catalog Section Entry:
Entry is bootable
Boot Media emulation type: no emulation
Media load address: 0 (0x0000)
System type: 0 (0x00)
Load Sectors: 4672 (0x1240)
Load LBA: 1932 (0x0000078c)
Here is a shell script which performs this procedure, thanks for the introduction: http://www.utech.de/2013/05/shell-script-creating-a-cd-for-unattended-ubuntu-server-installations/
The script you find following the link basically implements the procedure that @Elazar described, so the essential parts are just a screen above. I added the link to save somebody some time, and to make it a bit easier to repeat this for other versions of Ubuntu.
A rather simple method is described at the following link to an answer at AskUbuntu,
How can I make a bootable, unattended USB restore disk?
Create the system that you want with portable network connection, for example according to
Make a [compressed] dd-image file of the system (I think this is easier than remastering).
Make a shellscript and call it via 'autostart' in a persistent live system according to this description. You can do it with minimal modifications (maybe match only the name of the compressed image file), or you can modify it to fit your particular case.
