problem with installation and configuration order

[Frédéric BOITEUX]

	Hello,

  I'm trying to use FAI to automate installation of Debian Gnu/Linux on PCs with a set of packages
and a given configuration, the soft is great and I'm already nearby my goal !

* I've used the net boot (using the GRUB instead of FAI's config but with the same result)
* I can boot, install and do general tasks, but I've some problems setup the configuration scripts :
  Like the "egg and chicken problem", I wonder if I must install Debian packages first and then do configuration,
  or if I better choose to install configuration (a set of files, mainly in /etc) and then install packages :
  - I *must* install some files like /etc/passwd and some other crucial config files before any installation
    to be sure to have them consistent among different installs (not at the same time nor exactly the same installation...)
  - if I place all config files first, I have problems with packages requiring decision about which version of
    config files to use ; I can do a "yes n | apt-get install <packages>" to prevent this.
    I have to manually (in a config/scripts/* script) install then Debian packages, loosing power of classes definitions.

  I would like to have your feeling about that... Moreover, could I use FAI's package installation scheme
with a prior script used to install some config files (perhaps using hooks ?)


* I've also a problem when installing packages (via apt-get install in a script), with debconf.
  It seems it is configured as "noninteractive", but I can't change this with 
a "dpkg-reconfigure debconf" (even in a shell : the command simply returns, proposing nothing !)
  How to reset debconf behavior ?


	Thanks for any advice,

		Fred.
-- 
Frédéric Boiteux  -  Calistel