Auto-install apps on installation?

🚧 Installation
1

Is there a way to uncheck the box on installation for automatically installing apps on the installation page?

Is there a PHP config setting to set an array of apps to install that would override the auto app install option at installation?

I’m looking for something in the $AUTOCONFIG array in autoconfig.php, like:

"install_apps" => "calendar, bookmarks, notes",

As a server developer, I want a way to code my full installation into configs, not only relying on occ.

2

Im no expert, but I don’t think it’s possible to do it with the $autoconfig script. But what should be possible, is to include occ in a bash script or maybe into automation tools like Ansible…

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3

Thanks for the info. It seems there may not be.

As I said, I want to avoid occ. BASH is how I do everything, but occ breaks my installation, mainly because of rejecting newer PHP versions.

So, this should probably be a feature request?

4

Yes. I think it would certainly be useful feature… I do not know if perhaps an undocumented parameter already exists but I could not find anything with a quick search

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5

for example: GitHub - ReinerNippes/nextcloud at nextcloud-reloaded

@JesseSteele why occ isn’t working?

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@Reiner_Nippes

Why doesn’t occ work?

I will be thorough in my response to give you full respect:

  1. occ is not the solution for a config.php file that doesn’t contain all the available settings on the same admin page. Eg. the SMTP mail and Background Job settings are on the same admin page in the GUI, but only SMTP mail settings are described in the docs for Multiple *.config.php files. The existing settings should theoretically be complete before more features are added, as a matter of prioritizing code stability over speedy delivery of even more likely-buggy new features.

  2. I don’t know why occ fails, but I know I’m running Arch and have tried both the package from the Arch repo and the downloaded tarball. I also know that occ kept throwing errors about PHP extensions not being installed when they absolutely were. And, I’m not the first person with that problem.

  3. I also know that there is quite a discussion about version limits and extension checks. occ supposedly works up to PHP 8, but because Arch currently uses 8.0.3, occ rejects it. I stumbled across a statement on the web that occ uses a quasi-fake method of PHP extension checking, but lost it and couldn’t find it. The whole method of checking PHP status may need re-vamping, but I don’t contribute to those. I only know it sends false fails. That opens a new discussion…

Should occ and Composer reject newer, untested PHP versions?

  • The purpose of having version constraints is to avoid problems. But, if PHP v8 is acceptable, then it is reasonable to accept v8.0.3. Yet, occ and Composer don’t. Rejecting a version based on not knowing creates bigger problems, all in the name of preventing problems that don’t even exist. WordPress probably dominates the market because v5.0.7 won’t reject plugins only tested to v5, nor even v4; WP only gives a soft warning. That could be one reason WP has more active installs than Nextcloud and Owncloud combined.
  • Version constraints should reject out-dated versions on the grounds that their features are depreciated. Untested versions are merely untested, not guaranteed broken like depreciated features are. But, current version constraints don’t respect these differences. WP, however, does.
  • New, untested versions should deliver a soft warning only, or at least a warning easier to ignore than ignoring all warnings. Being able to run Nextcloud on an untested version of PHP would surely help with the testing. But, as it stands, if occ is unknown to work with PHP 8.0.3, then we’re not allowed to even try to find out. That makes no sense from either the purpose of version constraints nor from the idea of a collaborative, community effort.

So, to answer your question about why occ doesn’t work, the answer is probably more related to the priorities within the product roadmap. And, we see similar priority discussions in the config.php features for Nextcloud. In a word: priorities. In a sentence: Things are more likely to work if the people using it are allowed to drive their own cars without a version nanny yanking at the steering wheel.

To head off the unhelpful responses I’ve already read too many places…

No, I’m not wrong or ignorant for using Arch. I wish occ and version constraints didn’t treat me like I’m ignorant. I know I’m using untested versions; let me so I can be at the bleeding edge of what everyone else can thereby enjoy even more. If anyone needs to learn, the occ developers need help understanding how to recognize that a PHP extension that is enabled is enabled. I honestly think they either don’t know how or have their hands full. They need the help.

By the way, I’m glad to report that Nextcloud works on PHP 8.0.3.

tl;dr

As for the topic of my OP here, it sure would be nice if I could list the apps I want in autoconfig.php. If anyone knows how, pray tell. If not, please include that feature before building another 2000 lines of JavaScript.