Xenial tasksel "manual package selection" during installation does nothing

[Thomas Ward]

NOTE: This bug was filed via `ubuntu-bug` on an Ubuntu Server machine post-install. The issue appeared on the Xenial ISOs, and likely still exists (pending a Yakkety image I can dig up which will actually install on a VM).

While not part of the ISO testing, it was discovered by myself that the "Manual Package Selection" task no longer operates in the Ubuntu Server installer ISO.

The ISO probably absorbs this error, but this error is output to the Terminal when you try and use "manual package selection" in tasksel post-install:

Can't exec "/usr/lib/tasksel/packages/manual": No such file or directory at /usr/bin/tasksel line 295.
Use of uninitialized value in split at /usr/bin/tasksel line 295.

With 15.10 and earlier (Trusty included), this is not an issue, 'manual package selection' works in both post-installation and during the installation of the system.

(This was tested on the Server ISOs, and with Ubuntu Server installations)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: tasksel 3.34ubuntu3
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-21.37-generic 4.4.6
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-21-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu May 5 09:26:43 2016
InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-04-19 (15 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160417.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: tasksel
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Thomas Ward (teward)]

If "manual package selection" is no longer something we wish to support, then perhaps it should be removed from 'tasksel'.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Dimitri John Ledkov (xnox)]

I have discussed this in person, and indeed this is not something we want to support any more. If you are preseeding please use postinstall commands to executed apt in-target to install things which are not part of the tasks.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

This bug was fixed in the package tasksel - 3.34ubuntu4

---------------
tasksel (3.34ubuntu4) zesty; urgency=medium

  * Drop manual package installation task, does not work since xenial. LP:
    #1578642.
  * Regenerate tasks.

 -- Dimitri John Ledkov <email address hidden> Thu, 15 Dec 2016 11:53:41 +0000