precise alpha 1 debian-installer static network does not support empty gateway

[Ralf Spenneberg]

When installing Precise Alpha 1 the debian-installer requires a gateway when configuring static network.

When I use an empty string the Installer shows an error: gateway not reachable.

I would like to install debian in a network without gateway.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Ian Wells (ijw-ubuntu)]

Additional data:

- You can't set get_gateway='none' as a kernel command line option; it's documented as supported, but it doesn't work and you get an onscreen complaint that the network configuration is not valid
- You can't netboot if your DHCP server doesn't supply a router option without supplying a gateway interactively

There's also a no_default_route option given by 'debconf dumpdb' on a part-booted machine. I've yet to find any documentation of this or any evidence that it has an effect (also, assuming 'default route' == 'gateway', using the synonym in one setting is unhelpful).

[Ian Wells (ijw-ubuntu)]

... looking at static.c it appears someone's added a reachability test that's always run on the result of get_gateway(), even when the gateway is explicitly not set.