== 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_`''nameofserver''`0` * 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.