ubuntu 16.04 server serial install

Equipment

host computer with a serial port (a USB to serial adapter should do)
target computer with a serial port
Configured for booting over USB
An internet connection
null modem cable
USB flash drive

USB flash drive setup

Get this file : ubuntu-server-16.04-amd64-ttyS0.img.gz
Put it to your usb flash drive: sudo bash -c “zcat ubuntu-server-16.04-amd64-ttyS0.img.gz dd of=/dev/YOUR_FLASH_DRIVE”

Target setup

Do the setup as usual, but
In the partitioning step, be sure not to choose the USB flash drive as destination
When installing grub, choose no, then manually select your destination drive
When “Installation complete” is shown, don’t reboot, choose “go back” and execute a shell

mount -o bind /sys /target/sys/
mount -o bind /proc /target/proc
mount -o bind /dev /target/dev
chroot /target/ /bin/bash

edit the /etc/default/grub file

# Disable GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT because it triggers a depcrecation warning
# should be fixed upstream
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0

# Disable splash and quiet
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=""

# Enable the serial console for the kernel
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="console=ttyS0,115200"

# Make sure grub don't wait for a user input after a failed boot
GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=5

# Let grub speek on the serial port
GRUB_TERMINAL=serial
GRUB_SERIAL_COMMAND="serial --speed=115200 --unit=0 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1"

Then

grub-install /dev/sdc
update-grub
exit
umount /target/sys
umount /target/proc
umount /target/dev
exit

Finish the installation

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