OEM install missing on 24.04

[Carlos V]

I'm planning to possibly sell PC with Ubuntu preinstalled but I can't find the option for the OEM install on Ubuntu 24.04

OEM Guide for final user creation in 24.04.1 https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-desktop-provision/blob/main/docs/oem-provisioning-24_04_1.md

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that your bug report is not filed about a specific source package though, rather it is just filed against Ubuntu in general. It is important that bug reports be filed about source packages so that people interested in the package can find the bugs about it. You can find some hints about determining what package your bug might be about at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. You might also ask for help in the #ubuntu-bugs irc channel on Libera.chat.

To change the source package that this bug is filed about visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/2048473/+editstatus and add the package name in the text box next to the word Package.

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Thank you for your bug report, the issue is also reported on https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-desktop-installer/issues/675

 It's a feature that is on our roadmap for the cycle, meanwhile in 23.10 you can use the legacy installer image for oem mode

[Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa)]

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/2048473

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

OEM install is not possible using Noble Beta and latest
Ubuntu-MATE 24.04 LTS "Noble Numbat" - Beta amd64 (20240416) .

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Info from live system with broken OEM install:
```
$ snap list
Name Version Rev Tracking Publisher Notes
bare 1.0 5 latest/stable canonical** base
core22 20240111 1122 latest/stable canonical** base
firefox 124.0.2-1 4090 latest/stable/… mozilla** -
firmware-updater 0+git.5007558 127 latest/stable/… canonical** -
gnome-42-2204 0+git.510a601 176 latest/stable/… canonical** -
gtk-common-themes 0.1-81-g442e511 1535 latest/stable/… canonical** -
snap-store 0+git.1419621 1124 latest/stable/… canonical** -
snapd 2.61.2 21184 latest/stable canonical** snapd
snapd-desktop-integration 0.9 157 latest/stable/… canonical** -
subiquity 22.02.2+git2159.2550aaa7 5722 latest/stable/… canonical** classic
ubuntu-desktop-bootstrap 0+git.4fb1e2ee 113 latest/stable/… canonical** classic
```

[Ken Sharp (kennybobs)]

In Kubuntu the option is in the programs (start) menu.

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

OEM install does not work using
Ubuntu-MATE 24.04 LTS "Noble Numbat" - Beta amd64 (20240419)
with
ubuntu-desktop-provision 158.

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

We are selling pc's pre-installed with ubuntu since more then 20 years.
If there is no oem installer in ubuntu 24.04, we will have to stop the delivery of ubuntu computers. We will not deliver with a preconfigurated sudo user and password.Even windows or mac does not do that.

[ԜаӀtеr Ⅼарсһуnѕkі (wxl)]

This doesn't necessarily help solve the problem with the new Ubuntu installer, but as Ken Sharp suggested above, there are other Ubuntu flavors that use a different installer that does offer an OEM installation option. These are currently: Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Unity.

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

These flavors use calamares. Cannot do fully unattended installs.
With casper ubiquity and preseed you can do fully unattended installs, from booting the iso in grub until end user setup screen. We do that locally with usb stick and even remotely with iso boot grub and preseed.

[Cristiano Fraga G. Nunes (cfgnunes)]

Ensuring the inclusion of the OEM install feature is crucial. Furthermore, it is documented in the Ubuntu documentation here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ubuntu_OEM_Installer_Overview

There is a recent discussion about this here:
https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/installers-in-24-04-lts/41498
https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/request-to-not-remove-ubiquity-from-24-04/42882

While we are waiting for a fix, there is a workaround: personalizing the Ubuntu ISO using Cubic:
https://github.com/PJ-Singh-001/Cubic

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

While we work on integrating a proper solution to the main image there are ways to workaround it. IF there is no user account on the system gnome-initial-setup will start to create one, the installer can be set in oem mode use a whitelabel.yaml where it will not create an user or you can probably delete the user created with a post-installation script. We will update the bug with better details once we have a tested option to suggest.

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

I did try customize iso from the latest noble daily with cubic.
Installing oem-config and ubiquity also install kde plasma.
I had to install also dhclient for pulling the preseed in.
Try to install with customized iso gives me errors.
https://www.ubuntushop.be/debug.txt
https://www.ubuntushop.be/casper.txt

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

> We will update the bug with better details once we have a tested option to suggest.

You have to simply implement OEM install boot option without tricks and workarounds as it was in previous LTS releases. Or bring stable and polished Ubiquity back.

Otherwise people will ship great and traditional Linux Mint with OEM preinstall (see https://linuxmint-installation-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/oem.html ) as a replacement for full-of-snaps Ubuntu (with flavours).

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

If the new installer with oem mode cannot do fully unattended installs, then it would be a step backwards.
I need this for:
Easy reinstall unattended by the user:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdbBhvBjGKM

or remove windows and install ubuntu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCnpZ99wDfU

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

> You have to simply implement OEM install boot option without tricks and workarounds as it was in previous LTS releases.

Did you read my previous comment? Quoting "While we work on integrating a proper solution to the main image"

[Cristiano Fraga G. Nunes (cfgnunes)]

I have tested the new ISO:
https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/20240424/noble-desktop-amd64.iso

But the problem persists.

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

hwo do you test, autoinstall.yaml in the iso or remotely fetch the yaml file?

Cristiano Fraga G. Nunes (cfgnunes) wrote 19 hours ago: #17

I have tested the new ISO:
https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/20240424/noble-desktop-amd64.iso

But the problem persists.

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

this site tells you need 3 files if you want to fetch from own server or in the iso:
https://derlinuxwikinger.de/automatische-ubuntu-installation-mit-autoinstall/
https://derlinuxwikinger.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/userdata_metadata.png

[Cristiano Fraga G. Nunes (cfgnunes)]

Hi, ubuntushop (g-info-l),

I have just checked if the menu "OEM install (for manufactures)" appeared in the last ISO version, as described here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ubuntu_OEM_Installer_Overview

I did not test the 'autoinstall.yaml'.

[Cristiano Fraga G. Nunes (cfgnunes)]

The final ISO was released without the OEM installer... :/

https://releases.ubuntu.com/24.04/ubuntu-24.04-desktop-amd64.iso

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

I am working with autoinstall.yaml, but i cannot get the file from my apache2 webserver.
cloud-config-url=http://myserverip/ub24/
the installer is touching the dir, but did not find the autoinstall.yaml
What should be in this dir?
the autoinstall.yaml begins with:
#cloud-config
  autoinstall:
  # version is an Autoinstall required field.
  version: 1

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

Wish a long live to Kubuntu and Calamares.
Kubuntu team implemented normal OEM install feature in 24.04 LTS with Calamares 3.3.5.
Congratulations!

Good luck other flavours poking with autoinstall.yaml and patching ISOs by our/theirselves with Cubic or similar.

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

I believe Calamares cannot do unattended installs.

[DiagonalArg (diagonalarg)]

What about a 24.04 legacy .iso, as with 23.10? Then the dev's could work on correcting the extensive subiquity brokenness.

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

I would love a legacy iso.

I am now testing the new installer for autoinstall, but on gnome user setup (because no user exists), end user cannot choose language and there is only a few keyboard layouts to choose from.
Is there a way to autointall all keyboard layouts and languages via the autoinstall.yaml file?

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

The languages and keyboard layout are probably limited because only a subset of the language packs are installed on the system, you can probably try to install language-pack-gnome-<??> from the packages: section of the autoinstall?

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

I did install language packs but gnome-initial-setup does not show language chooser.
And i can only install two keyboard layouts.

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

It seems that this new installer cannot do the oem functionalty as the old ubiquity installer.
On ubiquity, you could choose your lang and keyboard layout from a full list.
Unless there will be a ubuntu 24.04 legacy iso with ubiquity + preseed installer, we will be forced to stop ubuntu computers deliveries after 20 years of ubuntu business.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

@ubuntushop, we are working on providing a solution but meanwhile you can keep using 22.04 which is still supported, it's usually a good idea to wait for the LTS .1 anyway to provide a robust user experience

[Koen Roggemans (koen-roggemans)]

Since there is AFAIK no time frame given for this to land. Inspired by #12 I found a few working workarounds.
1. using cubic / autoinstall.yaml.
- install cubic https://github.com/PJ-Singh-001/Cubic/wiki/Install-Cubic
- download the original 24.04 installer
- open it with cubic
- add in the root folder of the installed system a file /autoinstall.yaml, containing
autoinstall:
  version: 1
  user-data:
    users: ['']
  shutdown: poweroff
(mind the correct number of spaces - it's yaml)
- let cubic build your installer.
-installing this package will provide you with an ubuntu 24.04 without a useraccount. This will start the gnome oem installer to create a user. Since I need this to work for young students (11+), I add some lanugage and keyboard settings in the yaml
  keyboard:
    layout: be
  timezone: geoip
  locale: nl_BE

After the installer has run, the system powers off, so you can FOG, partclone, dd it to other (probably best as similar as possible) machines.

2. using the unaltered installer
- run the normal installer.
- after installation, add in /etc/gdm3/custom.conf InitialSetupEnable=True in the [daemon] section
- remove the users you have used to install the system. I found that a hard part - I had to create a chroot environment to be able to delete it. May be someone has a better idea.
- shutdown the system.
- Copy de system to your other machines.
When booting, a new user is created, using the initial settings like the keyboard from the first created user, which is convenient.

[Carlos V (linuxkernel94)]

Could you provide an estimate of when this could be resolved, ideally before 24.04.1?

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

Seems like customizing ubuntu 24.04 iso with ubiquity (legacy installer) is not possible anymore. Getting python errors on progress bar.

[Carlos V (linuxkernel94)]

Is there any simple workaround at the moment?

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

Will there be an legacy iso for 24.04?

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

@Koen Roggemans (koen-roggemans) : gnome-initial-setup does not show all keyboard layouts and languages.
Ubiquity shows them all, and install lang+kb when customer select one.

[Koen Roggemans (koen-roggemans)]

@ubuntushop (g-info-l) ; I guess I'm lucky then. All devices I have to install have an Azerty BE keyboard, which is provided. I also have another use case then you I guess: (345 devices for 12-year olds and 300 for 15-year old)

I'm happy with workaround 1. I described in #32

All settings come from autoinstall.yaml and a postinstall script I trigger with
  late-commands:
    - cp /postinstall.sh /target/
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- chmod +x /postinstall.sh
    - curtin in-target --target=/target -- bash /postinstall.sh

The postinstall.sh script adds some settings in /etc/gnome-initial-setup/vendor.conf, so the gnome-installer now only asks for username, password and network if not available.
[pages]
skip=language;keyboard;timezone;privacy

Further the postinstall script installs salt-minion and its repository and starts that. This installs the rest of the software and changes some settings, but that is outside the scope of this report.

But may be the postinstall script can install some extra keyboard layouts?

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

@Koen Roggemans (koen-roggemans).
You mean install a lang+kb? Gnome-initial-setup should install the lang and KB choosen by end user. Just like ubiquity does.
I have postinstall scripts to install more layouts and langs, but gnome-initial-setup does not show them.
I can only install two kb layouts with autoinstall.yaml:
tried:
no succes
packages:
    - language-pack-gnome-fr
    - language-pack-gnome-nl
    - language-pack-gnome-de
no success
    - curtin in-target -- apt-get -y install `check-language-support -l fr`
    - curtin in-target -- apt-get -y install `check-language-support -l en`
    - curtin in-target -- apt-get -y install language-pack-gnome-en
    - curtin in-target -- apt-get -y install language-pack-gnome-fr

success , but max two layouts
keyboard:
    layout: "fr,us"

[Michel-Ekimia (michel.ekimia)]

Hi all fellow manufacturers :-)
Starting to have some clients asking 24.04 and discovering that Oem mode is not "implemented" ( which I can understand ) but no Legacy mode available ?

Time to fork for a Calamares / Flatpak Store Ubuntu respin anyone ? Let's call it zUbuntu :-)

[ubuntushop (g-info-l)]

i was able to create ubuntu 24.04 iso with legacy installer.
One iso with and one without snap.
I do not if i may publish them.

[Dan Bungert (dbungert)]

Triaged for Subiquity, the remaining support items to enable this for the Ubuntu Desktop ISO in plan for 24.04.1.

[Michel-Ekimia (michel.ekimia)]

A new Guide For using gnome-initial-setup was published 4 days ago and should work on 24.04.1 which seems a perfect timing to me to seel preinstalled computers

https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-desktop-provision/blob/main/docs/oem-provisioning-24_04_1.md

[Norbert (nrbrtx)]

> ... preinstalled computers
> https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-desktop-provision/blob/main/docs/oem-provisioning-24_04_1.md

Seems to be too difficult and complicated.
Please bring OEM install option to the GRUB bootloader menu!
And also please do not forget about other flavours - Xfce, MATE, Lubuntu and so on.