isolinux: Add txt.cfg to automate VM installs

[acotty]

When trying to use the Linux Mint 20 beta ISO file to install in Virtualbox on Windows using the unattended install feature it fails as LM20 does not include /isolinux/txt.cfg in the ISO. XUbuntu 20.04 includes the file and I can use the unattended install.

The Windows batch file I use to try and create the VB LM20 image is: @rem https://kifarunix.com/how-to-automate-virtual-machine-installation-on-virtualbox/

set VM_Directory=C:\VirtualBox set VM_Name=LM-20-BETA set VBoxManageExe="C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe" set UserName=mint set UserPassword=mint

set ISO_IMAGE="D:\Downloads\Linux\ISO_Files\linuxmint-20-xfce-64bit-beta.iso"

@rem goto end @rem goto OS_Install

%VBoxManageExe% createvm --name %VM_Name% --ostype Ubuntu_64 --register --basefolder "C:\VirtualBox" %VBoxManageExe% createmedium --filename "%VM_Directory%\%VM_Name%\%VM_Name%.vdi" --format VDI --size 102200

%VBoxManageExe% storagectl %VM_Name% --name SATA --add SATA --controller IntelAhci %VBoxManageExe% storageattach %VM_Name% --storagectl SATA --port 0 --device 0 --type hdd --medium "%VM_Directory%\%VM_Name%\%VM_Name%.vdi"

%VBoxManageExe% storagectl %VM_Name% --name IDE --add IDE --controller PIIX4 @rem %VBoxManageExe% storageattach %VM_Name% --storagectl IDE --port 0 --device 0 --type dvddrive --medium "none"

%VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --clipboard-mode bidirectional --draganddrop bidirectional %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --memory 8192 --vram 128 %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --graphicscontroller vmsvga --monitorcount 2 --accelerate3d on %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --ioapic on %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --boot1 dvd --boot2 disk --boot3 none --boot4 none %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --cpus 4 %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --audio dsound --audiocontroller hda --audioin off --audioout on

%VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --usb off %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --usbohci off %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --usbehci off %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --usbxhci off

%VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --nic1 nat --nictype1 82540EM --cableconnected1 on --natpf1 ["EGM Simulator"],tcp,[0.0.0.0],3321,[0.0.0.0],3321

%VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --nic2 none %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --nic3 none %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --nic4 none

%VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --uart1 0x3f8 4 --uartmode1 COM1 %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --uart2 off %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --uart3 0x3e8 4 --uartmode3 COM3 %VBoxManageExe% modifyvm %VM_Name% --uart4 0x2e8 3 --uartmode4 COM4

%VBoxManageExe% sharedfolder add %VM_Name% --name "VirtualBoxTransfer" --hostPath "D:\VB_Transfer" --writable "true" --autoMount "true" --autoMountPoint "/home/%UserName%/Transfer"

:OS_Install %VBoxManageExe% unattended install "%VM_Name%" --user=%UserName% --password=%UserPassword% --country=AU --time-zone="Australia/Sydney" --hostname="%VM_Name%".myguest.virtualbox.org --iso=%ISO_IMAGE% --start-vm=gui --install-additions @rem --additionsIsoPath = C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\ VBoxGuestAdditions.iso goto end

:end

The txt.cfg file from XUbuntu ISO is: default live label live menu label ^Try Xubuntu without installing kernel /casper/vmlinuz append file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed initrd=/casper/initrd quiet splash --- label live-nomodeset menu label ^Try Xubuntu without installing (safe graphics) kernel /casper/vmlinuz append file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed initrd=/casper/initrd quiet splash nomodeset --- label live-install menu label ^Install Xubuntu kernel /casper/vmlinuz append file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed only-ubiquity initrd=/casper/initrd quiet splash --- label live-install-nomodeset menu label ^Install Xubuntu (safe graphics) kernel /casper/vmlinuz append file=/cdrom/preseed/xubuntu.seed only-ubiquity initrd=/casper/initrd quiet splash nomodeset --- label memtest menu label Test ^memory kernel /install/mt86plus label hd menu label ^Boot from first hard disk localboot 0x80

[clefebvre]

So all you need is an isolinux/txt.cfg file which defaults to the live label?

[acotty]

I do not know what is needed. I found the file was missing as I grabbed the Virtualbox sources and tracked the problem down to the missing file based on the error message as I thought it may be a problem with my batch with LM20. I only found out that VirtualBox had an unattended install feature about 4 weeks ago, so am a newbie with this.

[clefebvre]

OK, we'll investigate during the next dev cycle.