Automated Server installation

Documentation Server Guide
47

Using autoinstall for ubuntu-20.04.4-live-server-amd64.iso here, and I cannot understand why it would consistently install a GNOME based desktop environment :upside_down_face:

Some context, if anything here makes sense to explain the issue:

  • Net booting environment
  • apt-cacher-ng to save my bandwith and go faster on repeated installs

I’ve added a GRUB option in my netboot to boot on the exact same Ubuntu 20.04.4 Server without the autoinstall config: I can install manually, and no GNOME based desktop environment is ever installed (which is totally expected).

If I take the /var/log/autoinstall-user-data from that manual install and apply it, the autoinstall will proceed but it will - again - add a GNOME based desktop environment :exploding_head:

Here’s the full user-data file I’m using:

#cloud-config
autoinstall:
  version: 1
  network:
    version: 2
    ethernets:
      id0:
        match:
          name: *
        dhcp4: true
        critical: true
    wifis:
      id1:
        match:
          name: *
        optional: true
  refresh-installer:
    update: yes
  identity:
    hostname: whateverhostname
    realname: whatever
    username: whatever
    password: "$6$exDY1mhS4KUYCE/2$zmn9ToZwTKLhCw.b4/b.ZRTIZM30JZ4QrOQ2aOXJ8yk96xpcCof0kxKwuX1kqLG/ygbJ1f8wxED22bTL4F46P0"
  timezone: Europe/Paris
  locale: fr_FR.UTF-8
  keyboard:
    layout: "fr"
    toggle: null
    variant: ''
  ssh:
    install-server: true
    allow-pw: false
    authorized-keys:
      - ssh-ed25519 MyPublicSSHKey my@email.com
  proxy: http://192.168.1.50:3142/
  updates: security
  kernel:
    package: linux-generic
  drivers:
    install: false
  apt:
    disable_components: []
    geoip: true
    preserve_sources_list: false
    primary:
    - arches:
      - amd64
      - i386
      uri: http://fr.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu
    - arches:
      - default
      uri: http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports
  storage:
    swap:
      size: 0
    config:
      # the disk
      - id: sda
        type: disk
        ptable: gpt
        match:
          size: largest
        wipe: superblock-recursive
        preserve: false
        grub_device: true
      # /dev/sda1
      - id: sda1
        type: partition
        number: 1
        size: 1GB
        device: sda
        flag: boot
        # for a description why this shouldn't be there, but is needed anyways
        # see https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/please-test-autoinstalls-for-20-04/15250/340
        grub_device: true
      - id: sda1-format
        type: format
        fstype: fat32
        volume: sda1
      - id: sda1-mount
        type: mount
        path: /boot/efi
        device: sda1-format
      # /dev/sda2
      - id: sda2
        type: partition
        number: 2
        size: 10GB
        device: sda
      - id: sda2-format
        type: format
        fstype: ext4
        volume: sda2
      - id: sda2-mount
        type: mount
        path: /
        device: sda2-format
      # /dev/sda3
      - id: sda3
        type: partition
        number: 3
        size: 10GB
        device: sda
        flag: home
      - id: sda3-format
        type: format
        fstype: ext4
        volume: sda3
      - id: sda3-mount
        type: mount
        path: /home
        device: sda3-format
      # /dev/sda4
      - id: sda4
        type: partition
        number: 4
        size: -1
        device: sda
      - id: sda4-format
        type: format
        fstype: ext4
        volume: sda4
      - id: sda4-mount
        type: mount
        path: /data
        device: sda4-format

Did I miss something? That sounds so weird to me… Any tip or pointer is welcome :nerd_face: