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author | Frans Pop <elendil@planet.nl> | 2006-04-08 21:46:08 +0000 |
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committer | Frans Pop <elendil@planet.nl> | 2006-04-08 21:46:08 +0000 |
commit | 62c26e3f6102e7089ae28572da8e9287eaf14b9c (patch) | |
tree | 4a67a180d741f8f05a4c7312d8b5d559ac93cc9e /en | |
parent | e9f047cde8e8b6f275c80e685220eaf6ea19328d (diff) | |
download | installation-guide-62c26e3f6102e7089ae28572da8e9287eaf14b9c.zip |
- Finally document how to create a preconfiguration file
Diffstat (limited to 'en')
-rw-r--r-- | en/appendix/preseed.xml | 106 |
1 files changed, 79 insertions, 27 deletions
diff --git a/en/appendix/preseed.xml b/en/appendix/preseed.xml index dd30b76cb..54c0317db 100644 --- a/en/appendix/preseed.xml +++ b/en/appendix/preseed.xml @@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ for version 3 of the ISC DHCP server (the dhcp3-server Debian package). <informalexample><screen> if substring (option vendor-class-identifier, 0, 3) = "d-i" { - filename "http://host/preseed.cfg"; + filename "http://host/preseed.cfg"; } </screen></informalexample> @@ -392,8 +392,8 @@ you can use 32 command line options and 32 environment options. <para> For most installations some of the default options in your bootloader -configuration file, like 'vga=normal', may be safely removed which may -allow you to add more options for preseeding. +configuration file, like <literal>vga=normal</literal>, may be safely +removed which may allow you to add more options for preseeding. </para> <note><para> @@ -405,41 +405,93 @@ parameters, even if you delimit them with quotes. </sect2> </sect1> - <sect1 condition="FIXME" id="preseed-creating"> + <sect1 id="preseed-creating"> <title>Creating a preseed file</title> <para> The preconfiguration file is in the format used by the -<command>debconf-set-selections</command> command. +<command>debconf-set-selections</command> command. The general format of +a line in a preconfiguration file is: -</para> +<informalexample><screen> +<owner> <template name> <template type> <value> +</screen></informalexample> + +</para><para> + +There are a few rules to keep in mind when writing a preconfiguration file. <itemizedlist> -<listitem><para> - File format -</para></listitem> -<listitem><para> - Only single space allowed between template type and value -</para></listitem> -<listitem><para> - Relation with /var/lib/(c)debconf/templates -</para></listitem> -<listitem><para> - Types of templates and how to provide values for them -</para></listitem> -<listitem><para> - Most values need to be in English or codes -</para></listitem> -<listitem><para> - Using a manual installation as base -</para></listitem> -<listitem><para> - Finding other possible values -</para></listitem> +<listitem> + Put only a single space or tab between type and value: any additional + whitespace will be interpreted as belonging to the value. +</listitem><listitem> + A line can be split into multiple lines by appending a backslash + (<quote><literal>/</literal></quote>) as the line continuation character. + A good place to split a line is after the template name; a bad place is + between type and value. +</listitem><listitem> + Most templates need to be preseeded using the values valid in English and + not the translated values. However, there are some templates (for example + in <classname>partman</classname> where the translated values need to be + used. +</listitem><listitem> + Some templates take a code as value instead of the English text that is + shown during installation. +</listitem> </itemizedlist> +</para><para> + +The easiest way to create a preconfiguration file is to use the example file +linked in <xref linkend="preseed-contents"/> as basis and work from there. + +</para><para> + +An alternative method is to do a manual installation and then, after +rebooting, use the <command>debconf-get-selections</command> from the +<classname>debconf-utils</classname> package to dump both the debconf +database and the installer's cdebconf database to a single file: + +<informalexample><screen> +$ debconf-get-selections --installer > <replaceable>file</replaceable> +$ debconf-get-selections >> <replaceable>file</replaceable> +</screen></informalexample> + +</para><para> + +However, a file generated in this manner will have some items that should +not be preseeded, and the example file is a better starting place for most +users. + +</para> + +<note><para> + +This method relies on the fact that, at the end of the installation, the +installer's cdebconf database is saved to the installed system in +<filename>/var/log/installer/cdebconf</filename>. However, because the +database may contain sensitive information, by default the files are only +readable by root. + +</para><para> + +The directory <filename>/var/log/installer</filename> and all files in it +will be deleted from your system if you purge the package +<classname>installation-report</classname>. + +</para></note> + <para> +To check possible values for templates, you can use <command>nano</command> +to examine the files in <filename>/var/lib/cdebconf</filename> while an +installation is in progress. View <filename>templates.dat</filename> for +the raw templates and <filename>questions.dat</filename> for the current +values and for the values assigned to variables. + +</para><para> + To check if the format of your preseed file is valid before performing an install, you can use the command <command>debconf-set-selections -c <replaceable>preseed.cfg</replaceable></command>. |