Wireshark installation fails in non-interactive environments

[sunba91-su]

Problem

When running the installer script, the terminal exits unexpectedly during the Wireshark package installation. This is because wireshark-common prompts for user input (e.g., permission to allow non-superusers to capture packets), which requires an interactive terminal.

This breaks automated installations or any environment (like CI/CD pipelines or Docker builds) where user interaction is not possible.

Solution

Set the environment variable DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive before installing Wireshark to suppress the interactive prompt:

DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y wireshark

This ensures the script runs smoothly in non-interactive sessions.

Additional Notes

• The script could optionally pre-answer debconf selections if needed.

• Tested on Debian/Ubuntu systems.

• Does not impact systems where interaction is possible — only improves automation compatibility.

[gemini-code-assist]

Hello @sunba91-su, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

Summary of Changes

This pull request addresses an issue where the Wireshark installation fails in non-interactive environments due to the wireshark-common package prompting for user input. To resolve this, the pull request sets the environment variable DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive before installing Wireshark, suppressing the interactive prompt and ensuring smooth installation in automated environments.

Highlights

• Problem: Wireshark installation fails in non-interactive environments due to interactive prompts during package installation.
• Solution: Sets the DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive environment variable before installing Wireshark to suppress interactive prompts.
• Impact: Improves automation compatibility without affecting systems where interaction is possible.

Changelog

• installer/cape2.sh
  • Modified line 966 to set DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive before installing wireshark-common.

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---

A silent install,
No prompts to enthrall,
Wireshark now flows,
Where automation goes,
No longer to stall.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request addresses a critical issue where Wireshark installation fails in non-interactive environments. The solution of setting the DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive environment variable is a standard and effective approach. The changes are straightforward and well-explained in the pull request description.

Summary of Findings

• Setting environment variable: The solution correctly sets the DEBIAN_FRONTEND environment variable to noninteractive to prevent prompts during Wireshark installation in non-interactive environments.

Merge Readiness

The pull request effectively solves the problem described and the changes are minimal and safe. I recommend merging this pull request after verifying that the change does not negatively impact interactive installations. I am unable to directly approve the pull request, and users should have others review and approve this code before merging.

[doomedraven]

thank you, maybe this should be set on top of the install script to apply to all apt invocations?

[sunba91-su]

You're absolutely right — setting DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive globally at the top of the install script is a better approach. This ensures all apt-get commands behave consistently in non-interactive environments, not just the Wireshark installation.

I'll update the script accordingly to export this environment variable near the top. Thanks for the feedback!