Subject: Installation manual is too terse

From: Richard Owlett <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2016 03:59:05 -0500

_B.5.3. Chainloading preconfiguration files_ says in part:
# More flexibly, this runs a shell command and if it outputs the 
names of
# preconfiguration files, includes those files.
#d-i preseed/include_command \
#      string if [ "`hostname`" = bob ]; then echo bob.cfg; fi

How complex can the shell command be?
Where could I find other examples?

I have a germ of an idea. I need more data before asking too 
detailed questions.

---

From: Darac Marjal <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2016 10:42:19 +0100

On Tue, Sep 20, 2016 at 03:59:05AM -0500, Richard Owlett wrote:
># More flexibly, this runs a shell command and if it outputs the names 
>of

If I'm looking in the right place AND interpreting things correctly 
(https://sources.debian.net/src/preseed/1.66/preseed.sh/?hl=76#L76), the 
preseed system runs "eval" on your string and then appends the output to 
the list of include files.

As this is run in /bin/sh, anything that's valid POSIX shell should 
work.

>
>I have a germ of an idea. I need more data before asking too detailed 
>questions.
>
>

-- 
For more information, please reread.

---

From: Richard Owlett <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2016 06:01:55 -0500

On 9/20/2016 4:42 AM, Darac Marjal wrote:
>> # More flexibly, this runs a shell command and if it outputs
>> the names of
> (https://sources.debian.net/src/preseed/1.66/preseed.sh/?hl=76#L76),
> the preseed system runs "eval" on your string and then appends
> the output to the list of include files.
>
> As this is run in /bin/sh, anything that's valid POSIX shell
> should work.

If I interpret things correctly then the below should work.

#d-i preseed/include_command \
#      string if [ "`hostname`" = bob ]; then d-i pkgsel/include 
string pluma gedit; fi

I suspect the substring "then d-i pkgsel/include string pluma 
gedit" might not be syntactically correct but indicates what I 
would like to do.

---

From: Darac Marjal <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:12:15 +0100

On Tue, Sep 20, 2016 at 06:01:55AM -0500, Richard Owlett wrote:
>I suspect the substring "then d-i pkgsel/include string pluma gedit" 
>might not be syntactically correct but indicates what I would like to 
>do.

I don't think that will work, but the following might:

#d-i preseed/include_command \
#      string if [ "`hostname`" = bob ]; then echo "d-i pkgsel/include 
string pluma gedit" > bob.cfg; echo bob.cfg; fi

---

From: Richard Owlett <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2016 06:39:48 -0500

On 9/20/2016 6:12 AM, Darac Marjal wrote:
>> #      string if [ "`hostname`" = bob ]; then d-i
>> pkgsel/include string pluma gedit; fi
>>
> #      string if [ "`hostname`" = bob ]; then echo "d-i
> pkgsel/include string pluma gedit" > bob.cfg; echo bob.cfg; fi
>

Thank you.
Looks like it's time for test cases using "debconf-set-selections 
-c preseed.cfg" and/or the various "debug = n" otions.