Re: Please review netcfg templates for debian-installer

Hi Justin, Pascal,

thanks for your review, much welcomed=2E
I have pushed the changings to my branch=2E
<https://salsa=2Edebian=2Eorg/holgerw/netcfg/-/commit/650079223c539787ec9c=
54e67b762427dfff5cf1>

Remark inline=2E


Am 2=2E Januar 2026 20:48:31 MEZ schrieb Justin B Rye <justin=2Ebyam=2Erye=
@gmail=2Ecom>:
>Holger Wansing wrote:
>> I would like to ask for a review of some template changings regarding t=
he
>> network config in debian-installer=2E
>>=20
>> netcfg allows (for a long time already) to give an fully qualified doma=
in
>> name (FQDN), when the installer asks for the hostname=2E
>> The wording in the templates however does not tell about this possibilt=
y=2E
>[=2E=2E=2E]
>
>> +++ b/debian/netcfg-common=2Etemplates
>> @@ -149,14 +149,18 @@ Default: debian
>>  _Description: Hostname:
>>   Please enter the hostname for this system=2E
>>   =2E
>>   The hostname is a single word that identifies your system to the netw=
ork=2E
>>   If you don't know what your hostname should be, consult your network
>>   administrator=2E If you are setting up your own home network, you can=
 make
>>   something up here=2E
>
>If we're going to add the FQDN option, we should probably be clearer
>about the fact that we're starting with the bare-hostname version=2E
>
>> + =2E
>> + Optionally it is possible to give a fully qualified domain name (FQDN=
) here,
>> + which combines hostname and domain name in one string, with the label=
s
>> + separated by periods=2E
>
>Pedantically, it's possible as an option rather than optionally
>possible=2E  And if we're going to use words like "string" and "label"
>then maybe we ought to use them from the start - something like
>
>    Please enter the hostname for this system=2E
>    =2E
>    The hostname is a label that identifies your system=2E It may be eith=
er a
>    single word giving it a unique name within the local network, or a fu=
lly
>    qualified domain name (FQDN) which combines the hostname and domain n=
ame
>    in one string, separated by periods=2E
>    =2E
>    If you don't know what your hostname should be, consult your network
>    administrator=2E If you are setting up your own home network, you can=
 make
>    up the hostname yourself=2E
> =20
>[=2E=2E=2E]
>>   =2E
>>   A valid hostname may contain only the numbers 0-9, upper and lowercas=
e
>
>Nitpick (here and below): we mean the digits 0-9 (which may legally be
>combined to produce numbers outside the range 0-9!), and there ought
>to be a dangling hyphen in "upper- and lowercase"=2E
>
>I might also raise the issue of [A-Za-z] including odd characters in
>some locales, but that's *too* pedantic=2E  Then again, I notice that
>hostname(7) implies a trailing hyphen *is* legal, and uppercase
>letters *aren't*!

@Pascal:=20
Seems there are different rules, when it comes to allowed characters and l=
ength of FQDN (63 vs=2E 253)=2E

Any idea how to deal with that?


Holger

>>   letters (A-Z and a-z), and the minus sign=2E It must be at most
>>   ${maxhostnamelen} characters long, and may not begin or end with a mi=
nus
>>   sign=2E
>> + =2E
>> + If you chose to give a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as hostname=
,
>> + all contained labels may only contain characters as stated in the rul=
e quoted
>> + above, and the whole string must be at most ${maxhostnamelen} charact=
ers
>> + long=2E
>
>    If you chose to give a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as hostname=
, each
>    part must follow the above rules on permitted characters, and the who=
le
>    string must be no more than ${maxhostnamelen} characters long=2E
>
>>  Template: netcfg/invalid_domain
>>  Type: error
>>  # :sl2:
>>  _Description: Invalid domain name
>>   The domain name "${domain}" is invalid=2E
>>   =2E
>> - A valid domain name may contain labels separated with periods=2E
>> + A valid domain name may contain labels separated by periods=2E
>>   Each label may contain only the numbers 0-9, upper and lowercase
>> - letters (A-Z and a-z), and the minus sign=2E It must be at most
>> - ${maxhostnamelen} characters long, and may not begin or end with a mi=
nus
>> - sign=2E
>> + letters (A-Z and a-z), and the minus sign, but it may not begin or en=
d
>> + with a minus sign=2E The domain name must be at most ${maxhostnamelen=
}
>> + characters long=2E
>
>Since "may contain only=2E=2E=2E" is a restriction, adding a further
>restriction isn't really a job for "but"=2E  Then again, repeating "and"
>feels awkward too=2E  Try a semicolon?
>
>    A valid domain name may contain labels separated by periods=2E Each l=
abel
>    may contain only the digits 0-9, upper- and lowercase letters (A-Z an=
d
>    a-z), and the minus sign; it may not begin or end with a minus sign=
=2E
>    The domain name must be at most ${maxhostnamelen} characters long=2E
>

--=20
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