Ubuntu16.04.3: Unable to install on Briggs system

[bugproxy]

---Problem Description---
Ubuntu 16.04.3: netboot installation failing in below step.

   ?????????????????? [!!] Download installer components ???????????????????
   ? ?
   ? No kernel modules were found. This probably is due to a mismatch ?
   ? between the kernel used by this version of the installer and the ?
   ? kernel version available in the archive. ?
   ? ?
   ? If you're installing from a mirror, you can work around this problem ?
   ? by choosing to install a different version of Ubuntu. The install ?
   ? will probably fail to work if you continue without kernel modules. ?
   ? ?
   ? Continue the install without loading kernel modules? ?
   ? ?
   ? <Go Back> <Yes> <No> ?
   ? ?
   ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

<Tab> moves; <Space> selects; <Enter> activates buttons

---Machine Type---
Power 8 Briggs System

---boot type---
Netboot

---Steps to Reproduce---

kernel http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/dists/xenial-proposed/main/installer-ppc64el/current/images/hwe-netboot/ubuntu-installer/ppc64el/vmlinux
initrd http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/dists/xenial-proposed/main/installer-ppc64el/current/images/hwe-netboot/ubuntu-installer/ppc64el/initrd.gz
Boot arguments :
netcfg/disable_dhcp=true netcfg/confirm_static=true netcfg/choose_interface=6c:ae:8b:00:2d:8c netcfg/get_ipaddress=9.40.193.49/24 netcfg/get_gateway=9.40.193.1 netcfg/get_nameservers="9.3.1.200"

Fails despite selecting any mirror.

   ?????????????????? [!!] Download installer components ???????????????????
   ? ?
   ? No kernel modules were found. This probably is due to a mismatch ?
   ? between the kernel used by this version of the installer and the ?
   ? kernel version available in the archive. ?
   ? ?
   ? If you're installing from a mirror, you can work around this problem ?
   ? by choosing to install a different version of Ubuntu. The install ?
   ? will probably fail to work if you continue without kernel modules. ?
   ? ?
   ? Continue the install without loading kernel modules? ?
   ? ?
   ? <Go Back> <Yes> <No> ?
   ? ?
   ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Can you try installing xenial version (not the proposed) and check if this issue exist so we can rule out if this issue is due to package issue of netboot xenial proposed version.

ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports/dists/xenial/main/installer-ppc64el/current/images/netboot/ubuntu-installer/ppc64el/vmlinux

== Comment: #4 - SEETEENA THOUFEEK <email address hidden> - 2017-07-04 01:05:12 ==
Xenial version installs fine. Issue is with Xenial proposed version.

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

Why are you using xenial-proposed instead of xenial-updates?

-proposed installers are never ready for everyday consumption. And can only be successfully used by enabling proposed archive.

If you must use xenial-proposed for whatever reason, one must also use -proposed for the udebs and debs on the system. These are not enabled by default.

Specifically please pass "apt-setup/proposed=true" as the kernel cmdline argument and/or include equivalent in your preseed if used.

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

For general cases please use xenial-updates installer. Only use xenial-proposed when advised, or testing specific proposed packages. Please note, production machines should not use or have -proposed enabled.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

They are using xenial-proposed precisely because that's where the 16.04.3 preview installer is available currently.

[Steve Langasek (vorlon)]

> Specifically please pass "apt-setup/proposed=true" as the
> kernel cmdline argument and/or include equivalent in your
> preseed if used.

However, this is the key missing bit. Yes, you need to pass this option when testing with d-i netboot images and then it will work.

There is no way to automate this because the installer image does not know at any given point in time that it is a -proposed vs. an -updates image. So there is no further change to be made here in Ubuntu.