Subiquity is Ubuntu’s installer framework. It provides the text-based installer for Ubuntu Server, supports Ubuntu Core first-boot configuration, and serves as the backend for the Ubuntu Desktop installer. Its autoinstall feature lets administrators provide YAML answers in advance so supported Ubuntu installations can run unattended.
What Subiquity does
Ubuntu’s installation documentation describes Subiquity as an installer framework. For Server, it supplies a text-based installation UI; for Desktop, it is the installer’s backend. It also supports first-boot configuration for Ubuntu Core.
Autoinstall is the framework’s way to automate installation decisions. Instead of answering questions during setup, an administrator supplies configuration describing choices such as identity, software sources, APT, snaps, commands, and storage. Subiquity’s YAML format is distinct from Debian Installer preseeding, even though “preseeded installation” is sometimes used as a general description of an installation configured in advance.
Which Ubuntu releases support autoinstall?
Ubuntu’s autoinstall introduction, last updated April 5, 2024, lists Ubuntu Server 20.04 and later and Ubuntu Desktop 23.04 and later. Confirm behavior against the installer and release you plan to deploy: configuration details and validation rules can vary by version.
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Autoinstall can be hands-off, but it does not guarantee that every unanswered choice is acceptable. Sections can be marked interactive; otherwise, Subiquity uses available defaults. If a required question has no answer and no default, installation fails rather than completing silently.
How to provide the autoinstall configuration
The documentation describes two main delivery routes: cloud-init user data, commonly using NoCloud, or a configuration file placed on the installation media. Cloud-init is the generally recommended route; NoCloud is often the simplest way to supply user data. The choice depends on whether the machine can access the configuration source, whether you want configuration packaged with the installer, and how you plan to distribute updates.
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| Method | How it works | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud-init user data | Provide cloud-config containing an autoinstall: mapping, preceded by the #cloud-config header. |
You want to distribute or update configuration separately from the installation media; NoCloud is a commonly straightforward option. |
| Installation media | Place a file named autoinstall.yaml on the media. Ubuntu 24.04 and later also allow a top-level autoinstall: key in this file. |
You want the configuration to travel with the installer, including in scenarios where an external configuration service is not available. |
For media-based configuration, Subiquity checks locations in this order: a path specified on the kernel command line, the installation system root, cloud-config, and then the root of the installation medium. The configuration guide recommends cloud-init delivery generally, while its provisioning instructions document the media option. A USB installer is one practical way to carry installation media and its configuration; it is not required if you use another supported delivery route.
What goes in an autoinstall file?
Autoinstall data is YAML and is validated against a JSON schema. The configuration reference documents settings for identity, source selection, APT, snaps, storage, and commands, among others. The schema helps catch structural errors; it does not verify that a configuration is operationally safe for the particular hardware or environment.
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Validation behavior is version-sensitive. In configuration version 1, unrecognized keys currently produce warnings; the reference describes later versions as treating them as fatal validation errors. Check the documentation for the target installer release before relying on a warning being non-fatal, and resolve warnings rather than assuming they are harmless.
Review commands and storage before automating
Commands run with root privileges
Configured shell commands run as root. A nonzero exit status normally counts as an error and aborts installation. Review each command as privileged system code: confirm its source, effects, prerequisites, and expected exit status, and test it in a disposable environment before deploying it broadly.
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Choose and identify disks deliberately
The storage reference documents the lvm, direct, and zfs layouts, as well as more flexible action-based configuration extending curtin syntax. The documented default single-disk layout is LVM. Which option fits depends on the desired layout and encryption requirements; no one mode is universally best.
Disk matching is especially important for unattended installs. When multiple disks match an action, assignment among unassigned matching disks may be arbitrary. Use explicit matching criteria and validate the configuration against the intended hardware rather than assuming device names or ordering will be consistent.
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Account for APT mirror selection
The reference describes candidate mirrors, country-mirror selection, geo-IP behavior, and fallback behavior for APT. These are documented installer behaviors, not permanent guarantees. For deployments that depend on a particular mirror or network path, verify the target release’s current configuration and test what happens when the preferred source is unavailable.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Understand the confirmation prompt before a zero-touch install
When autoinstall media is detected, Subiquity normally asks for confirmation before changing the target system. This safeguard helps prevent a USB drive containing an autoinstall file from unexpectedly wiping the wrong machine. The autoinstall kernel command-line argument bypasses the prompt, enabling a fully unattended run. Use that bypass only when the target system and storage have been identified intentionally and the consequences of the configured actions are understood.
Quick Recap
A practical pre-deployment checklist
- Confirm that the target Ubuntu release supports autoinstall and check its current configuration reference.
- Choose cloud-init/NoCloud or media delivery based on network availability, update workflow, and whether configuration should travel with the installer.
- Validate YAML and schema compatibility, and investigate every warning.
- Review root-run commands, failure behavior, and all storage match criteria against the actual target hardware.
- Test the complete installation path, including mirror fallback and the confirmation behavior, before removing human oversight.
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