[Bug 1732776] [NEW] debconf/priority not respected

[Joshua Powers]

Public bug reported:

Starting with the bionic ISOs setting the debconf priority level via
`debconf/priority=LEVEL` on the cmdline is not respected. Using
`priority=LEVEL` however is.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Download daily bionic ISO from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/daily/pending/

2. Pull out the kernel and initrd
$ mkdir iso
$ bsdtar xfp bionic-server-amd64.iso -C iso
$ cp iso/install/vmlinuz .
$ cp iso/install/initrd.gz .

3. Create QEMU disk
$ qemu-img create -f qcow2 vdisk.img 4G

4. Launch ISO via QEMU with debconf/priority set on cmdline:
$ qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -cpu host -m 1024 -boot d \
    -initrd initrd.gz -kernel kernel -display none -nographic \
    -hda vdisk.img -cdrom bionic-server-amd64.iso \
    -append 'console=ttyS0 locale=en_US.UTF-8 debconf/priority=critical'

The installer will ask you for keyboard layout, which is not expected as
the priority on those questions is high, not critical.

5. Change 'debconf/priority=critical' to 'priority=critical' and the
install will skip the initial keyboard and language questions, load
additional modules, bring up the network, and finally ask you about a
username and password, which is a critical question.

The expected behavior is that debconf/priority=critical and
priority=critical are treated in the same manner.

Here are two example installer syslogs show how artful does and bionic
does not respect the debconf/priority setting. In both you can clearly
see it set on the cmdline, however see debconf does not respect it:

artful: http://paste.ubuntu.com/25970598/
bionic: http://paste.ubuntu.com/25970599/

** Affects: debconf (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Description changed:

  Starting with the bionic ISOs setting the debconf priority level via
  `debconf/priority=LEVEL` on the cmdline is not respected. Using
  `priority=LEVEL` however is.
  
  Steps to reproduce:
  1. Download daily bionic ISO from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/daily/pending/
  
  2. Pull out the kernel and initrd
  $ mkdir iso
  $ bsdtar xfp bionic-server-amd64.iso -C iso
  $ cp iso/install/vmlinuz .
  $ cp iso/install/initrd.gz .
  
  3. Create QEMU disk
- $ qemu-img create -f qcow2 vdisk.img 4G 
+ $ qemu-img create -f qcow2 vdisk.img 4G
  
  4. Launch ISO via QEMU with debconf/priority set on cmdline:
  $ qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -cpu host -m 1024 -boot d \
-     -initrd initrd.gz -kernel kernel -display none -nographic \
-     -hda vdisk.img -cdrom bionic-server-amd64.iso \
-     -append 'console=ttyS0 locale=en_US.UTF-8 debconf/priority=critical'
+     -initrd initrd.gz -kernel kernel -display none -nographic \
+     -hda vdisk.img -cdrom bionic-server-amd64.iso \
+     -append 'console=ttyS0 locale=en_US.UTF-8 debconf/priority=critical'
  
  The installer will ask you for keyboard layout, which is not expected as
  the priority on those questions is high, not critical.
  
  5. Change 'debconf/priority=critical' to 'priority=critical' and the
  install will skip the initial keyboard and language questions, load
  additional modules, bring up the network, and finally ask you about a
  username and password, which is a critical question.
  
  The expected behavior is that debconf/priority=critical and
  priority=critical are treated in the same manner.
+ 
+ Here are two example installer syslogs show how artful does and bionic
+ does not respect the debconf/priority setting. In both you can clearly
+ see it set on the cmdline, however see debconf does not respect it:
+ 
+ artful: http://paste.ubuntu.com/25970598/
+ bionic: http://paste.ubuntu.com/25970599/

-- 
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1732776

Title:
  debconf/priority not respected

Status in debconf package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Starting with the bionic ISOs setting the debconf priority level via
  `debconf/priority=LEVEL` on the cmdline is not respected. Using
  `priority=LEVEL` however is.

  Steps to reproduce:
  1. Download daily bionic ISO from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/daily/pending/

  2. Pull out the kernel and initrd
  $ mkdir iso
  $ bsdtar xfp bionic-server-amd64.iso -C iso
  $ cp iso/install/vmlinuz .
  $ cp iso/install/initrd.gz .

  3. Create QEMU disk
  $ qemu-img create -f qcow2 vdisk.img 4G

  4. Launch ISO via QEMU with debconf/priority set on cmdline:
  $ qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -cpu host -m 1024 -boot d \
      -initrd initrd.gz -kernel kernel -display none -nographic \
      -hda vdisk.img -cdrom bionic-server-amd64.iso \
      -append 'console=ttyS0 locale=en_US.UTF-8 debconf/priority=critical'

  The installer will ask you for keyboard layout, which is not expected
  as the priority on those questions is high, not critical.

  5. Change 'debconf/priority=critical' to 'priority=critical' and the
  install will skip the initial keyboard and language questions, load
  additional modules, bring up the network, and finally ask you about a
  username and password, which is a critical question.

  The expected behavior is that debconf/priority=critical and
  priority=critical are treated in the same manner.

  Here are two example installer syslogs show how artful does and bionic
  does not respect the debconf/priority setting. In both you can clearly
  see it set on the cmdline, however see debconf does not respect it:

  artful: http://paste.ubuntu.com/25970598/
  bionic: http://paste.ubuntu.com/25970599/

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