Preconfiguring ssh password for server installer

Flugschwein

5/25/23, 8:48 PM

I am trying to install Ubuntu Server on a device on which the available HDMI port broke down, so I can't connect a display whatsoever. I read in the docs (here) that it was possible to connect to the installer over SSH. I managed to boot into the Installer on my device, and found the IP address with the corresponding open ssh port. The problem is, that I don't know the password to use and I can't read it from the screen either as is intended if I understood it correctly. Some online resources suggested it might be ubuntu but that was not the case.

Is there a way to set the key/password beforehand or modify it?

I already found this question about pretty much the same problem, yet it did not contain an answer I can use.

0 + 0

ssh

password

system-installation

Score:2

Ubuntu

Andrew Lowther

5/26/23, 12:24 AM

If you are using the "live-server" installer (subiquity) then the default settings will create a user named installer with a random password. The installer user can be used to access the installer TUI by SSH.

Depending on the version of subiquity the randomly generated password is printed to the screen or is available under the Help menu.

The installer user is created by cloud-init when the installer boots. By changing the cloud-init configuration it is possible to set the password or to add SSH Key(s) for the installer user to something known. There are a couple of ways to configure cloud-init.

Use Autoinstall

I have been able to set the installer password by using an autoinstall file. The file has content like the following to set a password and set an SSH key.

#cloud-config
autoinstall:
...
# set password to r00tme
chpasswd:
    expire: false
    list:
        - installer:$6$.c38i4RIqZeF4RtR$hRu2RFep/.6DziHLnRqGOEImb15JT2i.K/F9ojBkK/79zqY30Ll2/xx6QClQfdelLe.ZjpeVYfE8xBBcyLspa/
ssh_authorized_keys:
    - ssh-rsa FILLINYOUROWNKEYHERE

Modify the ISO

I have not done this, but you could try modifying the ISO. The installer user setup is configured in the /etc/cloud.cfg file. You could modify this file to define a password or SSH key.

See Also

0 + 0

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Preconfiguring ssh password for server installer

TH: การกำหนดค่ารหัสผ่าน ssh ล่วงหน้าสำหรับตัวติดตั้งเซิร์ฟเวอร์

RO: Preconfigurarea parolei ssh pentru instalatorul de server

RU: Предварительная настройка пароля ssh для установщика сервера

VI: Định cấu hình trước mật khẩu ssh cho trình cài đặt máy chủ

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