Only show bootstrap password instructions relevant to install method

[richard-cox]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

• Rancher can either be installed via dev only "docker" mode or via helm
• During setup we prompt users to find the bootstrap password
• Instructions are different per installation method (docker/helm)
• We show them both

Describe the solution you'd like

• We should only show the instructions specific to the install method
  • This avoids
    • advertising dev only docker
    • showing the unsupported docker mode instructions in Prime builts

Additional context

• we need a way to determine the install method (docker with k3s vs helm with any kube)
  • wonder if this is something we can get added to /rancherversion
• https://suse.slack.com/archives/C02AXMUQ4A1/p1779446562286659

[github-actions]

🎯 Agentic Issue Triage

Summary: This enhancement request asks that the Rancher setup/login page only displays bootstrap password retrieval instructions that are relevant to the user's actual installation method (Docker vs Helm), rather than showing both sets of instructions unconditionally. This improves UX and avoids advertising the dev-only Docker mode in Prime builds.

📍 Affected Code

The relevant UI code lives in shell/pages/auth/login.vue. Around lines 416–454, both Docker and Helm instruction blocks are rendered side-by-side. There's currently no conditional logic based on the install method — both sections are always shown.

Key sections:

• Docker block (setup.defaultPassword.dockerPrefix/dockerPs/dockerSuffix) — lines ~416–435
• Helm block (setup.defaultPassword.helmPrefix/helmSuffix) — lines ~443–454

🔍 Debugging / Investigation Strategy

1. Determine install method signal — the main blocker is identifying how the frontend can distinguish Docker (k3s) from Helm (any kube). Options include:
   • Adding a field to /rancherversion API endpoint (referenced in the issue) — this would require a backend change in the Rancher server repo
   • Checking rancherVersion store data or other server info APIs already available in the store
   • Probing cluster info (e.g., node labels, server version strings, or provider annotations) — though this may not be reliable at setup time before authentication
2. Coordinate with backend — the /rancherversion endpoint is the suggested approach; file or find a corresponding issue in rancher/rancher to add an installMethod (or similar) field
3. Conditional render — once the signal is available, wrap each instruction block in a v-if based on the detected install method

📋 Suggested Sub-tasks

• Investigate whether /rancherversion (or another available API) already exposes install method info
• If not, raise/link a rancher/rancher backend issue to add install method to /rancherversion
• Update shell/pages/auth/login.vue to conditionally render Docker vs Helm instructions based on install method
• Ensure fallback behaviour when install method cannot be determined (show both, or show Helm as the default)
• Verify Prime builds do not show Docker instructions
• Add/update unit tests for the conditional rendering logic
• Add/update E2E tests for both install method scenarios

💡 Notes & Resources

• The /rancherversion endpoint is already consumed by the dashboard — search for rancherversion in shell/ to find existing usage patterns
• Slack discussion linked in the issue: (suse.slack.com/redacted)
• Rancher install docs: (ranchermanager.docs.rancher.com/redacted)
• This is specifically relevant for Prime builds where the Docker install mode is unsupported, making it a mild UX correctness issue for that audience

Generated by Agentic Triage for issue #17789 · ● 336.4K · ◷

[richard-cox]

#17792