Installing Debian

Come with a bootable USB stick with Debian Squeeze installed (as of 2010-05-25, all physical servers are being installed with squeeze and will be creating KVM virtual servers).

Note - to get newer Dell machines to install that have the non-free Broadcom network drivers, mount the USB installer at /mnt and then run:

aptitude download firmware-bnx2 firmware-linux firmware-linux-nonfree
cp firmware* /mnt/

Initial steps

• Plug in monitor and keyboard
• Boot machine while USB stick is inserted
• Enter Bios/Setup. Specify that Bios should output to serial console
• Ensure that server skips errors like no keyboard attached
• Reboot and select Boot Options and choose to boot to USB stick
• [Skipping easy steps]
• For DNS servers, use:

  Telehouse: 209.51.163.29 209.51.169.83 
  XO: 209.234.253.168
  

• Drive partioning. If you are using 2TB disks or greater... Switch to console before partitioning:

  parted /dev/sda mklabel gpt
  parted /dev/sdb mklabel gpt
  
  parted /dev/sda unit s mkpart biosboot 2048 4095 
  parted /dev/sda set 1 bios_grub on 
  
  parted /dev/sdb unit s mkpart biosboot 2048 4095
  parted /dev/sdb set 1 bios_grub on 
  
  parted /dev/sda unit s mkpart boot 4096 1052671 
  parted /dev/sda set 2 raid on 
  
  parted /dev/sdb unit s mkpart boot 4096 1052671 
  parted /dev/sdb set 2 raid on 
  
  parted /dev/sda unit s mkpart pv 1052672 3905974271
  parted /dev/sda set 3 raid on 
  
  parted /dev/sdb unit s mkpart pv 1052672 3905974271
  parted /dev/sdb set 3 raid on 
  
  
  mdadm --create --raid-devices=2 --level-1 --metadata=1.0 --verbose /dev/md0 /dev/sda2 /dev/sdb2
  mdadm --create --raid-devices=2 --level-1 --metadata=1.0 --verbose /dev/md1 /dev/sda3 /dev/sdb3
  

• 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:
  • 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 the 250 MB RAID device: Filesystem: ext3, mount on /boot
• Encrypt the larger, remaining device. Give password to Jamie.
• Choose "Congifure LVM" (selecting the device encrypted in the previous step)
• Create a volume group called vg_nameofserver0
• Create logical volumes in this volume group based on your needs. Suggestions: 3GB for /, 1GB 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. Give to Jamie.
• Create a second user for yourself.
• Do not install the server package or the base package - deselect all of them.