MindSpark Post-Installation Scripts

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

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Overview

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

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What the script does

1. Static IP via Netplan — Selects country (Zambia or South Africa), applies the country-specific server IP, configures primary and secondary DNS, and writes a Netplan config.
2. Google Chrome — Installs Chrome, sets the MindSpark content server as the homepage and startup page, creates a managed MindSpark bookmark, and locks down password saving and auto sign-in.
3. AnyDesk — Adds the official AnyDesk repository, installs AnyDesk if missing, then clears retained state so a fresh AnyDesk ID is generated.
4. Kea DHCP4 — Installs and configures kea-dhcp4 so client devices automatically receive IP addresses and reach the educational-content server. The correct package is selected automatically based on the Ubuntu version:
   • Ubuntu 20.04: kea-dhcp4-server
   • Ubuntu 24.04: kea-dhcp4
5. Access Point MAC reservation — Scans the local subnet via ARP to detect the Access Point, then writes a static DHCP reservation so the AP always receives the same IP (see Access Point MAC address below).
6. NTP — Configures systemd-timesyncd with time.cloudflare.com and ntp.ubuntu.com for reliable time synchronisation.

Workflow

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

The script is fully interactive: all inputs are collected first, a summary is displayed for review, changes are applied only after operator approval, and every service is verified at the end.

Hostname behaviour

The script does not change the system hostname. The optional server number prompt is used for operator labelling only.

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Deployment — Getting the script onto a MindSpark server

Option 1 — Git (recommended)

sudo apt-get install -y git          # install git if not present
git clone https://github.com/edulution/ms.post.installation.scripts.git
cd ms.post.installation.scripts
chmod +x mindspark_setup.sh
./mindspark_setup.sh

Option 2 — Download archive (no git required)

wget -O mindspark-setup.zip \
  https://github.com/edulution/ms.post.installation.scripts/archive/refs/heads/main.zip
unzip mindspark-setup.zip
cd ms.post.installation.scripts-main
chmod +x mindspark_setup.sh
./mindspark_setup.sh

Option 3 — Single-file download (minimal footprint)

wget -O mindspark_setup.sh \
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/edulution/ms.post.installation.scripts/main/mindspark_setup.sh
chmod +x mindspark_setup.sh
./mindspark_setup.sh

The script requests sudo automatically — do not run it as root directly.

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Requirements

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS
• sudo access
• Internet connectivity (required for first-time package installation)

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Access Point MAC address

Background

All Zambia MindSpark deployments use Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Lite Access Points configured in bridge/AP mode (no NAT, no routing). The AP has a static management IP outside the DHCP pool and the MindSpark server acts as the sole DHCP provider for the entire subnet.

A static DHCP reservation for the AP ensures:

• The AP management UI is always reachable at a predictable IP.
• Lease conflicts with client devices are eliminated.
• Remote support via AnyDesk remains reliable regardless of reboot order.

Auto-detection during setup

During Phase 3.6 the script:

1. Installs arping if not already present.
2. Performs a rate-limited ARP sweep across all 254 addresses in the configured subnet.
3. Reads the ARP table to identify the AP (the only non-server device present on the wired interface before learner devices connect).
4. Writes a reservations block into /etc/kea/kea-dhcp4.conf and restarts Kea.

If the AP is not detected within 60 seconds (e.g. it is powered off during setup), the script continues without a reservation. The reservation can be added manually at any time — see below.

Manually updating the AP MAC reservation after setup

Step 1 — Find the AP's MAC address

# Trigger an ARP probe toward the AP's management IP (replace interface and IP as needed)
sudo arping -c 3 -I eth0 192.168.1.2

# Or check the ARP table after the AP has been online for a moment
ip neigh show dev eth0
arp -n

The UniFi U7 Lite MAC address will appear in the output in the format aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff. It can also be found on the label on the underside of the AP unit.

Step 2 — Edit the Kea configuration

sudo nano /etc/kea/kea-dhcp4.conf

Locate the "reservations" array inside the subnet block and add or update the entry:

"reservations": [
    {
        "hw-address": "aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff",
        "ip-address": "192.168.1.2",
        "hostname": "mindspark-ap"
    }
]

Step 3 — Validate and reload

# Validate the config (dry-run, no service disruption)
sudo kea-dhcp4 -t /etc/kea/kea-dhcp4.conf

# Apply the change
sudo systemctl restart kea-dhcp4-server   # Ubuntu 20.04
sudo systemctl restart kea-dhcp4          # Ubuntu 24.04

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Checking DHCP service status

Service health

sudo systemctl status kea-dhcp4-server   # Ubuntu 20.04
sudo systemctl status kea-dhcp4          # Ubuntu 24.04

Quick active check (works on both versions)

systemctl is-active kea-dhcp4-server kea-dhcp4 2>/dev/null

View active leases

# Full lease table — all devices that have received an IP
cat /var/lib/kea/dhcp4.leases

# Count of active leases
grep -c '"ip-address"' /var/lib/kea/dhcp4.leases 2>/dev/null || echo "No leases yet"

View DHCP logs

sudo journalctl -u kea-dhcp4-server -n 50 --no-pager   # Ubuntu 20.04
sudo journalctl -u kea-dhcp4 -n 50 --no-pager          # Ubuntu 24.04

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Testing policy

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

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Repository structure

.
├── README.md
├── mindspark_setup.sh          # Main post-installation script
├── offline-packages/           # Bundled .deb packages (planned — offline support)
├── configs/
│   ├── netplan-template.yaml   # Netplan static-IP template
│   └── dhcpd.conf.template     # DHCP config reference template
└── docs/
    └── ap-standard.md          # Access Point standardisation guide

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Contributing

1. Create a feature branch from main.
2. Test all changes on the spare/test server before merging.
3. Open a pull request with a clear description of what changed and why.

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License

Internal use only — Edulution Africa.