119 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
119 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
# Netinstall module
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The netinstall module allows distribution maintainers to ship minimal ISOs with
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only a basic set of preinstalled packages. At installation time, the user is
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presented with the choice to install groups of packages from a predefined list.
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Calamares will then use the *packages* module to install the packages.
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## Module Configuration
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The `netinstall.conf` file is self-describing, and at the very
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least should contain a *groupsUrl* key:
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```
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----
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groupsUrl: <URL to YAML file>
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```
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The URL must point to a YAML file, the *groups* file. See below for
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the format of that groups file. The URL may be a local file (e.g.
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scheme `file:///`) or a regular HTTP(s) URL.
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## Groups Configuration
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Here is a short example of how the YAML file should look.
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```
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- name: "Group name"
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description: "Description of the group"
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packages:
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- lsb-release
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- avahi
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- grub
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- name: "Second group name"
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...
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```
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The file is composed of a list of entries, each describing one group. The
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keys *name*, *description* and *packages* are required for each group.
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More keys (per group) are supported:
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- *hidden*: if true, do not show the group on the page. Defaults to false.
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- *selected*: if true, display the group as selected. Defaults to false.
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- *critical*: if true, make the installation process fail if installing
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any of the packages in the group fails. Otherwise, just log a warning.
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Defaults to false.
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- *expanded*: if true, the group is shown in an expanded form (that is,
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not-collapsed) in the treeview on start.
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- *subgroups*: if present this follows the same structure as the top level
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of the YAML file, allowing there to be sub-groups of packages to an
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arbitary depth
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- *pre-install*: an optional command to run within the new system before
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the group's packages are installed. It will run before each package in
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the group is installed.
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- *post-install*: an optional command to run within the new system after
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the group's packages are installed. It will run after each package in
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the group is installed.
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If you set both *hidden* and *selected* for a group, you are basically creating
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a "default" group of packages which will always be installed in the user's
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system.
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> The note below applies to Calamares up-to-and-including 3.2.13, but will
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> change in a later release.
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The *pre-install* and *post-install* commands are **not** passed to
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a shell; see the **packages** module configuration (i.e. `packages.conf`)
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for details. To use a full shell pipeline, call the shell explicitly.
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## Overall Configuration
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Here is the set of instructions to have the module work in your Calamares.
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First, if the module is used, we need to require a working Internet connection,
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otherwise the module will be unable to fetch the package groups and to perform
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the installation. Requirements for the Calamares instance are configured in the
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`welcome.conf` file (configuration for the **welcome** module). Make sure
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*internet* is listed under the *required* checks.
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In the `settings.conf` file, decide where the **netinstall** page should be
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displayed. I put it just after the **welcome** page, but any position between
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that and just before **partition** should make no difference.
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If not present, add the **packages** job in the *exec* list. This is the job
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that calls the package manager to install packages. Make sure it is configured
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to use the correct package manager for your distribution; this is configured in
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`packages.conf`.
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The *exec* list in `settings.conf` should contain the following items in
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order (it's ok for other jobs to be listed inbetween them, though):
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```
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- unpackfs
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- networkcfg
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- packages
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```
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**unpackfs** creates the chroot where the installation is performed, and unpacks
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the root image with the filesystem structure; **networkcfg** set ups a working
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network in the chroot; and finally **packages** can install packages in the
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chroot.
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## Common issues
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If launching the package manager command returns you negative exit statuses and
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nothing is actually invoked, this is likely an error in the setup of the chroot;
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check that the parameter **rootMountPoint** is set to the correct value in the
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Calamares configuration.
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If the command is run, but exits with error, check that the network is
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working in the chroot. Make sure `/etc/resolv.conf` exists and that
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it's not empty.
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