wiki:install_debian

Version 29 (modified by Jamie McClelland, 16 years ago) (diff)

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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 aptitude 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]
  • For DNS servers, enter tachanka, followed by a HE server, followed by a verizon dns server: 209.51.169.83 65.19.176.2 151.202.0.85
  • 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.