debconf concepts¶

This chapter explains how to use the Debian debconf and dbconfig-common packages to configure OpenStack services. These packages enable users to perform configuration tasks. When users install OpenStack packages, debconf prompts the user for responses, which seed the contents of configuration files associated with that package. After package installation, users can update the configuration of a package by using the dpkg-reconfigure program.

If you are familiar with these packages and pre-seeding, you can proceed to Identity service.

The Debian packages¶

The rules described here are from the Debian Policy Manual. If any rule described in this chapter is not respected, you have found a serious bug that must be fixed.

When you install or upgrade a Debian package, all configuration file values are preserved. Using the debconf database as a registry is considered a bug in Debian. If you edit something in any OpenStack configuration file, the debconf package reads that value when it prepares to prompt the user. For example, to change the log in name for the RabbitMQ messaging queue for a service, you can edit its value in the corresponding configuration file.

To opt out of using the debconf package, run the dpkg-reconfigure command and select non-interactive mode:

# dpkg-reconfigure -plow debconf

Then, debconf does not prompt you.

Another way to disable the debconf package is to prefix the apt command with DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive, as follows:

# DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install nova-api

If you configure a package with debconf incorrectly, you can re-configure it, as follows:

# dpkg-reconfigure PACKAGE-NAME

This calls the post-installation script for the PACKAGE-NAME package after the user responds to all prompts. If you cannot install a Debian package in a non-interactive way, you have found a release-critical bug in Debian. Report it to the Debian bug tracking system.

Generally, the -common packages install the configuration files. For example, the glance-common package installs the glance-api.conf and glance-registry.conf files. So, for the Image service, you must re-configure the glance-common package. The same applies for cinder-common, nova-common, and heat-common packages.

In debconf, the higher the priority for a screen, the greater the chance that the user sees that screen. If a debconf screen has medium priority and you configure the Debian system to show only critical prompts, which is the default in Debian, the user does not see that debconf screen. Instead, the default for the related package is used. In the Debian OpenStack packages, a number of debconf screens are set with medium priority. Consequently, if you want to respond to all debconf screens from the Debian OpenStack packages, you must run the following command and select the medium priority before you install any packages:

# dpkg-reconfigure debconf

Note

The packages do not require pre-depends. If dbconfig-common is already installed on the system, the user sees all prompts. However, you cannot define the order in which the debconf screens appear. The user must make sense of it even if the prompts appear in an illogical order.

Pre-seed debconf prompts¶

You can pre-seed all debconf prompts. To pre-seed means to store responses in the debconf database so that debconf does not prompt the user for responses. Pre-seeding enables a hands-free installation for users. The package maintainer creates scripts that automatically configure the services.

The following example shows how to pre-seed an automated MySQL Server installation:

MYSQL_PASSWORD=MYSQL_PASSWORD
echo "mysql-server-5.5 mysql-server/root_password password ${MYSQL_PASSWORD}
mysql-server-5.5 mysql-server/root_password seen true
mysql-server-5.5 mysql-server/root_password_again password ${MYSQL_PASSWORD}
mysql-server-5.5 mysql-server/root_password_again seen true
" | debconf-set-selections
DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y --force-yes mysql-server

The seen true option tells debconf that a specified screen was already seen by the user so do not show it again. This option is useful for upgrades.