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 ''

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.