From: obsd@mulh.net
Subject: Re: Allow autoinstall response file to select default answer
To: tech@openbsd.org
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2026 11:49:17 -0400

On 2026-10-06 12:25:04, Kirill Korinsky wrote:
> Probably I had missed something, but if you ignore any option from your
> response file, it will use default answer.

I could have done better describing what led me to this patch.

I use a VM to test various versions of OpenBSD and wanted to have one
common response file to work with all of them.  Pop in the CD (ISO)
and boot the VM to install it.

Like many admins, once OpenBSD is installed you then have your own set
of tweaks you do to any new setup, be it creating config files for your
favorite utilities or editing system defaults that your prefer different.
So for these after install tasks I use site*.tgz and install.site files.

During OpenBSD's install you are prompted for location of file sets.
Normally I'm using ISO images to install with, these contain the OpenBSD
files.  The media is read-only so I cannot add my site*.tgz files there.
This would also be true if installing directly from a HTTP mirror site.

Now after the OpenBSD sets are installed the installer again prompts for
location of files sets.  This lets you now choose another location if
you have additional files sets like for example site*.tgz files.

After installing the site files and prompted a third time for location
of sets you take the default "done" and continue on.

The issue:

After choosing the location of the sets you will be prompted for
"Pathname to the sets"
The path is unique for each OpenBSD version so for a common response
file you leave that question out and let the installer take the default.
That is easy.

For the second location of sets, I'm installing the site*.tgz files.
I'll be prompted for "Pathname to the sets" and need to provide the path
for where the site files are located, I put that answer in the response file.
That is easy.

Not so easy!
How is the installer to know that my answer in the response file for
"Pathname to the sets" is for the *second* time the question is asked?
I want the default answer for the first time but give answer the second time.

My patch allows for this:
Pathname to the sets =
Pathname to the sets = path/to/site/files

The first time the question is asked (installing OpenBSD sets)
The installer reads the first line, see the blank and just like during an
interactive installation a blank response to a prompt takes the default.

The second time the question is asked (installing the site* sets)
The installer reads the second line, sees an answer and responds with that.

Without the patch:
If I want to answer the second "Pathname to the sets" I MUST also answer the first.
If I want to take the default answer on the first, I must take the default on all.

Yes you can answer the first and take default on the second but you don't want
to be installing the site*.tgz files before installing the OpenBSD sets.