pve automated installation

[rulezz]

Hi mates,

starting from v8 pve has had a long anticipated automated installation feature. There are a few methods to supply an answer file including fetching it by http. Even though this method can do without specific configuration (answer file url might be provided by dhcp or dns), it's still required to build custom iso just to specify the method. The question is why on Earth it's implemented that way? If one chooses a method that requires answer file in iso, rebuilding makes sense, otherwise it's just undesirable hassle. The method can be specified in command line or http can be a default method if /cdrom/auto-installer-mode.toml file is absent. I think, proxmox team needs to reconsider this, currently it's the only fly in ointment.

Best regards,
Vladimir

 

[cheiss]

Hi,

what exactly is the problem with preparing the ISO? If there is an actual need/usecase for this, there can be considerations, of course.
(Also, to clarify - it's definitely not "rebuilding", but rather just adding files.)

Please note that you can use such a prepared ISO also for normal booting, i.e. it retains all the "normal" features such as the GUI and TUI installer.
So it can be done once per ISO release and then that ISO can simply be used anywhere.

 

[rulezz]

Hi,

what exactly is the problem with preparing the ISO? If there is an actual need/usecase for this, there can be considerations, of course.
(Also, to clarify - it's definitely not "rebuilding", but rather just adding files.)

Please note that you can use such a prepared ISO also for normal booting, i.e. it retains all the "normal" features such as the GUI and TUI installer.
So it can be done once per ISO release and then that ISO can simply be used anywhere.

Hi Christoph,

I could ask the same question: what exactly is the problem to implement the feature so that I don't have to do that unnecessary exercise? If we continued contemplating like this, we could come to conclusion that it's not a problem to check a few boxes, enter a few strings and do without any automation. However if proxmox decided to implement this feature, why wouldn't do it more convenient?

That's great I can use this iso afterwards, but imagine I have a number of separate sites and it's much easier to download iso from proxmox, than copy prepared iso from one site to another. Due to that delivery challenge using the iso anywhere is not as simple as it appears to be.

Another thing, machines that host iso are running Debian 11 and that's not possible to install proxmox-auto-install-assistant as glibc is too old, apt complains and refuses to install it. I don't know why it isn't statically linked or self-sufficient.

Best regards,
Vladimir

 

[cheiss]

I could ask the same question: what exactly is the problem to implement the feature so that I don't have to do that unnecessary exercise?

I never said that there was a problem. As to why it wasn't done before: We simply didn't think of it and/or saw the need (yet).
To expand a bit on that: We generally build (many) features as they are needed/asked for, not just "because".
That's why we also always ask for concrete usecases, as that helps us to see the bigger picture and how we can implement things properly, trying to cover as much variantions of that usecase as possible.

As for that; we could probably add a separate boot option under "Advanced Options" that starts the automated installer. That's definitely doable.
(One of the defining things of the prepared ISO is also that it automatically boots into the automated installer after a timeout, as opposed to the standard ISO, where we don't want that.)

Feel free to create a feature request on our bugtracker: https://bugzilla.proxmox.com/
This helps us keep track of things, and others can subscribe to receive updates.

I don't know why it isn't statically linked or self-sufficient.

This is actually planned (and on my list), but just didn't get around to it yet.

 

[rulezz]

As for that; we could probably add a separate boot option under "Advanced Options" that starts the automated installer.

There already is that option under "Advanced Options", that's why I was so surprised it doesn't work by default. I took a glance at the init script, if the option is chosen it looks for /cdrom/auto-installer-mode.toml file, if the file is not there, it starts shell and suggests downloading an answer file manually. The answer file has to be stored in /tmp and then installation may continue. Thus the simplest way would be to place auto-installer-mode.toml file with some method chosen by default into iso. Those users, who need different method, could overwrite the file with needed options.
More sophisticated way would be to specify the method in boot command line, f.e. auto-installer-mode=http. For partition method another option is needed to specify label, or specifying auto-installer-partition=some_label would choose method=partition.
Finally, the both ways can be combined, method specified in the file could be overridden by command line.

Thanks for your attention and readiness to make the great product even better
Best regards,
Vladimir