With the release of Ubuntu 20.04.3, provisioning hosts via the debian-installer has been deprecated for Ubuntu servers. The new default automated provisioning method for Ubuntu is called automated installation mode (autoinstall for short) and relies on YAML configuration files, similar to cloud-init. As a result, the Foreman community has created new templates and implemented a new workflow in order to incorporate the procedure. The talk explains the transition to Ubuntu autoinstall, what changes have been necessary, and what we can expect in near future.

1. atix.de
Provisioning Ubuntu Hosts
with Foreman
Bastian Schmidt
Foreman Birthday Party 2023

2. atix.de
Me About Myself: Bastian Schmidt

3. atix.de
Me About Myself: Bastian Schmidt
●
Master Student at TU Munich

4. atix.de
Me About Myself: Bastian Schmidt
●
Master Student at TU Munich
●
Working student at ATIX AG since 2020

5. atix.de
Me About Myself: Bastian Schmidt
●
Master Student at TU Munich
●
Working student at ATIX AG since 2020
●
Most of the time working on Foreman Salt and Ubuntu
Provisioning via Foreman
●
Contact details
– GitHub: bastian-src
– Foreman Discourse: bastian-src
– Mail: schmidt@atix.de

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Outline
●
Motivation: What happened?
●
Three main issues and how we solved them
●
Future: Automated as it was before (but different)

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Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman

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Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
Installation Media?

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Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
Sure! linux
initrd.gz
install files*

10. atix.de
Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
d-i*
install files*
d-i
setup
linux
initrd.gz

11. atix.de
Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
d-i*
install files*
d-i
setup
PXE
linux
initrd.gz

12. atix.de
Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
d-i*
install files*
d-i
setup
host
linux
initrd.gz

13. atix.de
Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
d-i*
install files*
d-i
setup
host
d-i ?
linux
initrd.gz

14. atix.de
Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
d-i*
install files*
d-i
setup
host
d-i
linux
initrd.gz

15. atix.de
Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
d-i*
install files*
d-i
setup
host
linux
initrd.gz

16. atix.de
Ubuntu Provisioning: debian-installer
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
d-i*
install files*
d-i
setup
host
linux
initrd.gz

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New Ubuntu Provisioning Procedure
●
Ubuntu supports the debian-installer until 20.04.2

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New Ubuntu Provisioning Procedure
●
Ubuntu supports the debian-installer until 20.04.2
●
From 20.04.3 onward: The debian-installer is replaced by Autoinstall
– In the OS image file, the file layout differs (detecting boot files)
– New type of templates
– Installation Medium must be passed as an OS image file (not extracted)

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Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
Installation Media?
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
.iso OS image
Sure!
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
.iso OS image
Sure!
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
.iso OS image
Sure! vmlinuz
initrd
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
userdata*
install files*
setup
userdata
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
vmlinuz
initrd

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
userdata*
install files*
setup
userdata
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
vmlinuz
initrd

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
boot files
PXE
userdata*
ubuntu.iso*
setup
userdata
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
vmlinuz
initrd
ubuntu.iso

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
vmlinuz
initrd
ubuntu.iso
boot files
PXE
userdata*
ubuntu.iso*
setup
userdata
PXE
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
setup
userdata
PXE
host
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
vmlinuz
initrd
ubuntu.iso
boot files
PXE
userdata*
ubuntu.iso*

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
setup
userdata
host
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
vmlinuz
initrd
ubuntu.iso
boot files
PXE
userdata*
ubuntu.iso*

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Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
setup
userdata
host
Userdata ?
ubuntu.iso?
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
vmlinuz
initrd
ubuntu.iso
boot files
PXE
userdata*
ubuntu.iso*

31. atix.de
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
setup
userdata
host
Userdata
ubuntu.iso
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
vmlinuz
initrd
ubuntu.iso
boot files
PXE
userdata*
ubuntu.iso*

32. atix.de
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
setup
userdata
host
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
vmlinuz
initrd
ubuntu.iso
boot files
PXE
userdata*
ubuntu.iso*

33. atix.de
Compute Resource
ubuntu.com Foreman
setup
userdata
host
Ubuntu Provisioning: Autoinstall
vmlinuz
initrd
ubuntu.iso
boot files
PXE
userdata*
ubuntu.iso*

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(1/3) Detecting Boot Files

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(1/3) Detecting Boot Files
●
Ubuntu 18.04 (http://archive.ubuntu.com)

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(1/3) Detecting Boot Files
●
Ubuntu 18.04 (http://archive.ubuntu.com)
dists/xenial/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/ubuntu-installer/amd64/
linux, initrd.gz
→

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(1/3) Detecting Boot Files
●
Ubuntu 18.04 (http://archive.ubuntu.com)
dists/xenial/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/ubuntu-installer/amd64/
linux, initrd.gz
→
●
Ubuntu 20.04 (http://archive.ubuntu.com)
dists/focal/main/installer-amd64/current/legacy-images/netboot/ubuntu-installer/amd64/
linux, initrd.gz
→

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(1/3) Detecting Boot Files
●
Ubuntu 18.04 (http://archive.ubuntu.com)
dists/xenial/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/ubuntu-installer/amd64/
linux, initrd.gz
→
●
Ubuntu 20.04 (http://archive.ubuntu.com)
dists/focal/main/installer-amd64/current/legacy-images/netboot/ubuntu-installer/amd64/
linux, initrd.gz
→
●
Ubuntu 20.04.3+ (no public boot files over http)
casper/
vmlinuz, initrd
→

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(1/3) Detecting Boot Files
●
Provide the boot files under:
/var/www/html/pub/installation_media/ubuntu/22.04-x86_64/

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(2/3) Providing new Templates

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(2/3) Providing new Templates (d-i Userdata)
→

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(2/3) Providing new Templates (PXE)
●
Several parameters stay the same (hostname, domain, …)
●
Additional parameters for: Userdata interface
●
Re-use “url” parameter to pass OS image path

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(3/3) Delivering the OS Image

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(3/3) Delivering the OS Image
●
Provide the OS image under:
/var/www/html/pub/installation_media/ubuntu/22.04-x86_64/

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(3/3) Delivering the OS Image
●
Provide the OS image under:
/var/www/html/pub/installation_media/ubuntu/22.04-x86_64/
/var/www/html/pub/installation_media/ubuntu/22.04-x86_64.iso

46. atix.de
(3/3) = Done?

47. atix.de
(3/3) = Done?

48. atix.de
(3/3) = Done?

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(3/3) = Done?

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(3/3) = Done?

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(4/3) Future: Automated as it was
before (but different)

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(4/3) Automated as it was before (but different)

53. atix.de
Credits – thanks a lot & Happy Birthday!
●
@langesmalle
●
@lzap
●
@damonmaria
●
@LeperMessiah
●
@tux93
●
@maximilian
●
...