oem-config should also set the host name

[defishguy]

Binary package hint: oem-config

I administrate a lab of Ubuntu machines that were cloned using clonezilla (or whatever I happen to be using). I use oem-config to prepare them for distribution. Each machine will be joined to an MS Domain using the LikewiseOpen AD client. It would be exceedingly helpful if, after oem-config has been run to be asked for a new host name for the machine after it has been cloned.

Thanks for taking the time to hear my request.

[Loye Young (loyeyoung)]

This is not as good an idea as it seems, because changing the host
name (without breaking your system) is not a simple matter.

There are a number of programs that hard-code the host name. A partial list:
apache
postfix
procmail
dwww
ssh # keys would need regenerating, too
motd
host

The nature of oem-config is that the OEM customizes the installation.
That means there is not a way to know ex ante what software is
installed and consequently not a way to know what to change or how.

Further, LVM maps logical volume device names based on the hostname,
and it's not a trivial matter to change the names if you don't know
how the system is partitioned.

If the OEM wants to allow the customer to change the hostname, the OEM
should write a custom script to do that.

FWIW, we at IYCC set the hostname during the initial installation.
I've never had a customer who particularly cared what the hostname
was.

It WOULD make sense for the various programs NOT to hardcode the
hostname but instead use a system variable.

Happy Trails,

Loye Young
Isaac & Young Computer Company
Laredo, Texas
http://www.iycc.net

--

[defishguy (mkfischer)]

While I agree with your statement I disagree with your logic. I'm not an OEM... I'm an administrator trying to integrate Ubuntu and the lack of of the mentioned feature in oem-config DOES act as an impediment to introduction. Contrary to your statement changing the hostname IS a simple matter.... but not easy to do with machine imaging. If the OEM is incompetent enough to set the host name on a web server and then run oem-config then let that OEM deal with the consequences. On the other hand, imaging like hardware is so insanely common that it makes sense to offer the capability.

It is possible to make a checkbox that offers the option of setting the hostname during the first run after oem-config.

[Loye Young (loyeyoung)]

> I'm not an OEM... I'm an administrator trying to integrate Ubuntu

oem-config is probably not the best solution for you. Try the
system-imager* packages instead.

>Contrary to your statement changing the hostname IS a
> simple matter

Try this. . . . Assume a user name of "penguin", the first host name
is "oldname", and the name you want is "newname". Set up the machine
with "oldname" as the host name.

Change the host name to "newname". Reboot.
Then execute the following commands:

# rgrep oldname /etc >> /home/penguin/newname.log
# find /dev | grep oldname >> /home/penguin/newname.log
# rgrep oldname /boot >> /home/penguin/newname.log
# rgrep oldname /var >> /home/penguin/newname.log
# rgrep oldname /usr/share/ >> /home/penguin/newname.log

Then open /home/penguin/newname.log. If the file is empty, you found
everything. If it's not, you overlooked something.

>On the other
> hand, imaging like hardware is so insanely common that it makes sense to
> offer the capability.

We have found imaging to be a suboptimal solution in a manufacturing
environment, for a variety of reasons. It's cheaper, faster, and more
reliable to use oem-config.

Happy Trails,

Loye Young
Isaac & Young Computer Company
Laredo, Texas

[Simon Quigley (tsimonq2)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. We are sorry that we do not always have the capacity to look at all reported bugs in a timely manner. There have been many changes in Ubuntu since that time you reported the bug and your problem may have been fixed with some of the updates. It would help us a lot if you could test it on a currently supported Ubuntu version. When you test it and it is still an issue, kindly upload the updated logs by running only once:
apport-collect 303545

and any other logs that are relevant for this particular issue.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for ubiquity (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]