== Installing Debian ==

Ideally - you should boot using a Debian installer that uses the serial console. If you can't - just install the normal way.

=== Prepare your laptop - Screen ===

 * Install screen on your debian laptop:

{{{
sudo apt-get install screen
}}}

 * Connect your serial cable (or USB - serial cable) from your laptop to the server. You may want to check dmesg after plugging in the cable to see which device is being used. You should have a line along the lines of: usb 3-1: PL-2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB0

 * Start screen with:

{{{
mkdir screen-log
cd screen-log
screen -L /dev/ttyUSB0 115200
}}}

=== Install Linux ===

==== Initial steps ====

 * Put in Daniel's Serial Console debian installer and boot (note - if you don't have a serial installer, use a normal installer and a keyboard and monitor attached to the server)

 * [Skipping easy steps]

 * Manually partition the drive

 * Remove any existing partitions.

 * Add one partition (on each disk if there are two disks) that is:

{{{
250 MB
Physical volume for RAID array (or ext3 if one disk system)
}}}

 * Add a second parition (on each disk if there are two disks) that is:

{{{
Takes up remaining space
Physical volume for RAID array (or Physical volume for LVM if one disk system)
}}}

 * Choose "Congifure software RAID" (skip step if one disk system)

  * Choose "Create MD Device"

  * Choose RAID1

  * Number of active devices: 2

  * Number of spare devices: 0

  * Now select the first partition on each device.

  * Click Continue. Repeat for second partition on each device.

  * When you are done, click Finish. Now you are back at the partition menu.

 * Scroll down to the raid devices (or apply straight to your partitions if it's a one disk system). Modify as follows:

{{{
250 MB RAID device: Filesystem: ext3, mount on /boot
Remaining: Physical Volume for LVM
}}}

 * Choose "Congifure LVM"

 * Create a volume group called vg_nameofserver0

 * Create logical volumes in this volume group based on your needs. A dom0 will only need a 1GB root partition. A "normal" server might need a 1 GB root, 3GB /usr, 5 GB /var and 512 MB swap.

 * After returning to the main disk config menu, click on each logical volume that you create and specify how it should be formatted and mounted.

 * Enter root password in resource db or give to Jamie!

 * Create a second user for yourself.

 * Do not install the server package or the base package - deselect all of them.

=== Syn Cookies ===

 * Enable syncookies:

{{{
echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_syncookies
}}}

 * Preserve syncookies on reboot:

{{{
echo 'net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies=1' >> /etc/sysctl.conf
}}}

=== Install and configure mandatory packages ===

 * Login as root and install the following packages:

{{{
# aptitude install ssh ntpdate ntp-server less emacs21-nox cron-apt iproute
}}}

 * Configure cron-apt:
{{{
echo 'MAILON="upgrade"' >> /etc/cron-apt/config
}}}

 * Upload the [wiki:mfpl_admin_public_ssh_keys mayfirst public keys] to:

{{{
/root/.ssh/authorized_keys
}}}

 * Configure ssh to only accept connections with auth keys (unless this is a server that should be accessible by members). Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config and uncomment/change this line:

{{{
PasswordAuthentication no
}}}

 * Reload ssh:

{{{
# /etc/init.d/ssh reload
}}}

=== Fix Bash ===

 * Overwrite /root/.bashrc with:
{{{
# ~/.bashrc: executed by bash(1) for non-login shells.

export PS1='$? \h:\w\$ '
umask 022

# You may uncomment the following lines if you want `ls' to be colorized:
# export LS_OPTIONS='--color=auto'
# eval "`dircolors`"
# alias ls='ls $LS_OPTIONS'
# alias ll='ls $LS_OPTIONS -l'
# alias l='ls $LS_OPTIONS -lA'
#
# Some more alias to avoid making mistakes:
alias rm='rm -i'
alias cp='cp -i'
alias mv='mv -i
}}}

 * Modify the following lines in /etc/skel/.bashrc
{{{
PS1='$? ${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '
    ;;
*)
PS1='$? ${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h:\w\$ '
}}}

 * Add a .ssh directory and empty authorized_keys file in /etc/skel:
{{{
mkdir /etc/skel/.ssh
touch /etc/skel/.ssh/authorized_keys
}}}

=== Serial console login ===

If you did not use the serial console installer, then perform the following:

 * Edit the /etc/inittab file. Uncomment and modify:

{{{
T0:23:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyS0 115200 vt100
}}}

 * Refresh:

{{{
$ sudo init q
}}}

 * Add the following lines after the timeout line in /boot/grub/menu.1st

{{{
serial --unit=0 --speed=115200 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1
terminal --timeout=10 serial console
}}}

 * Add the following lines to the Start Default Options. You should already have a line such as:

{{{
# kopt=root=/dev/md0 ro
}}}

 add to it, so that your final line says:

{{{
# kopt=root=/dev/md0 ro console=ttyS0,115200n8
}}}

 Refresh grub:

{{{
$ update-grub
}}}