MindSpark Post-Installation Scripts

Repeatable, version-controlled post-installation tooling for MindSpark servers and Access Points.

Overview

This repository contains:

Item	Purpose
mindspark_setup.sh	Interactive post-installation script for new MindSpark servers (Ubuntu 20.04 or 24.04)
configs/	Default configuration templates (Netplan, DHCP, AnyDesk)
docs/ap-standard.md	Standardised Access Point configuration guide

What the script does

1. Sets a static IP — selects Zambia or South Africa, then applies the country-specific server IP automatically.
2. Installs/configures Chrome — installs Google Chrome where supported, sets the server URL as the homepage and startup page, adds a managed MindSpark bookmark, disables password saving/auto sign-in, and turns off the requested Google service settings.
3. Installs/refreshes AnyDesk — adds the official AnyDesk repository and GPG key, installs AnyDesk if missing, then clears retained AnyDesk state so a fresh AnyDesk ID is generated on each script run.
4. Installs & configures isc-dhcp-server — sets up the DHCP scope so client devices automatically receive the educational-content broadcast.

Hostname behavior

• The script does not change the system hostname.
• The optional server number prompt is used for operator labels/reporting only.
• Existing hostname remains as configured on the laptop/server.

Workflow

Run script ➜ Answer prompts ➜ Review summary ➜ Confirm ➜ Apply ➜ Verify

The script is fully interactive: it collects all inputs first, displays a clear summary for confirmation, applies changes only after approval, and verifies every service at the end.

Quick start

# Clone the repo
git clone git@github.com:edulution/ms.post.installation.scripts.git
cd ms.post.installation.scripts

# Make the script executable
chmod +x mindspark_setup.sh

# Run the script (it will prompt for sudo automatically)
./mindspark_setup.sh

Requirements

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS (server)
• Root / sudo access
• Internet connectivity is optional — all required .deb packages are bundled in offline-packages/

Bundled packages (offline-ready)

The offline-packages/ directory ships with every .deb needed to run the script without internet:

• Google Chrome (google-chrome-stable*.deb) and its dependencies
• AnyDesk (anydesk*.deb) and its dependencies
• isc-dhcp-server and its dependencies
• whiptail and its dependencies

The script uses a local-first install strategy:

1. Before any phase runs, all bundled .deb files are pre-installed via dpkg.
2. When a specific package is needed, the script checks if it is already installed.
3. If not, it looks for a matching .deb in offline-packages/ and installs it.
4. Only if no local package is found does it fall back to apt-get (requires internet).

This means the script works fully offline out of the box — no flags or environment variables needed.

Testing policy

• All development and initial testing is performed on the spare/test server (no learner data).
• Production deployment only occurs during approved downtime windows.

Repository structure

.
├── README.md
├── mindspark_setup.sh          # Main post-installation script
├── offline-packages/           # Bundled .deb packages (offline-ready)
│   ├── anydesk.deb
│   ├── google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
│   ├── isc-dhcp-server_*.deb
│   ├── whiptail_*.deb
│   └── ... (all dependencies)
├── configs/
│   ├── netplan-template.yaml   # Netplan static-IP template
│   └── dhcpd.conf.template     # isc-dhcp-server config template
└── docs/
    └── ap-standard.md          # Access Point standardisation guide

Contributing

1. Create a feature branch from main.
2. Test changes on the spare server.
3. Open a pull request with a clear description.

License

Internal use only at Edulution Africa.