Features needing work:

1. test without the workaround
2. investigate the network two minute delay getting IP address

Starting with the variables.yml template below, modify to your needs

• bridge_interface_name: the name of the network interface you will bridge the VMs to
  • Linux: use the ip a command to list interfaces; might be eth0, ens32, or similar
  • Windows: use the ipconfig /all command to list interfaces; use the description line, could be similar to “Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6E AX211 160MHz” instead of “Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi”
• username: the user you want to use to manage the VMs
• ssh_key: the key from the previous step

variables.yml

---
Global:
  bridge_interface_name: "ens32"
  username: ansible
  ssh_key: "ssh-rsa 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 ansible@labbox"
  system_name_prefix: vb-ansible
  workingdir: "{{ lookup('env','HOME') }}/ubuntu-autoinstall"
  vboxmanage_path: /usr/bin/vboxmanage
  ubuntu_iso: https://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/jammy/daily-live/current/jammy-live-server-amd64.iso
  ubuntu_iso_filename: jammy-live-server-amd64.iso
  new_iso_filename: ubuntu-22.04-autoinstall.iso
  default_disk_size: 40960
Installer:
  new_iso_path: "{{ lookup('env','HOME') }}/{{ Global.new_iso_filename }}"

The following playbook creates the custom ISO.

create_custom_iso.yml

---
- hosts: localhost  # Run actions on the local machine
  name: create_custom_iso.yml
  connection: local
  gather_facts: false
  vars_files:
    - variables.yml
  tasks:
    - name: Package requirements
      apt:
        pkg:
          - p7zip-full
          - xorriso
        update_cache: true
      become: true
    - name: Create working directory
      file:
        path: "{{ Global.workingdir }}"
        state: directory
        mode: "755"
    - name: Download Ubuntu ISO
      get_url:
        url: "{{ Global.ubuntu_iso }}"
        dest: "{{ Global.workingdir }}/jammy-live-server-amd64.iso"
        force: false
    - name: Create source files directory
      file:
        path: "{{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files"
        state: directory
        mode: "755"
    - name: Extract Ubuntu ISO
      command: "7z -y x {{ Global.workingdir }}/{{ Global.ubuntu_iso_filename }} -o{{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files"
      changed_when: false
    - name: Add write permission to extracted files
      ansible.builtin.command: "chmod -R +w {{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files"    # Using chmod as Ansible (Python) can't handle the recursion depth on the Ubuntu ISO
      changed_when: false
    ## Start workaround issue with Ubuntu autoinstall
    ## Details of the issue and the workaround: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1394441/ubuntu-20-04-3-autoinstall-with-embedded-user-data-crashing-i-got-workaround
    - name: Extract the Packages.gz file on Ubuntu ISO
      ansible.builtin.command: "gunzip -f {{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files/dists/jammy/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz --keep"
      changed_when: false
    ## End workaround issue with Ubuntu autoinstall
    - name: Ensure BOOT directory not there
      file: path="{{ Global.workingdir }}/BOOT" state=absent
    - name: Move [BOOT] out of ISO extraction directory
      ansible.builtin.command: "mv {{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files/'[BOOT]' {{ Global.workingdir }}/BOOT"
      changed_when: false
    - name: Edit grub.cfg to modify menu
      blockinfile:
        path: "{{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files/boot/grub/grub.cfg"
        create: true
        block: |
          menuentry "Autoinstall Ubuntu Server" {
             set gfxpayload=keep
             linux   /casper/vmlinuz quiet autoinstall ds=nocloud\;s=/cdrom/server/  ---
             initrd  /casper/initrd
          }
        insertbefore: 'menuentry "Try or Install Ubuntu Server" {'
        state: present
    - name: Edit grub.cfg to set timeout to 1 second
      replace:
        path: "{{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files/boot/grub/grub.cfg"
        regexp: '^(set timeout=30)$'
        replace: 'set timeout=5'
    - name: Create directory to store user-data and meta-data
      file:
        path: "{{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files/server"
        state: directory
        mode: "755"
    - name: Create empty meta-data file in directory
      file:
        path: "{{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files/server/meta-data"
        state: touch
        mode: "755"
    - name: Copy user-data file to directory using template
      template:
        src: ./user-data.j2
        dest: "{{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files/server/user-data"
        mode: "755"
    - name: Create custom ubuntu ISO
      command: "xorriso -as mkisofs -r \
               -V 'Ubuntu 22.04 LTS AUTO (EFIBIOS)' \
               -o ../{{ Global.new_iso_filename }} \
               --grub2-mbr ../BOOT/1-Boot-NoEmul.img \
               -partition_offset 16 \
               --mbr-force-bootable \
               -append_partition 2 28732ac11ff8d211ba4b00a0c93ec93b ../BOOT/2-Boot-NoEmul.img \
               -appended_part_as_gpt \
               -iso_mbr_part_type a2a0d0ebe5b9334487c068b6b72699c7 \
               -c '/boot.catalog' \
               -b '/boot/grub/i386-pc/eltorito.img' \
               -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table --grub2-boot-info \
               -eltorito-alt-boot \
               -e '--interval:appended_partition_2:::' \
               -no-emul-boot \
               ."
      args:
        chdir: "{{ Global.workingdir }}/source-files/"
      changed_when: false
    - name: Copy custom ISO
      copy:
        src: "{{ Global.workingdir }}/{{Global.new_iso_filename}}"
        dest: "{{ Installer.new_iso_path }}"
    - name: Delete working directory
      file: path="{{ Global.workingdir }}" state=absent

Run the script as

ansible-playbook create_custom_iso.yml --ask-become-pass

This will prompt you for the Sudo password when it's needed.

With your shiny new ISO in hand, you are ready to deploy Ubuntu Server using unattended install on Virtualbox using Ansible

Or back to customize user-data from Ubuntu server unattended isntall

Now that you have the ISO created, you can test it in Oracle Virtualbox, VMware Workstation, or on ESXi. Boot from the ISO and observe the steps.

If the boot is crashing, test out different settings (e.g. 2 or more vCPUs). You can manually build your own ISO for testing. You can sudo apt install ansible-lint and run ansible-lint on your playbooks for help finding errors. Above the login screen the prompt should list the IP address of the server. If there is no IP address, it could not resolve and IP address.