Cloudbase-init.msi fails with non-ASCII groups names

[al-indigo]

It seems that Cloudbase-init.msi silent install fails on writing file cloudbase-init.conf. It's not empty, but if fails exactly before the option "groups" is set and in automatic mode it is set in ru-locale to "Администраторы". I've double-checked: without any automation, the installer does the same. If I change "Администраторы" to "Administators", the installation succeeds.

There is a missing option for this automated deploy in $msiexecArgumentList for this to change, so there is no automatic way to overwhelm this problem.

Ways for solution:

1. Fix the writing behaviour for non-ascii symbols into configuration
2. Or at least make it possible to override it during msi silent installation

[al-indigo]

Writing down "dumb" way to fix it until developers from Cloudbase find a right way. If you face the same problem, you can make the following:

1. Avoid an error mentioned in https://github.com/cloudbase/windows-imaging-tools/issues/391 , I have provided a way to do it inside the description
2. Comment out the part related to cloudbase-init MSI installation
3. Instead of this part insert this to make the script wait for file "C:\UnattendResources\done.txt" creation to proceed:

   $signalFile = "$resourcesDir\done.txt"
   Write-Host "Please install Cloudbase-Init manually. Create the file $signalFile when done."
   # Wait for the signal file to be created
   while (-not (Test-Path $signalFile)) {
       Start-Sleep -Seconds 10
   }
   Remove-Item $signalFile -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

4. When the script pauses and tells you to install cloudbase-init manually, do it. In the field "groups" write anything in english (Administrators for example).
5. After cloudbase-init installation, replace the value in "C:\Program Files\Cloudbase-init\conf\cloudbase-init.conf" at third line to correspond your groups. I have put a ready init.conf file in the folder which is copied to C:\UnattendResources folder and than replaced the file inside "C:\Program Files\Cloudbase-init..." but you do it as you wish
6. After that create a text file C:\UnattendResources\done.txt
7. After all powershell windows close, manually turn off the VM

[ader1990]

Hello, a quick workaround is to use the config options cloudbase_init_config_path and cloudbase_init_unattended_config_path to set custom cloudbase-init config files https://github.com/cloudbase/windows-imaging-tools/blob/master/Config.psm1#L158