Ubuntu 20.04.3 AutoInstall

HowTo

# For recent versions of Ubuntu:
 - https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/hpc/ubuntu-22-04-server-autoinstall-iso/

# Docs:
 - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/FoundationsTeam/AutomatedServerInstalls
 - https://wiki.ubuntu.com/FoundationsTeam/AutomatedServerInstalls/ConfigReference
 - https://cloudinit.readthedocs.io/en/latest/topics/datasources/nocloud.html
 - https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/please-test-autoinstalls-for-20-04/15250/53

# Download ISO Installer:
wget https://ubuntu.volia.net/ubuntu-releases/20.04.3/ubuntu-20.04.3-live-server-amd64.iso

# Create ISO distribution dirrectory:
mkdir -p iso/nocloud/

# Extract ISO using 7z:
7z x ubuntu-20.04.3-live-server-amd64.iso -x'![BOOT]' -oiso
# Or extract ISO using xorriso and fix permissions:
xorriso -osirrox on -indev "ubuntu-20.04.3-live-server-amd64.iso" -extract / iso && chmod -R +w iso

# Create empty meta-data file:
touch iso/nocloud/meta-data

# Copy user-data file:
cp user-data iso/nocloud/user-data

# Update boot flags with cloud-init autoinstall:
## Should look similar to this: initrd=/casper/initrd quiet autoinstall ds=nocloud;s=/cdrom/nocloud/ ---
sed -i 's|---|autoinstall ds=nocloud\\\;s=/cdrom/nocloud/ ---|g' iso/boot/grub/grub.cfg
sed -i 's|---|autoinstall ds=nocloud;s=/cdrom/nocloud/ ---|g' iso/isolinux/txt.cfg

# Disable mandatory md5 checksum on boot:
md5sum iso/.disk/info > iso/md5sum.txt
sed -i 's|iso/|./|g' iso/md5sum.txt

# (Optionally) Regenerate md5:
# The find will warn 'File system loop detected' and return non-zero exit status on the 'ubuntu' symlink to '.'
# To avoid that, temporarily move it out of the way
mv iso/ubuntu .
(cd iso; find '!' -name "md5sum.txt" '!' -path "./isolinux/*" -follow -type f -exec "$(which md5sum)" {} \; > ../md5sum.txt)
mv md5sum.txt iso/
mv ubuntu iso

# Create Install ISO from extracted dir (ArchLinux):
xorriso -as mkisofs -r \
  -V Ubuntu\ custom\ amd64 \
  -o ubuntu-20.04.3-live-server-amd64-autoinstall.iso \
  -J -l -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 \
  -isohybrid-gpt-basdat -isohybrid-apm-hfsplus \
  -isohybrid-mbr /usr/lib/syslinux/bios/isohdpfx.bin  \
  iso/boot iso

# Create Install ISO from extracted dir (Ubuntu):
xorriso -as mkisofs -r \
  -V Ubuntu\ custom\ amd64 \
  -o ubuntu-20.04.3-live-server-amd64-autoinstall.iso \
  -J -l -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 \
  -isohybrid-gpt-basdat -isohybrid-apm-hfsplus \
  -isohybrid-mbr /usr/lib/ISOLINUX/isohdpfx.bin  \
  iso/boot iso

# After install:
 - login with 'root:root' and change root user password
 - set correct hostname with 'hostnamectl'

user-data

#cloud-config
autoinstall:
  version: 1
  interactive-sections:
    - network
    - storage
  locale: en_US.UTF-8
  keyboard:
    layout: us
  ssh:
    allow-pw: true
    install-server: false
  late-commands:
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- apt-get --purge -y --quiet=2 remove apport bcache-tools btrfs-progs byobu cloud-guest-utils cloud-initramfs-copymods cloud-initramfs-dyn-netconf friendly-recovery fwupd landscape-common lxd-agent-loader ntfs-3g open-vm-tools plymouth plymouth-theme-ubuntu-text popularity-contest rsync screen snapd sosreport tmux ufw
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- apt-get --purge -y --quiet=2 autoremove
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- apt-get clean
    - sed -i 's/ENABLED=1/ENABLED=0/' /target/etc/default/motd-news
    - sed -i 's|# en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8|en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8|' /target/etc/locale.gen
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- locale-gen
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/connman.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/display-manager.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/motd-news.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/motd-news.timer
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/plymouth-quit-wait.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/plymouth-start.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/systemd-resolved.service
    - ln -fs /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Kiev /target/etc/localtime
    - rm -f /target/etc/resolv.conf
    - printf 'nameserver 8.8.8.8\nnameserver 1.1.1.1\noptions timeout:1\noptions attempts:1\noptions rotate\n' > /target/etc/resolv.conf
    - rm -f /target/etc/update-motd.d/10-help-text
    - rm -rf /target/root/snap
    - rm -rf /target/snap
    - rm -rf /target/var/lib/snapd
    - rm -rf /target/var/snap
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- passwd -q -u root
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- passwd -q -x -1 root
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- passwd -q -e root
    - sed -i 's|^root:.:|root:$6$3b873df474b55246$GIpSsujar7ihMzG8urUKpzF9/2yZJhR.msyFRa5ouGXOKRCVszsc4aBcE2yi3IuFVxtAGwrPKin2WAzK3qOtB.:|' /target/etc/shadow
  user-data:
    disable_root: false

user-data_with_ssh_and_project_quota

#cloud-config
autoinstall:
  version: 1
  interactive-sections:
    - network
    - storage
  locale: en_US.UTF-8
  keyboard:
    layout: us
  ssh:
    allow-pw: true
    install-server: false
  late-commands:
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- apt-get --purge -y --quiet=2 remove apport bcache-tools btrfs-progs byobu cloud-guest-utils cloud-initramfs-copymods cloud-initramfs-dyn-netconf friendly-recovery fwupd landscape-common lxd-agent-loader ntfs-3g open-vm-tools plymouth plymouth-theme-ubuntu-text popularity-contest screen snapd sosreport tmux ufw
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- apt-get -qq update
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- apt-get -y install wget gnupg python2.7 openssh-server
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- apt-get -qq update
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- apt-get -y dist-upgrade
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- apt-get --purge -y --quiet=2 autoremove
    - sed -i 's/#PermitRootLogin prohibit-password/PermitRootLogin yes/' /target/etc/ssh/sshd_config
    - sed -i 's/ENABLED=1/ENABLED=0/' /target/etc/default/motd-news
    - sed -i 's|# en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8|en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8|' /target/etc/locale.gen
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- locale-gen
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/connman.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/display-manager.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/motd-news.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/motd-news.timer
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/plymouth-quit-wait.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/plymouth-start.service
    - ln -fs /dev/null /target/etc/systemd/system/systemd-resolved.service
    - ln -fs /usr/share/zoneinfo/Europe/Kiev /target/etc/localtime
    - rm -f /target/etc/resolv.conf
    - printf 'nameserver 8.8.8.8\nnameserver 1.1.1.1\noptions timeout:1\noptions attempts:1\noptions rotate\n' > /target/etc/resolv.conf
    - rm -f /target/etc/update-motd.d/10-help-text
    - rm -rf /target/root/snap
    - rm -rf /target/snap
    - rm -rf /target/var/lib/snapd
    - rm -rf /target/var/snap
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- passwd -q -u root
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- passwd -q -x -1 root
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- passwd -q -e root
    - sed -i 's|^root:.:|root:$6$3b873df474b55246$GIpSsujar7ihMzG8urUKpzF9/2yZJhR.msyFRa5ouGXOKRCVszsc4aBcE2yi3IuFVxtAGwrPKin2WAzK3qOtB.:|' /target/etc/shadow
    - sed -i 's/ext4 defaults/ext4 prjquota,lazytime/g' /target/etc/fstab
    - findmnt --real -U -n -t ext4 -o source | awk '{system("umount -l "$1)}'
    - blkid -t TYPE="ext4" -o device | awk '{system("tune2fs -O project,quota -Q prjquota "$1)}'
  user-data:
    disable_root: false

Oh man, I'm so sorry! I've been getting questions in my email from more than one place on this. I've been careless about checking where I'm replying. Gist comments can get out of hand! I blew away my last comment. Wish you all the best --Don

Hi All @s3rj1k @dbkinghorn @zero-pytagoras @dmuiX I am stuck in last step can you please help me to debug this

After running of my late commands i got this error
These are my late commands:

• |
  set -ex
  EFI_DEV=$(awk '$2 == "/target/boot/efi" { print $1 }' /proc/mounts)
  ROOT_DEV=$(awk '$2 ~ "^/target$" { print $1 }' /proc/mounts)
  ROOT_UUID=$(blkid -o value $ROOT_DEV | head -n 1)
  awk '$2 ~ "^/target/" { print $2 }' /proc/mounts | xargs umount
  btrfs subvolume snapshot /target /target/rootfs
  mkdir /mnt/rootfs
  mount -o subvol=rootfs $ROOT_DEV /mnt/rootfs
  mount $EFI_DEV /mnt/rootfs/boot/efi
  mount -o bind /dev /mnt/rootfs/dev
  mount -o bind /sys /mnt/rootfs/sys
  mount -o bind /proc /mnt/rootfs/proc
  sed -i "/$ROOT_UUID/s/defaults/defaults,noatime,subvol=rootfs/" /mnt/rootfs/etc/fstab
  chroot /mnt/rootfs update-grub
  chroot /mnt/rootfs grub-install --efi-directory=/boot/efi
  find /target -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -not -name rootfs -exec rm -rf '{}' ;
  btrfs subvolume create /target/home
  echo "/dev/disk/by-uuid/$ROOT_UUID /home btrfs defaults,noatime,subvol=home 0 0" >> /mnt/rootfs/etc/fstab

TBH it is not clear what you are trying to do any more...
you do need to add /target to bunch of places if you wish to change partitions. for example:
/mnt/rootfs/etc/fstab is suppose to be /target/mnt/rootfs/etc/fstab

The installation of ubuntu22.04 through uefi mode pxe is successful, but after restarting, it will enter the pxe network installation instead of booting from the local hard disk. The default hard disk booting is the first boot item. Is there any way to solve this problem?