feat(installer): friendlier wizard, retry after a failed install, no boot stall on multi-NIC boards

- error state gets a 'Try again' button (settings are kept) plus links back
  to the disk / settings pages; the page reloads into it instead of only
  recolouring the bar
- names are lowercased instead of rejected; system account names (root,
  caddy, docker, …) are refused with a clear message
- plain wording: 'Server name' with a live http://<name>.local preview,
  'Pick a disk' with an explicit erase warning, a readable confirm table
  (language label, disk size/type) and a Back button
- the password hint says it is also the SSH / console password; the
  language hint says the wizard itself is English
- wizard pages redirect to the progress page while an install is running
- progress page: aria-live phase, aria-valuenow updates, 'lost connection'
  note, 'fine to close this page'
- .local fallback on the reboot page: router device list, IP may change
- live console banner says a network cable with internet is required
- target gets a systemd-networkd-wait-online --any drop-in: boards with a
  second unplugged NIC (or Ethernet + Wi-Fi) waited up to 2 min at boot

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Wq1hzUp4ZmCKHDuLKCnu73

iso/overlay/airootfs/usr/local/bin/furtka-update-issue

@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ new=$(
     fi
     echo
     echo "  Then follow the wizard to install Furtka on this machine."
+    echo "  The install downloads packages, so this machine needs a network"
+    echo "  cable with internet access. Wi-Fi is not set up automatically."
     echo
     echo "  Need a shell? Log in as root (no password)."
     echo

tests/test_app.py

@@ -331,3 +331,62 @@ def test_step2_rejects_disk_not_offered(monkeypatch):
     resp = client.post("/install/step2", data={"boot_drive": "/dev/sda"})
     assert resp.status_code == 302
     assert app_module.settings["boot_drive"] == "/dev/sda"
+
+
+def test_validate_step1_lowercases_names():
+    errors, values = validate_step1(
+        {
+            "hostname": "Furtka",
+            "username": "Daniel",
+            "password": "topsecretpw",
+            "password2": "topsecretpw",
+            "language": "de",
+        }
+    )
+    assert errors == []
+    assert values["hostname"] == "furtka"
+    assert values["username"] == "daniel"
+
+
+def test_validate_step1_rejects_reserved_usernames():
+    for name in ("root", "caddy", "docker", "nobody"):
+        errors, _ = validate_step1(
+            {
+                "hostname": "furtka",
+                "username": name,
+                "password": "topsecretpw",
+                "password2": "topsecretpw",
+                "language": "en",
+            }
+        )
+        assert len(errors) == 1 and "reserved" in errors[0], name
+
+
+def test_post_install_sets_wait_online_any(monkeypatch):
+    import base64
+
+    import app as app_module
+
+    cmds = app_module._post_install_commands("h", "u", "pw12345678")
+    hits = [c for c in cmds if "systemd-networkd-wait-online.service.d" in c]
+    assert len(hits) == 1
+    payload = hits[0].split("printf %s ")[1].split(" |")[0]
+    assert "--any" in base64.b64decode(payload).decode()
+
+
+def test_wizard_pages_redirect_to_progress_while_installing(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    app_module = _install_env(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(app_module, "_install_proc", _FakeProc(code=None))
+    client = app_module.app.test_client()
+    for path in ("/install/step1", "/install/step2", "/install/overview"):
+        resp = client.get(path)
+        assert resp.status_code == 302
+        assert resp.headers["Location"].endswith("/install/log")
+
+
+def test_error_page_offers_retry(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    app_module = _install_env(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+    (tmp_path / "install.log").write_text("Traceback (most recent call last)\nboom\n")
+    html = app_module.app.test_client().get("/install/log").get_data(as_text=True)
+    assert "Try again" in html
+    assert "next-steps" not in html

webinstaller/app.py

@@ -78,6 +78,35 @@ settings = {
 HOSTNAME_RE = re.compile(r"^[a-z0-9]([a-z0-9-]{0,61}[a-z0-9])?$")
 USERNAME_RE = re.compile(r"^[a-z_][a-z0-9_-]{0,31}$")
 
+# Accounts that already exist on the installed system (base + the packages
+# we install). Picking one of these either fails user creation mid-install
+# (root) or makes the admin collide with a service account (caddy, docker…).
+RESERVED_USERNAMES = frozenset(
+    {
+        "root",
+        "bin",
+        "daemon",
+        "mail",
+        "ftp",
+        "http",
+        "nobody",
+        "dbus",
+        "git",
+        "uuidd",
+        "avahi",
+        "caddy",
+        "docker",
+        "polkitd",
+        "rtkit",
+        "systemd-coredump",
+        "systemd-journal-remote",
+        "systemd-network",
+        "systemd-oom",
+        "systemd-resolve",
+        "systemd-timesync",
+    }
+)
+
 # Ordered phase markers for the install progress bar. Each tuple is
 # (substring to search for in the archinstall log, progress percent when
 # reached, user-facing label). Pick the furthest phase whose marker is
@@ -148,18 +177,26 @@ def parse_install_progress(log, exit_code=None):
 
 def validate_step1(form):
     errors = []
+    # Lowercase instead of rejecting "Furtka" / "Daniel" — Linux needs
+    # lowercase, people type names the way they write them.
     values = {
-        "hostname": form.get("hostname", "").strip(),
+        "hostname": form.get("hostname", "").strip().lower(),
-        "username": form.get("username", "").strip(),
+        "username": form.get("username", "").strip().lower(),
         "password": form.get("password", ""),
         "language": form.get("language", ""),
     }
     password2 = form.get("password2", "")
 
     if not HOSTNAME_RE.match(values["hostname"]):
-        errors.append("Hostname must be lowercase letters, digits, hyphens (max 63 chars).")
+        errors.append(
+            "The server name can only use letters, digits and hyphens (no spaces, max 63)."
+        )
     if not USERNAME_RE.match(values["username"]):
-        errors.append("Username must start with a letter or underscore, lowercase only.")
+        errors.append(
+            "The username must start with a letter and can only use letters, digits, - and _."
+        )
+    elif values["username"] in RESERVED_USERNAMES:
+        errors.append(f"“{values['username']}” is reserved by the system — please pick another.")
     if len(values["password"]) < 8:
         errors.append("Password must be at least 8 characters.")
     if values["password"] != password2:
@@ -453,6 +490,16 @@ def _post_install_commands(hostname, admin_username, admin_password):
         # Initial status.json so Caddy doesn't 404 before furtka-status fires.
         _write_file_cmd("/var/lib/furtka/status.json", _read_asset("www/status.json")),
         nss_sed,
+        # The installed system inherits the live ISO's networkd config
+        # (DHCP on every Ethernet + Wi-Fi link) but not its wait-online
+        # drop-in, so a board with a second, unplugged NIC stalled boot for
+        # up to 2 minutes before network-online.target. Any one link is
+        # enough for a home server.
+        _write_file_cmd(
+            "/etc/systemd/system/systemd-networkd-wait-online.service.d/any-interface.conf",
+            "[Service]\nExecStart=\n"
+            "ExecStart=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd-networkd-wait-online --any\n",
+        ),
         # Resource manager bootstrap: extract tarball → versions/<ver>/,
         # symlink current, install wrapper, systemctl-link unit files.
         *_resource_manager_commands(),
@@ -585,6 +632,16 @@ def spawn_archinstall(config_path, creds_path, log_path):
     )
 
 
+@app.before_request
+def _stay_on_progress_while_installing():
+    # While archinstall runs, the wizard pages would let a second browser
+    # (or Back) edit settings that no longer apply — show the progress.
+    running = _install_proc is not None and _install_proc.poll() is None
+    if running and request.endpoint in ("install_step_1", "install_step_2", "install_overview"):
+        return redirect(url_for("install_log_view"))
+    return None
+
+
 @app.route("/")
 def home():
     return redirect(url_for("install_step_1"))
@@ -609,6 +666,11 @@ def install_step_1():
     )
 
 
+# Size/type of the disk picked in step 2, for the confirm page (re-probing
+# would re-run smartctl on every disk).
+_selected_drive: dict = {}
+
+
 @app.route("/install/step2", methods=["GET", "POST"])
 def install_step_2():
     drives = list_scored_devices()
@@ -616,8 +678,11 @@ def install_step_2():
     if request.method == "POST":
         boot_drive = request.form.get("boot_drive", "").strip()
         # Only accept a disk we actually offered — never a free-form path.
-        if any(d["name"] == boot_drive and d["usable"] for d in drives):
+        picked = next((d for d in drives if d["name"] == boot_drive and d["usable"]), None)
+        if picked:
             settings["boot_drive"] = boot_drive
+            _selected_drive.clear()
+            _selected_drive.update(picked)
             return redirect(url_for("install_overview"))
         error = "Please pick one of the disks below."
     return render_template(
@@ -630,8 +695,14 @@ def install_step_2():
 
 @app.route("/install/overview")
 def install_overview():
+    if not settings["boot_drive"] or not settings["username"]:
+        return redirect(url_for("install_step_1"))
     masked = {**settings, "password": "•" * 8 if settings["password"] else ""}
-    return render_template("install/overview.html", settings=masked)
+    drive = _selected_drive if _selected_drive.get("name") == settings["boot_drive"] else None
+    language = LANGUAGES.get(settings["language"], {}).get("label", settings["language"])
+    return render_template(
+        "install/overview.html", settings=masked, drive=drive, language_label=language
+    )
 
 
 # The running archinstall process, so a second click (double-submit, Back +

webinstaller/templates/install/log.html

@@ -18,10 +18,23 @@
 </h1>
 <p class="lede" id="install-lede">
 {% if progress.status == "done" %}Installation finished. Two more steps and Furtka is running from its own disk.
-{% elif progress.status == "error" %}Something went wrong. Open the details below and share them so we can help.
+{% elif progress.status == "error" %}{{ progress.phase }}.
-{% else %}This takes a few minutes. Don't close this page or power off the machine.{% endif %}
+{% else %}This takes 5–20 minutes, depending on your internet speed. Don't power off the machine — it's fine to close this page and come back.{% endif %}
 </p>
 
+{% if progress.status == "error" %}
+<p>Your settings are kept, so you can simply try again. If it fails the same way twice,
+open <em>Show details</em> below — the last lines of the log say what went wrong.</p>
+<form method="post" action="{{ url_for('install_run') }}"
+      onsubmit="this.querySelector('button').disabled = true;">
+    <div class="actions">
+        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Try again</button>
+        <a href="{{ url_for('install_step_2') }}" class="btn btn-link">Pick a different disk</a>
+        <a href="{{ url_for('install_step_1') }}" class="btn btn-link">Change settings</a>
+    </div>
+</form>
+{% endif %}
+
 {% if progress.status == "done" %}
 {# The USB-stick step has to be read *before* the click: the machine reboots
    3 s after it, and most BIOSes boot the stick before the disk — so the
@@ -43,7 +56,7 @@
 <div class="progress" role="progressbar" aria-valuemin="0" aria-valuemax="100" aria-valuenow="{{ progress.percent }}">
     <div id="progress-bar" class="progress-bar{% if progress.status == 'error' %} progress-bar-error{% endif %}{% if progress.status == 'done' %} progress-bar-done{% endif %}" style="width: {{ progress.percent }}%;"></div>
 </div>
-<p class="progress-phase"><span id="progress-phase">{{ progress.phase }}</span> · <span id="progress-percent">{{ progress.percent }}</span>%</p>
+<p class="progress-phase" aria-live="polite"><span id="progress-phase">{{ progress.phase }}</span> · <span id="progress-percent">{{ progress.percent }}</span>%</p>
 
 <details class="log-details">
     <summary>Show details</summary>
@@ -59,17 +72,7 @@
     var phaseEl = document.getElementById('progress-phase');
     var percentEl = document.getElementById('progress-percent');
     var logEl = document.getElementById('install-log');
-    var headingEl = document.getElementById('install-heading');
+    var failures = 0;
-    var ledeEl = document.getElementById('install-lede');
-
-    var HEADINGS = {
-        done: 'Furtka is ready',
-        error: 'Installation hit a snag',
-    };
-    var LEDES = {
-        done: 'Installation finished. Remove the USB / eject the installer image, then reboot.',
-        error: 'Something went wrong. Open the details below and share them so we can help.',
-    };
 
     function tick() {
         fetch('{{ url_for("install_log_json") }}', { cache: 'no-store' })
@@ -77,6 +80,7 @@
             .then(function (data) {
                 var p = data.progress;
                 bar.style.width = p.percent + '%';
+                bar.parentNode.setAttribute('aria-valuenow', p.percent);
                 phaseEl.textContent = p.phase;
                 percentEl.textContent = p.percent;
                 if (logEl.textContent !== data.log) {
@@ -84,21 +88,23 @@
                     logEl.textContent = data.log || '(waiting for install to start)';
                     if (atBottom) logEl.scrollTop = logEl.scrollHeight;
                 }
-                if (p.status === 'done') {
+                if (p.status === 'done' || p.status === 'error') {
-                    // Reload so the server-rendered Done state (with the
+                    // Reload so the server-rendered Done / error state (with
-                    // Reboot button) replaces the running-state markup.
+                    // its Reboot or Try-again buttons) replaces the
+                    // running-state markup.
                     window.location.reload();
                     return;
                 }
-                if (p.status === 'error') {
+                failures = 0;
-                    bar.classList.add('progress-bar-error');
-                    headingEl.textContent = HEADINGS.error;
-                    ledeEl.textContent = LEDES.error;
-                    return;
-                }
                 setTimeout(tick, 3000);
             })
-            .catch(function () { setTimeout(tick, 3000); });
+            .catch(function () {
+                failures += 1;
+                if (failures >= 2) {
+                    phaseEl.textContent = 'Lost connection to the installer — retrying…';
+                }
+                setTimeout(tick, 3000);
+            });
     }
     setTimeout(tick, 3000);
 })();

webinstaller/templates/install/overview.html

@@ -5,28 +5,27 @@
 
 {% block content %}
 <h1>Confirm install</h1>
-<p class="lede">Review the settings below. Continuing will <strong>wipe <code>{{ settings.boot_drive }}</code></strong> and install Furtka.</p>
+<p class="lede">Check the settings below. Continuing will <strong>erase <code>{{ settings.boot_drive }}</code></strong> and install Furtka on it.</p>
 
-<div class="alert alert-warn">
+<div class="alert alert-warn" role="alert">
-    This is destructive. All existing data on the selected boot drive will be lost.
+    Everything currently on this disk will be deleted and can't be recovered.
 </div>
 
 <div class="summary">
     <table>
-        {% for k, v in settings.items() %}
+        <tr><td>Server name</td><td>{{ settings.hostname }} <span class="hint">(http://{{ settings.hostname }}.local)</span></td></tr>
-        <tr>
+        <tr><td>Username</td><td>{{ settings.username }}</td></tr>
-            <td>{{ k.replace('_', ' ') }}</td>
+        <tr><td>Password</td><td>{{ settings.password }}</td></tr>
-            <td>{{ v }}</td>
+        <tr><td>Language</td><td>{{ language_label }}</td></tr>
-        </tr>
+        <tr><td>Disk</td><td>{{ settings.boot_drive }}{% if drive %} — {{ drive.size }} {{ drive.type_label }}{% endif %}</td></tr>
-        {% endfor %}
     </table>
 </div>
 
 <form method="post" action="{{ url_for('install_run') }}"
       onsubmit="this.querySelector('button').disabled = true; this.querySelector('button').textContent = 'Starting…';">
     <div class="actions">
-        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-danger">Install — wipe drive and proceed</button>
+        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-danger">Erase disk and install</button>
-        <a href="{{ url_for('install_step_1') }}" class="btn btn-link">← Start over</a>
+        <a href="{{ url_for('install_step_2') }}" class="btn btn-link">← Back</a>
     </div>
 </form>
 {% endblock %}

webinstaller/templates/install/rebooting.html

@@ -10,5 +10,7 @@
 <p class="muted">If the installer does come back anyway, your BIOS is set to boot from USB before the disk. Press the one-time boot menu key at startup (often <kbd>F11</kbd>, <kbd>F12</kbd>, or <kbd>Esc</kbd> — it flashes briefly on screen) and pick the internal disk, or change the boot order in BIOS settings.</p>
 <p>When the machine comes back up (~1 minute), open Furtka in your browser:</p>
 <p><a href="http://{{ hostname }}.local" class="btn btn-primary">http://{{ hostname }}.local</a></p>
-<p class="muted">If that doesn't resolve, your network may not support mDNS — use the IP address shown on the machine's console instead.</p>
+<p class="muted">If that address doesn't open (some Android phones and older Windows PCs can't look up <code>.local</code> names),
+use the IP address instead: it's shown on the machine's screen, or look for a device called
+<strong>{{ hostname }}</strong> in your router's list of connected devices. The address may differ from the one the installer used.</p>
 {% endblock %}

webinstaller/templates/install/step1.html

@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
 {% block step_indicator %}<span class="step-indicator">Step 1 of 3</span>{% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
-<h1>Account &amp; hostname</h1>
+<h1>Name &amp; account</h1>
 <p class="lede">Set the server name and your administrator account.</p>
 
 {% if errors %}
-<div class="alert alert-error">
+<div class="alert alert-error" role="alert">
     <strong>Please fix the following:</strong>
     <ul>
         {% for e in errors %}<li>{{ e }}</li>{% endfor %}
@@ -18,19 +18,19 @@
 
 <form method="post" action="{{ url_for('install_step_1') }}">
     <div class="field">
-        <label for="hostname">Hostname</label>
+        <label for="hostname">Server name</label>
-        <input type="text" id="hostname" name="hostname" required value="{{ values.hostname }}" autocomplete="off" />
+        <input type="text" id="hostname" name="hostname" required value="{{ values.hostname }}" autocomplete="off" autocapitalize="off" spellcheck="false" aria-describedby="hostname-hint" />
-        <span class="hint">The name your server shows up as on your home network. Lowercase letters, numbers, and dashes only.</span>
+        <span class="hint" id="hostname-hint">You'll open your server at <strong>http://<span id="hostname-preview">{{ values.hostname or "furtka" }}</span>.local</strong>. Letters, numbers and dashes only.</span>
     </div>
     <div class="field">
         <label for="username">Admin username</label>
-        <input type="text" id="username" name="username" required value="{{ values.username }}" autocomplete="username" />
+        <input type="text" id="username" name="username" required value="{{ values.username }}" autocomplete="username" autocapitalize="off" spellcheck="false" aria-describedby="username-hint" />
-        <span class="hint">Your login name on the server. You'll use this to sign in after installation.</span>
+        <span class="hint" id="username-hint">Your login name on the server. You'll use this to sign in after installation.</span>
     </div>
     <div class="field">
         <label for="password">Password</label>
-        <input type="password" id="password" name="password" required autocomplete="new-password" />
+        <input type="password" id="password" name="password" required minlength="8" autocomplete="new-password" aria-describedby="password-hint" />
-        <span class="hint">At least 8 characters.</span>
+        <span class="hint" id="password-hint">At least 8 characters. This one password is used for the web login and for the server itself (SSH / console), so pick a good one.</span>
     </div>
     <div class="field">
         <label for="password2">Confirm password</label>
@@ -38,15 +38,25 @@
     </div>
     <div class="field">
         <label for="language">Language</label>
-        <select id="language" name="language">
+        <select id="language" name="language" aria-describedby="language-hint">
             {% for code, lang in languages.items() %}
             <option value="{{ code }}" {% if code == values.language %}selected{% endif %}>{{ lang.label }}</option>
             {% endfor %}
         </select>
+        <span class="hint" id="language-hint">Language and keyboard layout of the installed server. The Furtka pages themselves are in English for now.</span>
     </div>
 
     <div class="actions">
-        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Next — pick boot drive</button>
+        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Next — pick a disk</button>
     </div>
 </form>
+<script>
+(function () {
+    var input = document.getElementById('hostname');
+    var preview = document.getElementById('hostname-preview');
+    input.addEventListener('input', function () {
+        preview.textContent = input.value.trim().toLowerCase() || 'furtka';
+    });
+})();
+</script>
 {% endblock %}

webinstaller/templates/install/step2.html

@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
 {% extends "base.html" %}
 
-{% block title %}Step 2 — Boot drive · Furtka Installer{% endblock %}
+{% block title %}Step 2 — Disk · Furtka Installer{% endblock %}
 {% block step_indicator %}<span class="step-indicator">Step 2 of 3</span>{% endblock %}
 
 {% block content %}
-<h1>Boot drive</h1>
+<h1>Pick a disk</h1>
-<p class="lede">Pick the disk Furtka will install onto. We pre-select the drive that looks fastest and healthiest.</p>
+<p class="lede">Choose the disk Furtka will be installed on. <strong>Everything on it will be erased.</strong> We pre-select the one that looks fastest and healthiest.</p>
 
 {% set usable = drives | selectattr("usable") | list %}
 {% set pick = selected if (selected and usable | selectattr("name", "equalto", selected) | list) else (usable[0].name if usable else "") %}
 
 {% if error %}
-<div class="alert alert-error">{{ error }}</div>
+<div class="alert alert-error" role="alert">{{ error }}</div>
 {% endif %}
 
 {% if not usable %}
-<div class="alert alert-error">
+<div class="alert alert-error" role="alert">
     {% if drives %}
     None of the disks in this computer is big enough for Furtka (it needs at least 16 GB).
     {% else %}