Installing Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 For Intel x86
---------------------------------------------
Bruce Perens
Sven Rudolph
Igor Grobman
James Treacy
Adam Di Carlo
version 2.2.26, 12 June, 2001
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abstract
--------
This document contains installation instructions for the Debian
GNU/Linux 2.2 system, for the Intel x86 (``i386'') architecture. It
also contains pointers to more information and information on how to
make the most of your new Debian system. The procedures in this
document are _not_ to be used for users upgrading existing systems; if
you are upgrading, see the Release Notes for Debian 2.2
(http://www.debian.org/releases/2.2/i386/release-notes/).
Copyright Notice
----------------
This document may be distributed and modified under the terms of the
GNU General Public License.
(C) 1996 Bruce Perens
(C) 1996, 1997 Sven Rudolph
(C) 1998 Igor Grobman, James Treacy
(C) 1998--2001 Adam Di Carlo
This manual is free software; you may redistribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any
later version.
This manual is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
_without any warranty_; without even the implied warranty of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. See the GNU
General Public License for more details.
A copy of the GNU General Public License is available as
`/usr/doc/copyright/GPL' in the Debian GNU/Linux distribution or on
the World Wide Web at the GNU website
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html). You can also obtain it by
writing to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite
330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
We require that you properly attribute Debian and the authors of this
document on any materials derived from this document. If you modify
and improve this document, we request that you notify the authors of
this document, via <debian-boot@lists.debian.org>.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents
--------
1. Welcome to Debian
1.1. What is Debian?
1.2. What is GNU/Linux?
1.3. What is Debian GNU/Linux?
1.4. What is Debian GNU/Hurd?
1.5. Getting Debian
1.6. Getting the Newest Version of This Document
1.7. Organization of This Document
1.8. WARNING: This Document Has Known Problems
1.9. About Copyrights and Software Licenses
2. System Requirements
2.1. Supported Hardware
2.2. Installation Media
2.3. Memory and Disk Space Requirements
2.4. Peripherals and Other Hardware
2.5. Purchasing Hardware Specifically for GNU/Linux
3. Before You Start
3.1. Backups
3.2. Information You Will Need
3.3. Pre-installation Hardware and Operating System Setup
4. Partitioning Your Hard Drive
4.1. Background
4.2. Planning Use of the System
4.3. Device Names in Linux
4.4. Recommended Partitioning Scheme
4.5. Example Partitioning
4.6. Partitioning Prior to Installation
4.7. Lossless Repartitioning When Starting From DOS, Win-32 or
OS/2
4.8. Partitioning for DOS
5. Methods for Installing Debian
5.1. Overview of the Installation Process
5.2. Choosing the Right Installation Set
5.3. Installation Sources for Different Installation Stages
5.4. Description of Installation System Files
5.5. Diskettes
5.6. CD-ROM
5.7. Hard Disk
5.8. Installing from NFS
6. Booting the Installation System
6.1. Boot Parameter Arguments
6.2. Interpreting the Kernel Startup Messages
6.3. Booting from a Hard Disk
6.4. Booting and/or Installing from a CD-ROM
6.5. Booting With the Rescue Floppy
6.6. Troubleshooting the Boot Process
7. Using `dbootstrap' for Initial System Configuration
7.1. Introduction to `dbootstrap'
7.2. ``Release Notes''
7.3. ``Debian GNU/Linux Installation Main Menu''
7.4. ``Configure the Keyboard''
7.5. Last Chance!
7.6. ``Partition a Hard Disk''
7.7. ``Initialize and Activate a Swap Partition''
7.8. ``Initialize a Linux Partition''
7.9. ``Mount a Previously-Initialized Partition''
7.10. Mounting Partitions Not Supported by `dbootstrap'
7.11. ``Install Operating System Kernel and Modules''
7.12. ``Configure PCMCIA Support''
7.13. ``Configure Device Driver Modules''
7.14. ``Configure the Network''
7.15. ``Install the Base System''
7.16. ``Configure the Base System''
7.17. ``Make Linux Bootable Directly From Hard Disk''
7.18. ``Make a Boot Floppy''
7.19. The Moment of Truth
7.20. Debian Post-Boot (Base) Configuration
7.21. MD5 Passwords
7.22. Shadow Passwords
7.23. Set the Root Password
7.24. Create an Ordinary User
7.25. Setting Up PPP
7.26. Removing PCMCIA
7.27. Configuring APT
7.28. Package Installation: Simple or Advanced
7.29. Simple Package Selection -- The Task Installer
7.30. Advanced Package Selection with `dselect'
7.31. Log In
8. Next Steps and Where to Go From Here
8.1. If You Are New to Unix
8.2. Orienting Yourself to Debian
8.3. Reactivating DOS and Windows
8.4. Further Reading and Information
8.5. Compiling a New Kernel
9. Technical Information on the Boot Floppies
9.1. Source Code
9.2. Rescue Floppy
9.3. Replacing the Rescue Floppy Kernel
9.4. The Base Floppies
10. Appendix
10.1. Further Information and Obtaining Debian GNU/Linux
10.2. Linux Devices
11. Administrivia
11.1. About This Document
11.2. Contributing to This Document
11.3. Major Contributions
11.4. Trademark Acknowledgement
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Welcome to Debian
--------------------
We are delighted that you have decided to try Debian, and sure that
you will find that Debian's GNU/Linux distribution is unique. Debian
GNU/Linux brings together high-quality free software from around the
world, integrating it into a coherent whole. We believe that you will
find that the result is truly more than the sum of the parts.
This chapter provides an overview of the Debian Project and Debian
GNU/Linux. If you already know about the Debian Project's history and
the Debian GNU/Linux distribution, feel free to skip to the next
chapter.
1.1. What is Debian?
--------------------
Debian is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to developing free
software and promoting the ideals of the Free Software Foundation.
The Debian Project began in 1993, when Ian Murdock issued an open
invitation to software developers to contribute to a complete and
coherent software distribution based on the relatively new Linux
kernel. That relatively small band of dedicated enthusiasts,
originally funded by the Free Software Foundation
(http://www.gnu.org/fsf/fsf.html) and influenced by the GNU
(http://www.gnu.org/) philosophy, has grown over the years into an
organization of around 500 _Debian Developers_.
Debian Developers are involved in a variety of activities, including
Web (http://www.debian.org/) and FTP (ftp://ftp.debian.org/) site
administration, graphic design, legal analysis of software licenses,
writing documentation, and, of course, maintaining software packages.
In the interest of communicating our philosophy and attracting
developers who believe in the principles that Debian stands for, the
Debian Project has published a number of documents that outline our
values and serve as guides to what it means to be a Debian Developer:
* The Debian Social Contract
(http://www.debian.org/social_contract) is a statement of
Debian's commitments to the Free Software Community. Anyone who
agrees to abide to the Social Contract may become a maintainer
(http://www.debian.org/doc/maint-guide/). Any maintainer can
introduce new software into Debian --- provided that the software
meets our criteria for being free, and the package follows our
quality standards.
* The Debian Free Software Guidelines
(http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines) are a clear
and concise statement of Debian's criteria for free software.
The DFSG is a very influential document in the Free Software
Movement, and was the foundation of the Open Source Free Software
Guidelines (http://opensource.org/osd.html).
* The Debian Policy Manual
(http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/) is an extensive
specification of the Debian Project's standards of quality.
Debian developers are also involved in a number of other projects;
some specific to Debian, others involving some or all of the Linux
community. Some examples include:
* The Linux Standard Base (http://www.linuxbase.org/) (LSB) is a
project aimed at standardizing the basic GNU/Linux system, which
will enable third-party software and hardware developers to
easily design programs and device drivers for Linux-in-general,
rather than for a specific GNU/Linux distribution.
* The Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (http://www.pathname.com/fhs/)
(FHS) is an effort to standardize the layout of the Linux
filesystem. The FHS will allow software developers to
concentrate their efforts on designing programs, without having
to worry about how the package will be installed in different
GNU/Linux distributions.
* Debian Jr. (http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-jr/) is an
internal project, aimed at making sure Debian has something to
offer to our youngest users.
For more general information about Debian, see the Debian FAQ
(http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/).
1.2. What is GNU/Linux?
-----------------------
The GNU Project has developed a comprehensive set of free software
tools for use with Unix(TM) and Unix-like operating systems such as
Linux. These tools enable users to perform tasks ranging from the
mundane (such as copying or removing files from the system) to the
arcane (such as writing and compiling programs or doing sophisticated
editing in a variety of document formats).
An operating system consists of various fundamental programs which are
needed by your computer so that it can communicate and receive
instructions from users; read and write data to hard disks, tapes, and
printers; control the use of memory; and run other software. The most
important part of an operating system is the kernel. In a GNU/Linux
system, Linux is the kernel component. The rest of the system
consists of other programs, many of which were written by or for the
GNU Project. Because the Linux kernel alone does not form a working
operating system, we prefer to use the term ``GNU/Linux'' to refer to
systems that many people casually refer to as ``Linux''.
The Linux kernel (http://www.kernel.org/) first appeared in 1991, when
a Finnish computing science student named Linus Torvalds announced an
early version of a replacement kernel for Minix to the Usenet
newsgroup `comp.os.minix'. See Linux International's Linux History
Page (http://www.li.org/linuxhistory.php).
Linus Torvalds continues to coordinate the work of several hundred
developers with the help of a few trusty deputies. An excellent
weekly summary of discussions on the `linux-kernel' mailing list is
Kernel Traffic (http://kt.linuxcare.com/kernel-traffic/). More
information about the `linux-kernel' mailing list can be found on the
linux-kernel mailing list FAQ (http://www.tux.org/lkml/).
1.3. What is Debian GNU/Linux?
------------------------------
The combination of Debian's philosophy and methodology and the GNU
tools, the Linux kernel, and other important free software, form a
unique software distribution called Debian GNU/Linux. This
distribution is made up of a large number of software _packages_.
Each package in the distribution contains executables, scripts,
documentation, and configuration information, and has a _maintainer_
who is primarily responsible for keeping the package up-to-date,
tracking bug reports, and communicating with the upstream author(s) of
the packaged software. Our extremely large user base, combined with
our bug tracking system ensures that problems are found and fixed
quickly.
Debian's attention to detail allows us to produce a high-quality,
stable, and scalable distribution. Installations can be easily
configured to serve many roles, from stripped-down firewalls to
desktop scientific workstations to high-end network servers.
The feature that most distinguishes Debian from other GNU/Linux
distributions is its package management system. These tools give the
administrator of a Debian system complete control over the packages
installed on that system, including the ability to install a single
package or automatically update the entire operating system.
Individual packages can also be protected from being updated. You can
even tell the package management system about software you have
compiled yourself and what dependencies it fulfills.
To protect your system against ``trojan horses'' and other malevolent
software, Debian's servers verify that uploaded packages come from
their registered Debian maintainers. Debian packagers also take great
care to configure their packages in a secure manner. When security
problems in shipped packages do appear, fixes are usually available
very quickly. With Debian's simple update options, security fixes can
be downloaded and installed automatically across the Internet.
The primary, and best, method of getting support for your Debian
GNU/Linux system and communicating with Debian Developers is through
the many mailing lists maintained by the Debian Project (there are
more than 90 at this writing). The easiest way to subscribe to one or
more of these lists is visit Debian's mailing list subscription page
(http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/subscribe) and fill out the form
you'll find there.
1.4. What is Debian GNU/Hurd?
-----------------------------
Debian GNU/Hurd is a Debian GNU system that replaces the Linux
monolithic kernel with the GNU Hurd --- a set of servers running on
top of the GNU Mach microkernel. The Hurd is still unfinished, and is
unsuitable for day-to-day use, but work is continuing. The Hurd is
currently only being developed for the i386 architecture, although
ports to other architectures will be made once the system becomes more
stable.
For more information, see the Debian GNU/Hurd ports page
(http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/) and the
<debian-hurd@lists.debian.org> mailing list.
1.5. Getting Debian
-------------------
For information on how to download Debian GNU/Linux from the Internet
or from whom official Debian CDs can be purchased, see the
distribution web page (http://www.debian.org/distrib/). The list of
Debian mirrors (http://www.debian.org/distrib/ftplist) contains a full
set of official Debian mirrors.
Debian can be upgraded after installation very easily. The
installation procedure will help setup up the system so that you can
make those upgrades once installation is complete, if need be.
1.6. Getting the Newest Version of This Document
------------------------------------------------
This document is constantly being revised. Be sure to check the
Debian 2.2 pages (http://www.debian.org/releases/2.2/) for any
last-minute information about the 2.2 release of the Debian GNU/Linux
system. Updated versions of this installation manual are also
available from the official Install Manual pages
(http://www.debian.org/releases/2.2/i386/install).
1.7. Organization of This Document
----------------------------------
This document is meant to serve as a manual for first-time Debian
users. It tries to make as few assumptions as possible about your
level of expertise. However, we do assume that you have a general
understanding of how the hardware in your computer works.
Expert users may also find interesting reference information in this
document, including minimum installation sizes, details about the
hardware supported by the Debian installation system, and so on. We
encourage expert users to jump around in the document.
In general, this manual is arranged in a linear fashion, walking you
through the installation process from start to finish. Here are the
steps in installing Debian GNU/Linux, and the sections of this
document which correlate with each step:
1. Determine whether your hardware meets the requirements for using
the installation system, in Chapter 2, `System Requirements'.
2. Backup your system, and perform any necessary planning and
hardware configuration prior to installing Debian, in Chapter 3,
`Before You Start'.
3. Getting the partitions on your system set up correctly is very
important, because once you've done the install, you may have to
live with your choices for a long time.
4. In Chapter 5, `Methods for Installing Debian', several different
ways to install Debian are presented and discussed. Select your
favorite method and prepare your installation media as described.
5. Chapter 6, `Booting the Installation System', describes booting
into the installation system. This chapter also discusses
troubleshooting procedures in case you have problems with this
step.
6. Perform the initial system configuration, which is discussed in
Chapter 7, `Using `dbootstrap' for Initial System Configuration'
(Sections Section 7.1, `Introduction to `dbootstrap'' through
Section 7.14, ```Configure the Network''').
7. Section 7.15, ```Install the Base System'''.
8. Boot into your newly installed base system and run through some
additional configuration tasks, from Section 7.19, `The Moment of
Truth'.
9. Install the rest of the system, using `dselect' or `apt-get', in
Section 7.28, `Package Installation: Simple or Advanced'.
Once you've got your system installed, you can read Chapter 8, `Next
Steps and Where to Go From Here'. That chapter explains where to look
to find more information about Unix and Debian, and how to replace
your kernel. If you want to build your own install system from
source, be sure to read Chapter 9, `Technical Information on the Boot
Floppies'.
Finally, information about this document and how to contribute to it
may be found in Chapter 11, `Administrivia'.
1.8. WARNING: This Document Has Known Problems
----------------------------------------------
This document is still in a rather rough form. It is known to be
incomplete, and probably also contains errors, grammatical problems,
and so forth. If you see the words ``FIXME'' or ``TODO'', you can be
sure we already know that section is not complete. As usual, _caveat
emptor_ (buyer beware). Any help, suggestions, and, especially,
patches, would be greatly appreciated.
The non-x86 versions of this document may be particularly incomplete,
inaccurate, and untested. Your help is definitely wanted!
Working versions of this document can be found at
http://www.debian.org/releases/2.2/i386/install. There you will find
a list of all the different architectures and languages for which this
document is available.
Source is also available publicly; look for more information
concerning how to contribute in Chapter 11, `Administrivia'. We
welcome suggestions, comments, patches, and bug reports (use the
package `boot-floppies', but check first to see if the problem is
already reported).
1.9. About Copyrights and Software Licenses
-------------------------------------------
We're sure that you've read some of the licenses that come with most
commercial software --- they usually say that you can only use one
copy of the software on a single computer. The Debian GNU/Linux
system's license isn't like that at all. We encourage you to put a
copy of Debian GNU/Linux on every computer in your school or place of
business. Lend your installation media to your friends and help them
install it on their computers! You can even make thousands of copies
and _sell_ them --- albeit with a few restrictions. Your freedom to
install and use the system comes directly from Debian being based on
_free software_.
Calling software ``free'' doesn't mean that the software isn't
copyrighted, and it doesn't mean that CDs containing that software
must be distributed at no charge. Free software, in part, means that
the licenses of individual programs do not require you to pay for the
privilege of distributing or using those programs. Free software also
means that not only may anyone extend, adapt, and modify the software,
but that they may distribute the results of their work as well.[1]
Many of the programs in the system are licensed under the _GNU_
_General Public License_, often simply referred to as ``the GPL''.
The GPL requires you to make the _source code_ of the programs
available whenever you distribute a binary copy of the program; that
provision of the license ensures that any user will be able to modify
the software. Because of this provision, the source code for all such
programs is available in the Debian system.[2]
There are several other forms of copyright statements and software
licenses used on the programs in Debian. You can find the copyrights
and licenses for every package installed on your system by looking in
the file `/usr/doc/<package-name>/copyright' once you've installed a
package on your system.
For more information about licenses and how Debian determines whether
software is free enough to be included in the main distribution, see
the Debian Free Software Guidelines
(http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines).
The most important legal notice is that this software comes with _no
warranties_. The programmers who have created this software have done
so for the benefit of the community. No guarantee is made as to the
suitability of the software for any given purpose. However, since the
software is free, you are empowered to modify that software to suit
your needs --- and to enjoy the benefits of the changes made by others
who have extended the software in this way.
[1] Note that the Debian project, as a pragmatic concession to its users,
does make some packages available that do not meet our criteria for
being free. These packages are not part of the official distribution,
however, and are only available from the `contrib' or `non-free' areas
of Debian mirrors or on third-party CD-ROMs; see the Debian FAQ
(http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/), under ``The Debian FTP archives'',
for more information about the layout and contents of the archives.
[2] For information on how to locate, unpack, and build binaries from
Debian source packages, see the Debian FAQ
(http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/), under ``Basics of the Debian Package
Management System''.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. System Requirements
----------------------
This section contains information about what hardware you need to get
started with Debian. You will also find links to further information
about hardware supported by GNU and Linux.
2.1. Supported Hardware
-----------------------
Debian does not impose hardware requirements beyond the requirements
of the Linux kernel and the GNU tool-sets. Therefore, any
architecture or platform to which the Linux kernel, libc, `gcc', etc.
have been ported, and for which a Debian port exists, can run Debian.
There are, however, some limitations in our boot floppy set with
respect to supported hardware. Some Linux-supported platforms might
not be directly supported by our boot floppies. If this is the case,
you may have to create a custom rescue disk (see Section 9.3,
`Replacing the Rescue Floppy Kernel'), or investigate network
installations.
Rather than attempting to describe all the different hardware
configurations which are supported for Intel x86, this section
contains general information and pointers to where additional
information can be found.
2.1.1. Supported Architectures
------------------------------
Debian 2.2 supports six architectures: Intel x86-based architectures;
Motorola 680x0 machines such as Atari, Amiga, and Macintoshes; DEC
Alpha machines; Sun SPARC machines; ARM and StrongARM machines; and
some IBM/Motorola PowerPC machines, including CHRP, PowerMac and PReP
machines. These are referred to as _i386_, _m68k_, _alpha_, _sparc_,
_arm_, and _powerpc_, respectively.
This document covers installation for the _i386_ architecture. If you
look for information on other architectures take a look at the
Debian-Ports (http://www.debian.org/ports/) pages.
2.1.2. CPU, Mainboards, and Video Support
-----------------------------------------
Complete information concerning supported peripherals can be found at
Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO.html). This section
merely outlines the basics.
2.1.2.1. CPU
------------
Nearly all x86-based processors are supported; this includes AMD and
Cyrix processors as well. Also the new processors like Athlon and the
K6-2 or K6-3, respectively, are supported. However, Linux will _not_
run on 286 or earlier processors.
2.1.2.2. I/O Bus
----------------
The system bus is the part of the motherboard which allows the CPU to
communicate with peripherals such as storage devices. Your computer
must use the ISA, EISA, PCI, the Microchannel Architecture (MCA, used
in IBM's PS/2 line), or VESA Local Bus (VLB, sometimes called the VL
bus).
2.1.2.3. Graphics Card
----------------------
You should be using a VGA-compatible display interface for the console
terminal. Nearly every modern display card is compatible with VGA.
Ancient standards such CGA, MDA, or HGA should also work, assuming you
do not require X11 support. Note that X11 is not used during the
installation process described in this document.
Debian's support for graphical interfaces is determined by the
underlying support found in XFree86's X11 system. The newer AGP video
slots are actually a modification on the PCI specification, and most
AGP video cards work under XFree86. Details on supported graphics
buses, cards, monitors, and pointing devices can be found at
http://www.xfree86.org/. Debian 2.2 ships with X11 revision 3.3.6.
2.1.2.4. Laptops
----------------
Laptops are also supported. Laptops are often specialized or contain
proprietary hardware. To see if your particular laptop works well
with GNU/Linux, see the Linux Laptop pages
(http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/).
2.1.3. Multiple Processors
--------------------------
Multi-processor support -- also called ``symmetric multi-processing''
or SMP -- is supported for this architecture. However, the standard
Debian 2.2 kernel image does not support SMP. This should not prevent
installation, since the standard, non-SMP kernel should boot on SMP
systems; the kernel will simply use the first CPU.
In order to take advantage of multiple processors, you'll have to
replace the standard Debian kernel. You can find a discussion of how
to do this in Section 8.5, `Compiling a New Kernel'. At this time
(kernel version 2.2.19) the way you enable SMP is to select
``symmetric multi-processing'' in the ``General'' section of the
kernel config. If you compile software on a multiprocessor system,
look for the `-j' flag in the documentation on make(1).
2.2. Installation Media
-----------------------
There are four different media which can be used to install Debian:
floppies, CD-ROMs, local disk partitions, or the network. Different
parts of the same Debian installation can mix and match these options;
we'll go into that in Chapter 5, `Methods for Installing Debian'.
Floppy disk installation is a common option, although generally, the
least desirable. In many cases, you'll have to do your first boot
from floppies, using the Rescue Floppy. Generally, all you will need
is a high-density (1440 kilobytes) 3.5 inch floppy drive.
Double-density, 5.25 inch installation floppies (1200 k) are also
provided.
CD-ROM based installation is also supported for some architectures.
On machines which support bootable CD-ROMs, you should be able to do a
completely floppy-less installation. Even if your system doesn't
support booting from a CD-ROM, you can use the CD-ROM in conjunction
with the other techniques to install your system, once you've booted
up by other means; see Section 6.4, `Booting and/or Installing from a
CD-ROM'.
Both SCSI and IDE/ATAPI CD-ROMs are supported. In addition, all
non-standard CD interfaces supported by Linux are supported by the
boot disks (such as Mitsumi and Matsushita drives). However, these
models might require special boot parameters or other massaging to get
them to work, and booting off these non-standard interfaces is
unlikely. The Linux CD-ROM HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/CDROM-HOWTO.html) contains in-depth
information on using CD-ROMs with Linux.
Installation from local disk is another option. If you have free
space on partitions other than the partitions you're installing to,
this is definitely a good option. Some platforms even have local
installers, i.e., for booting from AmigaOS, TOS, or MacOS.
The last option is network installation. You can install your base
system via HTTP or NFS. Diskless installation, using network booting
and NFS-mounting of all local filesystems, is another option -- you'll
probably need at least 16MB of RAM for this option. After your base
system is installed, you can install the rest of your system via any
sort of network connection (including PPP), via FTP, HTTP, or NFS.
More complete descriptions of these methods, and helpful hints for
picking which method is best for you, can be found in Chapter 5,
`Methods for Installing Debian'. Please be sure to continue reading
to make sure the device you intend to boot and install from is
supported by the Debian installation system.
2.2.1. Supported Storage Systems
--------------------------------
The Debian boot disks contain a kernel which is built to maximize the
number of systems it runs on. Unfortunately, this makes for a larger
kernel, with a lot of drivers which will never be used (see Section
8.5, `Compiling a New Kernel' to learn how to build your own).
However, support for the widest possible range of devices is desirable
in order to ensure that Debian can be installed on the widest array of
hardware.
Generally, the Debian installation system includes support for
floppies, IDE drives, IDE floppies, parallel port IDE devices, SCSI
controllers and drives. The file systems supported include MINIX,
FAT, Win-32 FAT extensions (VFAT), among others (note that NTFS is not
supported by the installation system; you can add it later, as
described in Section 8.5, `Compiling a New Kernel').
Rather than attempting to describe the supported hardware, it is much
easier to describe the Linux supported hardware which is _not_
supported by the Debian boot system.
The disk interfaces that emulate the ``AT'' hard disk interface which
are often called MFM, RLL, IDE, or ATA are supported. Very old 8 bit
hard disk controllers used in the IBM XT computer are supported only
as a module. SCSI disk controllers from many different manufacturers
are supported. See the Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO.html) for more details.
Not supported are IDE SCSI drives and some SCSI controllers, including
* EATA-DMA protocol compliant SCSI Host Adapters like the
SmartCache III/IV, SmartRAID controller families and the DPT
PM2011B and PM2012B controllers.
* The 53c7 NCR family of SCSI controllers (but 53c8 and 5380
controllers are supported)
2.3. Memory and Disk Space Requirements
---------------------------------------
You must have at least 12MB of memory and 64MB of hard disk. If you
want to install a reasonable amount of software, including the X
Window System, and some development programs and libraries, you'll
need at least 300MB. For a more or less complete installation, you'll
need around 800MB. To install _everything_ available in Debian,
you'll probably need around 2 GB. Actually, installing everything
doesn't even make sense, since some packages conflict with others.
2.4. Peripherals and Other Hardware
-----------------------------------
Linux supports a large variety of hardware devices such as mice,
printers, scanners, modems, network cards, PCMCIA devices, etc.
However, none of these devices are required while installing the
system. This section contains information about peripherals
specifically _not_ supported by the installation system, even though
they may be supported by Linux. Again, see the Linux Hardware
Compatibility HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO.html) to determine
whether your specific hardware is supported by Linux.
Some network interface cards (NICs) are not supported by the Debian
installation disks (although a custom Linux kernel can use them), such
as AX.25 cards and protocols; 3Com EtherLink Plus (3c505) and
EtherLink16 (3c507); NI5210 cards; generic NE2100 cards; NI6510 and
NI16510 EtherBlaster cards; SEEQ 8005 cards; Schneider & Koch G16
cards; Ansel Communications EISA 3200; and the Zenith Z-Note built-in
network card. Microchannel (MCA) network cards are not supported by
the standard installation system, but see Linux on MCA disk images
(ftp://ns.gold-link.com/pub/LinuxMCA/) for unofficial images, and the
Linux MCA discussion archives (http://www.dgmicro.com/linux_frm.htm).
FDDI networks are also not supported by the installation disks, both
cards and protocols.
As for ISDN, the D-channel protocol for the (old) German 1TR6 is not
supported; Spellcaster BRI ISDN boards are also not supported by the
boot-floppies.
Sound devices are not supported by default. But as already mentioned
above: if you want to use an own kernel please go to Section 8.5,
`Compiling a New Kernel' for further information.
2.5. Purchasing Hardware Specifically for GNU/Linux
---------------------------------------------------
There are several vendors, now, who ship systems with Debian or other
distributions of GNU/Linux pre-installed. You might pay more for the
privilege, but it does buy a level of peace of mind, since you can be
sure that the hardware is well-supported by GNU/Linux. If you do have
to buy a machine with Windows bundled, carefully read the software
license that comes with Windows; you may be able to reject the license
and obtain a rebate from your vendor. See
http://www.linuxmall.com/refund/ for complete details.
Whether or not you are purchasing a system with Linux bundled, or even
a used system, it is still important to check that your hardware is
supported by the Linux kernel. Check if your hardware is listed in
the references found above. Let your salesperson (if any) know that
you're shopping for a Linux system. Support Linux-friendly hardware
vendors.
2.5.1. Avoid Proprietary or Closed Hardware
-------------------------------------------
Some hardware manufacturers simply won't tell us how to write drivers
for their hardware. Others won't allow us access to the documentation
without a non-disclosure agreement that would prevent us from
releasing the Linux source code. One example is the IBM laptop DSP
sound system used in recent ThinkPad systems -- some of these systems
also couple the sound system to the modem. Another example is the
proprietary hardware in the older Macintosh line.
Since we haven't been granted access to the documentation on these
devices, they simply won't work under Linux. You can help by asking
the manufacturers of such hardware to release the documentation. If
enough people ask, they will realize that the free software community
is an important market.
2.5.2. Windows-specific Hardware
--------------------------------
A disturbing trend is the proliferation of Windows-specific modems and
printers. In some cases these are specially designed to be operated
by the Microsoft Windows operating system and bear the legend
``WinModem'' or ``Made especially for Windows-based computers''. This
is generally done by removing the embedded processors of the hardware
and shifting the work they do over to a Windows driver that is run by
your computer's main CPU. This strategy makes the hardware less
expensive, but the savings are often _not_ passed on to the user and
this hardware may even be more expensive than equivalent devices that
retain their embedded intelligence.
You should avoid Windows-specific hardware for two reasons. The first
is that the manufacturers do not generally make the resources
available to write a Linux driver. Generally, the hardware and
software interface to the device is proprietary, and documentation is
not available without a non-disclosure agreement, if it is available
at all. This precludes its being used for free software, since free
software writers disclose the source code of their programs. The
second reason is that when devices like these have had their embedded
processors removed, the operating system must perform the work of the
embedded processors, often at _real-time_ priority, and thus the CPU
is not available to run your programs while it is driving these
devices. Since the typical Windows user does not multi-process as
intensively as a Linux user, the manufacturers hope that the Windows
user simply won't notice the burden this hardware places on their CPU.
However, any multi-processing operating system, even Windows 95 or NT,
suffers from degraded performance when peripheral manufacturers skimp
on the embedded processing power of their hardware.
You can help this situation by encouraging these manufacturers to
release the documentation and other resources necessary for us to
program their hardware, but the best strategy is simply to avoid this
sort of hardware until it is listed as working in the Linux Hardware
Compatibility HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO.html).
2.5.3. Fake or ``Virtual'' Parity RAM
-------------------------------------
If you ask for Parity RAM in a computer store, you'll probably get
_virtual parity_ memory modules instead of _true parity_ ones.
Virtual parity SIMMs can often (but not always) be distinguished
because they only have one more chip than an equivalent non-parity
SIMM, and that one extra chip is smaller than all the others.
Virtual-parity SIMMs work exactly like non-parity memory. They can't
tell you when you have a single-bit RAM error the way true-parity
SIMMs do in a motherboard that implements parity. Don't ever pay more
for a virtual-parity SIMM than a non-parity one. Do expect to pay a
little more for true-parity SIMMs, because you are actually buying one
extra bit of memory for every 8 bits.
If you want complete information on Intel x86 RAM issues, and what is
the best RAM to buy, see the PC Hardware FAQ
(ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/comp/sys/ibm/pc/hardware/systems/).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Before You Start
-------------------
3.1. Backups
------------
Before you start, make sure to back up every file that is now on your
system. The installation procedure can wipe out all of the data on a
hard disk! The programs used in installation are quite reliable and
most have seen years of use; still, a false move can cost you. Even
after backing up be careful and think about your answers and actions.
Two minutes of thinking can save hours of unnecessary work.
Even if you are installing a multi-boot system, make sure that you
have on hand the distribution media of any other present operating
systems. Especially if you repartition your boot drive, you might
find that you have to reinstall your operating system's boot loader,
or in some cases (i.e., Macintosh), the whole operating system itself.
3.2. Information You Will Need
------------------------------
Besides this document, you'll need the cfdisk (cfdisk.txt) manual
page, the fdisk (fdisk.txt) manual page, the dselect Tutorial
(dselect-beginner), and the Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO.html).
If your computer is connected to a network 24 hours a day (i.e., an
Ethernet or equivalent connection -- not a PPP connection), you should
ask your network's system administrator for this information:
* Your host name (you may be able to decide this on your own).
* Your domain name.
* Your computer's IP address.
* The IP address of your network.
* The netmask to use with your network.
* The broadcast address to use on your network.
* The IP address of the default gateway system you should route to,
if your network _has_ a gateway.
* The system on your network that you should use as a DNS (Domain
Name Service) server.
* Whether you connect to the network using Ethernet.
* Whether your Ethernet interface is a PCMCIA card; if so, the type
of PCMCIA controller you have.
If your computer's only network connection is via a serial line, using
PPP or an equivalent dialup connection, you are probably not
installing the base system over a network. You don't need to worry
about getting your network setup until your system is already
installed. See Section 7.25, `Setting Up PPP' below for information
on setting up PPP under Debian.
3.3. Pre-installation Hardware and Operating System Setup
---------------------------------------------------------
There is sometimes some tweaking to your system that must be done
prior to installation. The x86 platform is the most notorious of
these; pre-installation hardware setup on other architectures is
considerably simpler.
This section will walk you through pre-installation hardware setup, if
any, that you will need to do prior to installing Debian. Generally,
this involves checking and possibly changing firmware settings for
your system. The ``firmware'' is the core software used by the
hardware; it is most critically invoked during the bootstrap process
(after power-up).
3.3.1. Invoking the BIOS Set-Up Menu
------------------------------------
BIOS provides the basic functions needed to boot your machine to allow
your operating system to access your hardware. Your system probably
provides a BIOS set-up menu, which is used to configure the BIOS.
Before installing, you _must_ ensure that your BIOS is setup
correctly; not doing so can lead to intermittent crashes or an
inability to install Debian.
The rest of this section is lifted from the PC Hardware FAQ
(ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/comp/sys/ibm/pc/hardware/systems/),
answering the question, "How do I enter the CMOS configuration menu?".
How you access the BIOS (or ``CMOS'') configuration menu depends on
who wrote your BIOS software:
[From: burnesa@cat.com (Shaun Burnet)]
AMI BIOS
Del key during the POST (power on self test)
Award BIOS
Ctrl-Alt-Esc, or Del key during the POST
DTK BIOS
Esc key during the POST
IBM PS/2 BIOS
Ctrl-Alt-Ins after Ctrl-Alt-Del
Phoenix BIOS
Ctrl-Alt-Esc or Ctrl-Alt-S
[From: mike@pencom.com (Mike Heath)] Some 386 machines don't have a
CMOS configuration menu in the BIOS. They require a software CMOS
setup program. If you don't have the Installation and/or Diagnostics
diskette for your machine, you can try using a shareware/freeware
program. Try looking in ftp://ftp.simtelnet.net/pub/simtelnet/msdos/.
3.3.2. Boot Device Selection
----------------------------
Many BIOS set-up menus allow you to select the devices that will be
used to bootstrap the system. Set this to look for a bootable
operating system on `A:' (the first floppy disk), then optionally the
first CD-ROM device (possibly appearing as `D:' or `E:'), and then
from `C:' (the first hard disk). This setting enables you to boot
from either a floppy disk or a CD-ROM, which are the two most common
boot devices used to install Debian.
If you have a newer SCSI controller and you have a CD-ROM device
attached to it, you are usually able to boot from the CD-ROM. All you
have to do is enabling booting from a CD-ROM in the SCSI-BIOS of your
controller. Additionally you have to be able to boot from a floppy
disk. This is set up in the PC-BIOS.
If your system can't boot directly from CD-ROM, or you simply can't
seem to get it to work, don't despair; you can simply run
`E:\install\boot.bat' under DOS (replace `E:' with whatever drive
letter DOS assigns to your CD-ROM drive) to start the installation
process. See Section 6.4, `Booting and/or Installing from a CD-ROM'
below for details.
Also, if you're going to be installing from a FAT (DOS) partition, you
won't need any floppies at all. See Section 6.3.1, `Booting from a
DOS partition' below for more information on installing via this
method.
3.3.3. CD-ROM Settings
----------------------
Some BIOSes (such as Award BIOS) allows you to automatically set the
CD speed. You should avoid that, and instead set it to, say, the
lowest speed. If you get `seek failed' error messages, this may be
your problem.
3.3.4. Extended vs. Expanded Memory
-----------------------------------
If your system provides both ex_ten_ded and ex_pan_ded memory, set it
so that there is as much extended and as little expanded memory as
possible. Linux requires extended memory and cannot use expanded
memory.
3.3.5. Virus Protection
-----------------------
Disable any virus-warning features your BIOS may provide. If you have
a virus-protection board or other special hardware, make sure it is
disabled or physically removed while running GNU/Linux. These aren't
compatible with GNU/Linux; moreover, due to the file system
permissions and protected memory of the Linux kernel, viruses are
almost unheard of.[1]
[1] After installation you can enable Boot Sector protection if you want.
There is no need to tamper with Master Boot Record (MBR) after the
boot manager has been set up. This offers no additional security in
Linux but if you also do Windows it may prevent a catastrophe.
3.3.6. Shadow RAM
-----------------
Your motherboard may provide _shadow RAM_ or BIOS caching. You may
see settings for ``Video BIOS Shadow'', ``C800-CBFF Shadow'', etc.
_Disable_ all shadow RAM. Shadow RAM is used to accelerate access to
the ROMs on your motherboard and on some of the controller cards.
Linux does not use these ROMs once it has booted because it provides
its own faster 32-bit software in place of the 16-bit programs in the
ROMs. Disabling the shadow RAM may make some of it available for
programs to use as normal memory. Leaving the shadow RAM enabled may
interfere with Linux access to hardware devices.
3.3.7. Advanced Power Management
--------------------------------
If your motherboard provides Advanced Power Management (APM),
configure it so that power management is controlled by APM. Disable
the doze, standby, suspend, nap, and sleep modes, and disable the hard
disk's power-down timer. Linux can take over control of these modes,
and can do a better job of power-management than the BIOS. The
version of the operating system kernel on the installation floppies
does not, however, use APM, because we've had reports of one laptop
system crashing when the Linux APM driver is configured. Once you've
installed Linux, you can build a custom-configured version of the
Linux kernel; see Section 8.5, `Compiling a New Kernel' for
instructions how.
3.3.8. The Turbo Switch
-----------------------
Many systems have a _turbo_ switch that controls the speed of the CPU.
Select the high-speed setting. If your BIOS allows you to disable
software control of the turbo switch (or software control of CPU
speed), do so and lock the system in high-speed mode. We have one
report that on a particular system, while Linux is auto-probing
(looking for hardware devices) it can accidentally touch the software
control for the turbo switch.
3.3.9. Over-Clocking your CPU
-----------------------------
Many people have tried operating their 90 MHz CPU at 100 MHz, etc. It
sometimes works, but is sensitive to temperature and other factors and
can actually damage your system. One of the authors of this document
over-clocked his own system for a year, and then the system started
aborting the `gcc' program with an unexpected signal while it was
compiling the operating system kernel. Turning the CPU speed back
down to its rated value solved the problem.
3.3.10. Bad Memory Modules
--------------------------
The `gcc' compiler is often the first thing to die from bad memory
modules (or other hardware problems that change data unpredictably)
because it builds huge data structures that it traverses repeatedly.
An error in these data structures will cause it to execute an illegal
instruction or access a non-existent address. The symptom of this
will be `gcc' dying from an unexpected signal.
The very best motherboards support parity RAM and will actually tell
you if your system has a single-bit error in RAM. Unfortunately, they
don't have a way to fix the error, thus they generally crash
immediately after they tell you about the bad RAM. Still, it's better
to be told you have bad memory than to have it silently insert errors
in your data. Thus, the best systems have motherboards that support
parity and true-parity memory modules; see Section 2.5.3, `Fake or
``Virtual'' Parity RAM'.
If you do have true-parity RAM and your motherboard can handle it, be
sure to enable any BIOS settings that cause the motherboard to
interrupt on memory parity errors.
3.3.11. Cyrix CPUs and Floppy Disk Errors
-----------------------------------------
Many users of Cyrix CPUs have had to disable the cache in their
systems during installation, because the floppy disk has errors if
they do not. If you have to do this, be sure to re-enable your cache
when you are finished with installation, as the system runs _much_
slower with the cache disabled.
We don't think this is necessarily the fault of the Cyrix CPU. It may
be something that Linux can work around. We'll continue to look into
the problem. For the technically curious, we suspect a problem with
the cache being invalid after a switch from 16-bit to 32-bit code.
3.3.12. Miscellaneous BIOS Settings to Watch Out For
----------------------------------------------------
If your BIOS offers something like ``15-16 MB Memory Hole'', please
disable that. Linux expects to find memory there if you have that
much RAM.
We have a report of an Intel Endeavor motherboard on which there is an
option called ``LFB'' or ``Linear Frame Buffer''. This had two
settings: ``Disabled'' and ``1 Megabyte''. Set it to ``1 Megabyte''.
When disabled, the installation floppy was not read correctly, and the
system eventually crashed. At this writing we don't understand what's
going on with this particular device -- it just worked with that
setting and not without it.
3.3.13. Peripheral Hardware Settings to Watch Out For
-----------------------------------------------------
In addition to your BIOS settings, you may have to change some
settings on the actual cards. Some cards have setup menus, while
others rely on jumpers. This document cannot hope to provide complete
information on every hardware device; what it hopes to provide is
useful tips.
If any cards provide ``mapped memory'', the memory should be mapped
somewhere between 0xA0000 and 0xFFFFF (from 640K to just below 1
megabyte) or at an address at least 1 megabyte greater than the total
amount of RAM in your system.
3.3.14. More than 64 MB RAM
---------------------------
The Linux Kernel can not always detect what amount of RAM you have.
If this is the case please look at Section 6.1, `Boot Parameter
Arguments'.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Partitioning Your Hard Drive
-------------------------------
4.1. Background
---------------
Partitioning your disk simply refers to the act of breaking up your
disk into sections. Each section is then independent of the others.
It's roughly equivalent to putting up walls in a house; if you add
furniture to one room it doesn't affect any other room.
If you already have an operating system on your system (Windows95,
Windows NT, OS/2, MacOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, ...) and want to stick
Linux on the same disk, you will probably need to repartition the
disk. In general, changing a partition with a filesystem already on
it will destroy any information there. Thus you should always make
backups before doing any repartitioning. Using the analogy of the
house, you would probably want to move all the furniture out of the
way before moving a wall or you risk destroying it. Luckily, there is
an alternative for some users; see Section 4.7, `Lossless
Repartitioning When Starting From DOS, Win-32 or OS/2'.
At a bare minimum, GNU/Linux needs one partition for itself. You can
have a single partition containing the entire operating system,
applications, and your personal files. Most people feel that a
separate swap partition is also a necessity, although it's not
strictly true. ``Swap'' is scratch space for an operating system,
which allows the system to use cheap disk storage as ``virtual
memory''. By putting swap on a separate partition, Linux can make
much more efficient use of it. It is possible to force Linux to use a
regular file as swap, but it is not recommended.
Most people choose to give GNU/Linux more than the minimum number of
partitions, however. There are two reasons you might want to break up
the filesystem into a number of smaller partitions. The first is for
safety. If something happens to corrupt the file system, generally
only one partition is affected. Thus, you only have to replace (from
the backups you've been carefully keeping) a portion of your system.
At a bare minimum, you should consider creating what is commonly
called a ``root partition''. This contains the most essential
components of the system. If any other partitions get corrupted, you
can still boot into GNU/Linux to fix the system. This can save you
the trouble of having to reinstall the system from scratch.
The second reason is generally more important in a business setting,
but it really depends on your use of the machine. Suppose something
runs out of control and starts eating disk space. If the process
causing the problem happens to have root privileges (the system keeps
a percentage of the disk away from users), you could suddenly find
yourself out of disk space. This is not good as the OS needs to use
real files (besides swap space) for many things. It may not even be a
problem of local origin. For example, getting spammed with e-mail can
easily fill a partition. By using more partitions, you protect the
system from many of these problems. Using mail as an example again,
by putting `/var/spool/mail' on its own partition, the bulk of the
system will work even if you get spammed.
Another reason applies to you only if you have a large IDE disk, and
are using neither LBA addressing, overlay drivers (sometimes provided
by hard disk manufacturers), nor a new (post 1998) BIOS that supports
large disk access extensions. In this case, you will have to put the
boot partition into the first 1024 cylinders of your hard drive
(usually around 524 megabytes, without BIOS translation).
The only real drawback to using more partitions is that it is often
difficult to know in advance what your needs will be. If you make a
partition too small then you will either have to reinstall the system
or you will be constantly moving things around to make room in the
undersized partition. On the other hand, if you make the partition
too big, you will be wasting space that could be used elsewhere. Disk
space is cheap nowadays, but why throw your money away?
4.1.1. The Directory Tree
-------------------------
The following list describes some important directories. It should
help you to find out what your partitioning scheme should be. If this
is too confusing for you, just ignore it and reread it when you read
the rest of the installation manual.
* `/': root represents the starting point of the directory
hierarchy. It contains the essential programs that the computer
can boot. This includes the kernel, system libraries,
configuration files in `/etc' and various other needed files.
Typically 30-50 MB are needed but this may vary.
Note: do _not_ partition `/etc', `/bin', `/sbin', `/lib' or
`/dev' as its own partition; you won't be able to boot.
* `/dev': this directory contains the various device files which
are interfaces to the various hardware components. For more
information see Section 4.3, `Device Names in Linux'.
* `/usr': all user programs (`/usr/bin'), libraries (`/usr/lib'),
documentation (`/usr/share/doc'), etc., are in this directory.
This part of the filesystem needs most of the space. You should
provide at least 500 MB of disk space. If you want to install
more packages you should increase the amount of space you give
this directory.
* `/home': every user will put his data into a subdirectory of this
directory. The size of this depends on how many users will be
using the system and what files are to be stored in their
directories. Depending on your planned usage you should reserve
about 100 MB for each user, but adapt this value to your needs.
* `/var': all variable data like news articles, e-mails, websites,
APT's cache, etc. will be placed under this directory. The size
of this directory depends greatly on the usage of your computer,
but for most people will be dictated by the package management
tool's overhead. If you are going to do a full installation of
just about everything Debian has to offer, all in one session,
setting aside 2 or 3 gigabytes of space for `/var' should be
sufficient. If you are going to install in pieces (that is to
say, install services and utilities, followed by text stuff, then
X, ...), you can get away with 300 - 500 megabytes of in `/var'.
If harddrive space is at a premium and you don't plan on using
APT, at least not for major updates, you can get by with as
little as 30 or 40 megabytes in `/var'.
* `/tmp': if a program creates temporary data it will most likely
go in `/tmp'. 20-50 MB should be usually enough.
4.2. Planning Use of the System
-------------------------------
It is important to decide what type of machine you are creating. This
will determine disk space requirements and affect your partitioning
scheme.
Debian offers the `tasksel' tool to assist the user during
installation. (see Section 7.29, `Simple Package Selection -- The
Task Installer'). Tasks are collections of packages which are
automatically marked for installation as a group, to implement a given
type of Linux installation. Checking the sizes of various tasks will
give you a sense of how large your partition or partitions need to be
for your intended usage.
Link to a page dynamically generated using current tasksel to list
tasks with associated sizes. Delete following outdated list.
Server_std
This is a small server profile, useful for stripped down server
which does not have a lot of niceties for shell users. It
basically has an FTP server, a web server, DNS, NIS, and POP. It
will take up around 50MB. Of course, this is just size of the
software; any data you serve up would be additional.
Dialup
A standard desktop box, including the X window system, graphics
applications, sound, editors, etc. Size of the packages will be
around 500MB.
Work_std
A more stripped-down user machine, without the X window system or
X applications. Possibly suitable for a laptop or mobile
computer. The size is around 140MB. (Note that the author has a
pretty simple laptop setup including X11 in even less, around
100MB).
Devel_comp
A desktop setup with all the development packages, such as Perl,
C, C++, etc. Size is around 475MB. Assuming you are adding X11
and some additional packages for other uses, you should plan
around 800MB for this type of machine.
Remember that these sizes don't include all the other materials which
are usually to be found, such as user files, mail, and data. It is
always best to be generous when considering the space for your own
files and data. Notably, the Debian `/var' partition contains a lot
of state information. The `dpkg' files (with information on all
installed packages) can easily consume 20MB; with logs and the rest,
you should usually allocate at least 50MB for `/var'.
4.2.1. PC Disk Limitations
--------------------------
The PC BIOS generally adds additional constraints for disk
partitioning. There is a limit to how many ``primary'' and
``logical'' partitions a drive can contain. Additionally, with pre
1994-98 BIOS, there are limits to where on the drive the BIOS can boot
from. More information can be found in the Linux Partition HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Partition/) and the Phoenix BIOS
FAQ (http://www.phoenix.com/pcuser/BIOS/biosfaq2.htm), but this
section will include a brief overview to help you plan most
situations.
``Primary'' partitions are the original partitioning scheme for PC
disks. However, there can only be four of them. To get past this
limitation, ``extended'' and ``logical'' partitions were invented. By
setting one of your primary partitions as an extended partition, you
can subdivide all the space allocated to that partition into logical
partitions. You can create up to 60 logical partitions per extended
partition; however, you can only have one extended partition per
drive.
Linux limits the partitions per drive to 15 partitions for SCSI disks
(3 usable primary partitions, 12 logical partitions), and 63
partitions on an IDE drive (3 usable primary partitions, 60 logical
partitions).
The last issue about the PC BIOS which you need to know is that your
boot partition, that is, the partition containing your kernel image,
needs to be contained within the first 1024 cylinders of the drive,
_unless_ you have a BIOS newer than around 1995-98 (depending on the
manufacturer) that supports the ``Enhanced Disk Drive Support
Specification''. Both Lilo, the Linux loader, and Debian's
alternative `mbr' must use the BIOS to read the kernel from the disk
into RAM. If the BIOS int 0x13 large disk access extensions are found
to be present, they will be utilized. Otherwise, the legacy disk
access interface is used as a fallback, and it cannot be used to
address any location on the disk higher than the 1023rd cylinder.
Once Linux is booted, no matter what BIOS your computer has, these
restrictions no longer apply, since Linux does not use the BIOS for
disk access.
If you have a large disk, you might have to use cylinder translation
techniques, which you can set from your BIOS setup program, such as
LBA (Logical Block Addressing) or CHS translation mode (``Large'').
More information about issues with large disks can be found in the
Large Disk HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Large-Disk-HOWTO.html). If you are
using a cylinder translation scheme, and the BIOS does not support the
large disk access extensions, then your boot partition has to fit
within the _translated_ representation of the 1024th cylinder.
The recommended way of accomplishing this is to create a small (5-10MB
should suffice) partition at the beginning of the disk to be used as
the boot partition, and then create whatever other partitions you wish
to have, in the remaining area. This boot partition _must_ be mounted
on `/boot', since that is the directory where the Linux kernel(s) will
be stored. This configuration will work on any system, regardless of
whether LBA or large disk CHS translation is used, and regardless of
whether your BIOS supports the large disk access extensions.
4.3. Device Names in Linux
--------------------------
Linux disks and partition names may be different from other operating
systems. You need to know the names that Linux uses when you create
and mount partitions. Here's the basic naming scheme:
* The first floppy drive is named ``/dev/fd0''.
* The second floppy drive is named ``/dev/fd1''.
* The first SCSI disk (SCSI ID address-wise) is named ``/dev/sda''.
* The second SCSI disk (address-wise) is named ``/dev/sdb'', and so
on.
* The first SCSI CD-ROM is named ``/dev/scd0'', also known as
``/dev/sr0''.
* The master disk on IDE primary controller is named ``/dev/hda''.
* The slave disk on IDE primary controller is named ``/dev/hdb''.
* The master and slave disks of the secondary controller can be
called ``/dev/hdc'' and ``/dev/hdd'', respectively. Newer IDE
controllers can actually have two channels, effectively acting
like two controllers.
* The first XT disk is named ``/dev/xda''.
* The second XT disk is named ``/dev/xdb''.
The partitions on each disk are represented by appending a decimal
number to the disk name: ``sda1'' and ``sda2'' represent the first and
second partitions of the first SCSI disk drive in your system.
Here is a real-life example. Let's assume you have a system with 2
SCSI disks, one at SCSI address 2 and the other at SCSI address 4.
The first disk (at address 2) is then named ``sda'', and the second
``sdb''. If the ``sda'' drive has 3 partitions on it, these will be
named ``sda1'', ``sda2'', and ``sda3''. The same applies to the
``sdb'' disk and its partitions.
Note that if you have two SCSI host bus adapters (i.e., controllers),
the order of the drives can get confusing. The best solution in this
case is to watch the boot messages, assuming you know yourself the
drive models.
Linux represents the primary partitions as the drive name, plus the
numbers 1 through 4. For example, the first primary partition on the
first IDE drive is `/dev/hda1'. The logical partitions are numbered
starting at 5, so the first logical partition on that same drive is
`/dev/hda5'. Remember that the extended partition, that is, the
primary partition holding the logical partitions, is not usable by
itself. This applies to SCSI disks as well as IDE disks.
4.4. Recommended Partitioning Scheme
------------------------------------
As described above, you should definitely have a separate smaller root
partition, and a larger `/usr' partition, if you have the space. For
examples, see below. For most users, the two partitions initially
mentioned are sufficient. This is especially appropriate when you
have a single small disk, since breaking out lots of partitions can
waste space.
In some cases, you might need a separate `/usr/local' partition if you
plan to install many programs that are not part of the Debian
distribution. If your machine will be a mail server, you might need
to make `/var/spool/mail' a separate partition. Often, putting `/tmp'
on its own partition, for instance 20 to 32MB, is a good idea. If you
are setting up a server with lots of user accounts, it's generally
good to have a separate, large `/home' partition. In general, the
partitioning situation varies from computer to computer depending on
its uses.
For very complex systems, you should see the Multi Disk HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Multi-Disk-HOWTO.html). This contains
in-depth information, mostly of interest to ISPs and people setting up
servers.
With respect to the issue of swap partition size, there are many
views. One rule of thumb which works well is to use as much swap as
you have system memory, although there probably isn't much point in
going over 64MB of swap for most users. It also shouldn't be smaller
than 16MB, in most cases. Of course, there are exceptions to these
rules. If you are trying to solve 10000 simultaneous equations on a
machine with 256MB of memory, you may need a gigabyte (or more) of
swap.
On 32-bit architectures (i386, m68k, 32-bit SPARC, and PowerPC), the
maximum size of a swap partition is 2GB (on Alpha and SPARC64, it's so
large as to be virtually unlimited). This should be enough for nearly
any installation. However, if your swap requirements are this high,
you should probably try to spread the swap across different disks
(also called ``spindles'') and, if possible, different SCSI or IDE
channels. The kernel will balance swap usage between multiple swap
partitions, giving better performance.
4.5. Example Partitioning
-------------------------
As an example, one of the authors' home machine has 32MB of RAM and a
1.7GB IDE drive on `/dev/hda'. There is a 500MB partition for another
operating system on `/dev/hda1' (should have made it 200MB as it never
gets used). A 32MB swap partition is used on `/dev/hda3' and the rest
(about 1.2GB on `/dev/hda2') is the Linux partition.
4.6. Partitioning Prior to Installation
---------------------------------------
There are two different times that you can partition: prior to the
installation of Debian, or during installation of Debian. If your
computer will be solely dedicated to Debian, you should partition as
part of the installation process (Section 7.6, ```Partition a Hard
Disk'''). If you have a machine with more than one operating system
on it, you generally should let the native operating system create its
own partitions.
The following sections contain information regarding partitioning in
your native operating system prior to installation. Note that you'll
have to map between how the other operating system names partitions,
and how Linux names partitions; see Section 4.3, `Device Names in
Linux'.
4.6.1. Partitioning From DOS or Windows
---------------------------------------
If you are manipulating existing FAT or NTFS partitions, it is
recommended that you either use the scheme below or native Windows or
DOS tools. Otherwise, it is not really necessary to partition from
DOS or Windows; the Linux partitioning tools will generally do a
better job.
4.7. Lossless Repartitioning When Starting From DOS, Win-32 or OS/2
-------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the most common installations is onto a system that already
contains DOS (including Windows 3.1), Win32 (such as Windows 95, 98,
NT), or OS/2, and it is desired to put Debian onto the same disk
without destroying the previous system. As explained in the Section
4.1, `Background', decreasing the size of an existing partition will
almost certainly damage the data on that partition unless certain
precautions are taken. The method described here, while not
guaranteed to protect your data, works extremely well in practice. As
a precaution, you should _make a backup_.
Before going any further, you should have decided how you will be
dividing up the disk. The method in this section will only split a
partition into two pieces. One will contain the original OS and the
other will be used for Debian. During the installation of Debian, you
will be given the opportunity to use Debian portion of the disk as you
see fit, i.e., as swap or as a filesystem.
The idea is to move all the data on the partition to the beginning,
before changing the partition information, so that nothing will be
lost. It is important that you do as little as possible between the
data movement and repartitioning to minimize the chance of a file
being written near the end of the partition as this will decrease the
amount of space you can take from the partition.
The first thing needed is a copy of `fips' which is available in the
`tools/' directory on your nearest Debian mirror. Unzip the archive
and copy the files `RESTORRB.EXE', `FIPS.EXE' and `ERRORS.TXT' to a
bootable floppy. A bootable floppy can be created using the command
`sys a:' under DOS. `fips' comes with very good documentation which
you may want to read. You will definitely need to read the
documentation if you use a disk compression driver or a disk manager.
Create the disk and read the documentation _before_ you defragment the
disk.
The next thing needed is to move all the data to the beginning of the
partition. `defrag', which comes standard with DOS 6.0 and later can
easily do the job. See the `fips' documentation for a list of other
software that may do the trick. Note that if you have Windows 95, you
must run `defrag' from there, since DOS doesn't understand VFAT, which
is used to support for long filenames, used in Windows 95 and higher.
After running the defragmenter (which can take a while on a large
disk), reboot with the `fips' disk you created in the floppy drive.
Simply type `a:\fips' and follow the directions.
Note that there are many other other partition managers out there, in
case `fips' doesn't do the trick for you.
4.8. Partitioning for DOS
-------------------------
If you are partitioning for DOS drives, or changing the size of DOS
partitions, using Linux tools, many people experience problems working
with the resulting FAT partitions. For instance, some have reported
slow performance, consistent problems with `scandisk', or other weird
errors in DOS or Windows.
Apparently, whenever you create or resize a partition for DOS use,
it's a good idea to fill the first few sectors with zeros. Do this
prior to running DOS's `format' command, from Linux:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hdXX bs=512 count=4
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Methods for Installing Debian
--------------------------------
You can install Debian from a variety of sources, both local (CD, hard
disk, floppies) and remote (FTP, NFS, PPP, HTTP). Debian also
supports various hardware configurations, so you may still have a few
choices to make before you get going. This chapter lays out the
choices and some suggestions for how to make them.
You can make different choices for different steps in the
installation. For example, you may start the installation by booting
off diskettes, but then feed later steps in the install process files
from your hard disk.
As the installation progresses you will move from a scrawny, incapable
system which lives only in RAM to a full-featured Debian GNU/Linux
system installed on the hard disk. One of the key goals of the early
installation steps is to increase the variety of hardware (e.g.,
interface cards) and software (e.g., network protocols and file system
drivers) the system supports. Consequently, later installation steps
can use a broader range of sources than earlier ones.
The easiest route for most people will be to use a set of Debian CDs.
If you have such a set, and if your machine supports booting directly
off the CD, great! Simply configure your system to boot off the CD as
described in Section 3.3.2, `Boot Device Selection', insert your CD,
reboot, and proceed to the next chapter. If it turns out the standard
installation doesn't work for your hardware, you can come back here to
see about alternate kernels and installation methods which may work
for you. In particular, note that some CD sets provide different
kernels on different CDs, so that booting off some CD other than the
first may work for you.
5.1. Overview of the Installation Process
-----------------------------------------
This overview highlights the points for which you must choose an
installation media, or make a choice which will affect which sources
you can choose later. The following steps will occur:
1. You begin by booting the installation system.
2. You answer a series of questions to perform the initial system
configuration.
3. You provide a media source for the kernel and drivers.
4. You select which drivers to load.
5. You provide a media source for the base system.
6. You reboot the system and then do some final configuration.
7. You install additional software, packages, at your discretion.
In making your choices, you need to bear a few factors in mind. The
first involve your choice of kernel. The kernel that you pick for the
initial system boot is the same kernel that your fully configured
system will use. Since drivers are kernel-specific, you must pick a
package containing drivers which go with your kernel. We'll turn
shortly to the details of picking the right kernel, or rather,
installation set.
Different kernels also have different networking abilities out of the
box, and so also expand or limit your source choices, particularly
early in the install process.
Finally, the particular drivers that you choose to load can enable
additional hardware (e.g., network interface cards, hard drive
controllers) or file systems (e.g., NTFS or NFS). This therefore
widens the choices of installation source media.
5.2. Choosing the Right Installation Set
----------------------------------------
Kernel images are available in various ``flavors'', each of which
supports a different set of hardware. The flavors available for Intel
x86 are:
`vanilla'
The standard kernel package available in Debian. This includes
almost all drivers supported by Linux built as modules, which
includes drivers for network devices, SCSI devices, sound cards,
Video4Linux devices, etc. The `vanilla' flavor includes one
Rescue Floppy, one root and three Driver Floppies.
`udma66'
Very similar to `vanilla', except it includes Andre Hedrick's IDE
patches to support UDMA66 devices.
`compact'
Like `vanilla', but with many of the less-frequently-use drivers
removed (sound, v4l, etc). In addition, it has built in support
for several popular PCI Ethernet devices --- NE2000, 3com 3c905,
Tulip, Via-Rhine and Intel EtherExpress Pro100. These built in
drivers allow you to take full advantage of the Debian
installer's net install feature to install the Driver Floppies
and/or base system over the network so that only the root and
Rescue Floppy disks need to be made. Finally, `compact' also
supports several common RAID controllers: DAC960, and Compaq's
SMART2 RAID controllers. The `compact' flavor includes one
Rescue Floppy, one root and one driver disk.
`idepci'
Kernel that supports only IDE and PCI devices (and a very small
number of ISA devices). This kernel should be used if the SCSI
drivers in the other flavors cause your system to hang on startup
(probably because of resource conflicts, or a misbehaving
driver/card in your system.) The `idepci' flavor also has a
built-in ide-floppy driver so that you can install from LS120 or
ZIP devices.
Although we have described above how many 1.44MB diskettes the
different sets occupy, you may still choose different methods of
installation.
The kernel config files for these flavors can be found in their
respective directories in a file named "kernel-config".
5.3. Installation Sources for Different Installation Stages
-----------------------------------------------------------
This section indicates the type of hardware which _may_, and usually
_will_, work at different stages of the installation. It is not a
guarantee that all hardware of the indicated type will work with all
kernels. For example, RAID disks generally will not be accessible
until you install the appropriate drivers.
5.3.1. Booting the Initial Installation System
----------------------------------------------
The initial boot of the installation system is perhaps the most
idiosyncratic step. The next chapter provides additional details, but
your choices generally include
* the Rescue Floppy
* a bootable CD-ROM
* a hard drive, via a boot loader running in another operating
system
5.3.2. Source Media and Installation Stages
-------------------------------------------
The following table indicates which media sources you can use at each
stage of the installation process. The columns indicate different
install stages, ordered from left to right in the sequence which they
occur. The far right column is the installation media. A blank cell
indicates that given source media is not available at that
installation stage; `Y' indicates that it is, and `S' means that it is
in some cases.
Boot | Kernel Image | Drivers | Base System | Packages | media
-----+--------------+---------+-------------+----------+--------
S | | | | | tftp
S | Y | Y | Y | | diskette
S | Y | Y | Y | Y | CD-ROM
S | Y | Y | Y | Y | hard disk
| Y | Y | Y | Y | NFS
| | S | Y | Y | LAN
| | | | Y | PPP
For example, the table shows that only use for PPP in the installation
process is the installation of packages.
Note that you will only be prompted for a source for the kernel images
and drivers in some installation methods. If you boot off a CD-ROM,
it will automatically pick those items off the CD. The important
point is that _as soon as you boot off a diskette, you can immediately
switch to some superior installation source_. Remember, though, that
you _must_ not mix up the different install sets, i.e., using a Rescue
Floppy from one subarchitecture and Driver Floppies from another.
The `Boot' column is all `S's because media support for booting varies
widely for different architectures.
The `LAN' and `PPP' rows refer to Internet-based file transfer (FTP,
HTTP, and the like) over Ethernet or phone lines. In general this is
not available, but certain kernels may permit you to do this earlier.
Experts can also use these connections to mount disks and perform
other operations to accelerate the process. Providing help in such
cases is beyond the scope of this document.
5.3.3. Recommendations
----------------------
Get a set of Debian GNU/Linux CDs. Boot off them if you can.
Since you've read this far, you probably couldn't or wouldn't. If
your problem is simply that your CD drive is not bootable, you can
pull the files you need for the initial boot off the CD and use them
to make floppies or do a boot from alternate operating system.
Failing this, you may have an existing operating system with some free
disk space. The early installation system can read many filesystems
(NTFS being a prominent exception --- you must load the appropriate
driver). If it can read yours, you should download documentation,
initial boot images, and utilities. Then get the appropriate drivers
archive as a single file, and the base system as a single file.
Perform your initial boot, and then point the installation program at
the files you have downloaded when it asks for the appropriate source.
These are only suggestions. You should choose whatever sources are
most convenient for you. Floppies are neither convenient nor
reliable, so we urge you to get off them as soon as possible.
However, compared to booting off an existing operating system they may
provide a cleaner environment and an easier path, so they are
appropriate for the initial boot, if your system supports them.
5.4. Description of Installation System Files
---------------------------------------------
This section contains an annotated list of files you will find in the
`disks-i386' directory. You may not need to download these at all; it
all depends on the booting and base system installation media you have
chosen.
Most files are floppy disk images; that is, a single file which can be
written to a disk to create the necessary floppy disk. These images
are, obviously, dependent on the size of the target floppy. For
instance, 1.44MB is the normal quantity of data which is what fits on
standard 3.5 inch floppies. 1.2MB is the amount of data which
normally fits on 5.25 inch floppy disks, so use this image size if you
have such a floppy drive. The images for 1.44MB floppy disks can be
found in the `images-1.44' directory. Images for 1.2MB floppy disks
can be found in the `images-1.20' directory. Images for 2.88MB disks,
which are generally only used for CD-ROM booting and the like, are
found in the `images-2.88' directory.
If you are using a web browser on a networked computer to read this
document, you can probably retrieve the files by selecting their names
in your web browser. Depending on your browser you may need to take
special action to download directly to a file, in raw binary mode.
For example, in Netscape you need to hold the shift key when clicking
on the URL to retrieve the file. Files can be downloaded from the
URLs in this document, or you can retrieve them from
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/,
or the corresponding directory on any of the Debian mirror sites
(http://www.debian.org/distrib/ftplist).
5.4.1. Documentation
--------------------
_Installation Manual:_
install.en.txt
install.en.html
install.en.pdf
This file you are now reading, in plain ASCII, HTML or PDF
format.
_Partitioning Program Manual Pages:_
fdisk.txt
cfdisk.txt
Instructions for using your available partitioning programs.
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/basecont.txt
Listing of the contents of the base system.
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/md5sum.txt
List of MD5 checksums for the binary files. If you have the
`md5sum' program, you can ensure that your files are not corrupt
by running `md5sum -v -c md5sum.txt'.
5.4.2. Files for the Initial System Boot
----------------------------------------
_Rescue Floppy images:_
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/safe/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/compact/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/idepci/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/safe/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/udma66/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-2.88/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-2.88/compact/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-2.88/idepci/rescue.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-2.88/udma66/rescue.bin
These are the Rescue Floppy disk images. The Rescue Floppy is
used for initial setup and for emergencies, such as when your
system doesn't boot for some reason. Therefore it is recommended
you write the disk image to the floppy even if you are not using
floppies for installation.
_Root image(s):_
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/root.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/root.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/compact/root.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/idepci/root.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/udma66/root.bin
This file contains an image of a temporary filesystem that gets
loaded into memory when you boot from the Rescue Floppy. This is
used for installations from hard disk and floppies.
_Linux kernel:_
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/linux
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/compact/linux
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/idepci/linux
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/udma66/linux
This is the Linux kernel image to be used for hard disk and CD
installations. You don't need it if you are installing from
floppies.
_Linux boot loader for DOS:_
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/dosutils/loadlin.exe
You will need this boot loader if you are installing from a DOS
partition or from a CD-ROM. See Section 6.3.1, `Booting from a
DOS partition'.
_DOS Installer Batch Files:_
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/install.bat
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/compact/install.bat
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/idepci/install.bat
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/udma66/install.bat
DOS batch file for starting Debian installation from DOS. This
batch file is used in installations from hard disk or CD-ROM.
See Section 6.3.1, `Booting from a DOS partition'.
5.4.3. Driver Files
-------------------
These files contain kernel modules, or drivers, for all kinds of
hardware that are not necessary for initial booting. Getting the
drivers you want is a two step process: first you identify an archive
of drivers you want to use, and then you select which particular
drivers you want.
Remember that your driver archive must be consistent with your initial
kernel choice.
_Driver Floppies images:_
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/driver-1.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/driver-2.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/driver-3.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/driver-4.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/driver-5.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/safe/driver-1.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/safe/driver-2.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/safe/driver-3.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/safe/driver-4.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.20/safe/driver-5.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/driver-1.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/driver-2.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/driver-3.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/driver-4.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/compact/driver-1.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/idepci/driver-1.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/safe/driver-1.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/safe/driver-2.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/safe/driver-3.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/safe/driver-4.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/udma66/driver-1.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/udma66/driver-2.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/udma66/driver-3.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/udma66/driver-4.bin
These are the Driver Floppies disk images.
_Driver Floppies archive_
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/drivers.tgz
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/compact/drivers.tgz
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/idepci/drivers.tgz
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/udma66/drivers.tgz
If you are not limited to diskettes, choose one of these files.
5.4.4. Base System Files
------------------------
The ``Debian base system'' is a core set of packages which are
required to run Debian in a minimal, stand-alone fashion. Once you
have configured and installed the base system, your machine can
``stand on its own''.
_Base system images:_
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/base2_2.tgz
or
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-1.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-2.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-3.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-4.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-5.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-6.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-7.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-8.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-9.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-10.bin
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/images-1.44/base-11.bin
These files contain the base system which will be installed on
your Linux partition during the installation process. This is
the bare minimum necessary for you to be able to install the rest
of the packages. The
`http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/base2_2.tgz'
file is for installation from non-floppy media, i.e., CD-ROM,
harddisk, or NFS.
5.4.5. Utilities
----------------
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main
/disks-i386/current/dosutils/rawrite2.exe
This is a DOS utility to write a floppy disk image to a floppy.
You should not copy images to the floppy, but instead use this
utility to ``raw write'' them.
We turn now to concerns specific to particular kind of sources. For
convenience, they appear in the same order as the rows in the earlier
table discussing different installation sources.
5.5. Diskettes
--------------
5.5.1. Floppy Disk Reliability
------------------------------
The biggest problem for people installing Debian for the first time
seems to be floppy disk reliability.
The Rescue Floppy is the floppy with the worst problems, because it is
read by the hardware directly, before Linux boots. Often, the
hardware doesn't read as reliably as the Linux floppy disk driver, and
may just stop without printing an error message if it reads incorrect
data. There can also be failures in the Driver Floppies and the base
floppies, most of which indicate themselves with a flood of messages
about disk I/O errors.
If you are having the installation stall at a particular floppy, the
first thing you should do is re-download the floppy disk image and
write it to a _different_ floppy. Simply reformatting the old floppy
may not be sufficient, even if it appears that the floppy was
reformatted and written with no errors. It is sometimes useful to try
writing the floppy on a different system.
One user reports he had to write the images to floppy _three_ times
before one worked, and then everything was fine with the third floppy.
Other users have reported that simply rebooting a few times with the
same floppy in the floppy drive can lead to a successful boot. This
is all due to buggy hardware or firmware floppy drivers.
5.5.2. Booting from Floppies
----------------------------
Booting from floppies is supported for most platforms.
To boot from floppies, simply download the Rescue Floppy image and the
Driver Floppies image.
If you need to, you can also modify the Rescue Floppy; see Section
9.3, `Replacing the Rescue Floppy Kernel'.
The Rescue Floppy couldn't fit the root filesystem image, so you'll
need the root image to be written to a disk as well. You can create
that floppy just as the other images are written to floppies. Once
the kernel has been loaded from the Rescue Floppy, you'll be prompted
for the root disk. Insert that floppy and continue. See also Section
6.5, `Booting With the Rescue Floppy'.
5.5.3. Installing Base from Floppies
------------------------------------
NOTE: This is not a recommended way of installing Debian, because
floppies are generally the least reliable type of media. This is only
recommended if you have no extra, pre-existing filesystems on any of
the hard drives on your system.
Complete these steps:
1. Obtain these disk images (these files are described in greater
detail in Section 5.4, `Description of Installation System
Files'):
* a Rescue Floppy image
* the Driver Floppies images
* the base system disk images, i.e., `base-1.bin',
`base-2.bin', etc.
* and a root filesystem image
2. Locate sufficient floppies for all the images you need to write.
3. Create the floppies, as discussed in Section 5.5.4, `Creating
Floppies from Disk Images'.
4. If you are not an English speaker, see Section 5.5.5, `Modifying
the Rescue Floppy to Support National Language' to have the
Rescue Floppy speak your language.
5. Insert the Rescue Floppy into your floppy drive, and reboot the
computer.
6. Skip down to Chapter 6, `Booting the Installation System'.
5.5.4. Creating Floppies from Disk Images
-----------------------------------------
Disk images are files containing the complete contents of a floppy
disk in _raw_ form. Disk images, such as `rescue.bin', cannot simply
be copied to floppy drives. A special program is used to write the
image files to floppy disk in _raw_ mode. This is required because
these images are raw representations of the disk; it is required to do
a _sector copy_ of the data from the file onto the floppy.
There are different techniques for creating floppies from disk images,
which depend on your platform. This section describes how to create
floppies from disk images for different platforms.
No matter which method you use to create your floppies, you should
remember to flip the tab on the floppies once you have written them,
to ensure they are not damaged unintentionally.
5.5.4.1. Writing Disk Images From a Linux or Unix System
--------------------------------------------------------
To write the floppy disk image files to the floppy disks, you will
probably need root access to the system. Place a good, blank floppy
in the floppy drive. Next, use the command
dd if=<file> of=/dev/fd0 bs=1024 conv=sync ; sync
where <file> is one of the floppy disk image files. `/dev/fd0' is a
commonly used name of the floppy disk device, it may be different on
your workstation (on Solaris, it is `/dev/fd/0'). The command may
return to the prompt before Unix has finished writing the floppy disk,
so look for the disk-in-use light on the floppy drive and be sure that
the light is out and the disk has stopped revolving before you remove
it from the drive. On some systems, you'll have to run a command to
eject the floppy from the drive (on Solaris, use `eject', see the
manual page).
Some systems attempt to automatically mount a floppy disk when you
place it in the drive. You might have to disable this feature before
the workstation will allow you to write a floppy in _raw mode_.
Unfortunately, how to accomplish this will vary based on your
operating system. On Solaris, you can work around volume management
to get raw access to the floppy. First, make sure that the floppy is
automounted (using `volcheck' or the equivalent command in the file
manager). Then use a `dd' command of the form given above, just
replace `/dev/fd0' with `/vol/rdsk/<floppy_name>', where <floppy_name>
is the name the floppy disk was given when it was formatted (unnamed
floppies default to the name `unnamed_floppy'). On other systems, ask
your system administrator.
5.5.4.2. Writing Disk Images From DOS, Windows, or OS/2
-------------------------------------------------------
You'll find the `rawrite2.exe' program in the same directory as the
floppy disk images. There's also a `rawrite2.txt' file containing
instructions for using `rawrite2'.
To write the floppy disk image files to the floppy disks, first make
sure that you are booted into DOS. Many problems have been reported
when trying to use `rawrite2' from within a DOS box from within
Windows. Double-clicking on `rawrite2' from within the Windows
Explorer is also reported to not work. If you don't know how to boot
into DOS, just hit _F8_ while booting.
Once you've booted into plain DOS, use the command
rawrite2 -f <file> -d <drive>
where <file> is one of the floppy disk image files, and <drive> is
either `a:' or `b:', depending on which floppy drive you are writing
to.
5.5.5. Modifying the Rescue Floppy to Support National Language
---------------------------------------------------------------
The messages shown by the Rescue Floppy (before loading the Linux
kernel) can be shown in your mother tongue. To achieve this if you
are not an English speaker, after writing the image file, you must
copy the provided message files and a font to the floppy. For MS-DOS
and Windows users there is a batch file `setlang.bat' in the
`dosutils' directory, which copies the correct files. Simply enter
this directory (e.g. `cd c:\debian\dosutils') within a command prompt
window, and run `setlang <lang>', where <lang> is a two-letter code of
your language in lower case, for example `setlang pl' to set the
language to Polish. Currently these language codes are available: `cs
de eo es fi fr hr hu it ja pl pt ru sk sv tr'
5.5.5.1. Writing Disk Images on Atari Systems
---------------------------------------------
You'll find the
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/rawwrite.ttp
program in the same directory as the floppy disk images. Start the
program by double clicking on the program icon, and type in the name
of the floppy image file you want written to the floppy at the TOS
program command line dialog box.
5.5.5.2. Writing Disk Images From MacOS
---------------------------------------
To create floppies from the distribution floppy images on a MacOS
system, you can use the MacOS utility `Disk Copy' or the freeware
utility `suntar'. The `root.bin' file is an example of a floppy
image. First, locate `root.bin' on the offical Debian GNU/Linux CD,
or download it from your favorite Debian mirror in _binary_ mode. Do
not allow any automatic extraction of the file after downloading. The
`.bin' extension does not stand for Macbinary, but rather just
`binary' floppy image files. Then use one of the following methods to
create a floppy from the floppy image.
5.5.5.2.1. Writing Disk Images with `Disk Copy'
-----------------------------------------------
1. If you are creating the floppy image from files which were
originally on the official Debian GNU/Linux CD, then the Type and
Creator are already set correctly. These `Creator-Changer' steps
are only necessary if you downloaded the image files.
1. Obtain Creator-Changer
(ftp://uiarchive.uiuc.edu/mirrors/ftp/ftp.info-mac.org/info-mac/disk/creator-changer-284.hqx)
and use it to open the `root.bin' file.
2. Change the Creator to `ddsk' (Disk Copy), and the Type to
`DDim' (binary floppy image). The case is sensitive for
these fields.
3. _Important:_ In the Finder, use `Get Info' to display the
Finder information about the floppy image, and `X' the `File
Locked' checkbox so that MacOS will be unable to remove the
boot blocks if the image is accidentally mounted.
2. Obtain `Disk Copy'; if you have a MacOS system or CD it will very
likely be there already, otherwise try
http://asu.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/artnum/n11162.
3. Run `Disk Copy', and select `Make a Floppy' from the `Utilities'
menu, then select the _locked_ image file from the resulting
dialog. It will ask you to insert a floppy, then ask if you
really want to erase it. When done it should eject the floppy.
5.5.5.2.2. Writing Disk Images with `suntar'
--------------------------------------------
1. Obtain `suntar' from
http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/HyperArchive/Archive/cmp/suntar-223.hqx.
Start the `suntar' program and select `Overwrite Sectors...'
from the `Special' menu.
2. Insert the floppy disk as requested, then hit return (start at
sector 0).
3. Select the `root.bin' file in the file-opening dialog.
4. After the floppy has been created successfully, select `Eject'
from the `File' menu. If there are any errors writing the
floppy, simply toss that floppy and try another.
Before using the floppy you created, _set the write protect tab_!
Otherwise if you accidently mount it in MacOS, MacOS will helpfully
ruin it.
5.6. CD-ROM
-----------
CD-ROM booting is one of the easiest ways to install. If you're
unlucky and the kernel on the CD-ROM doesn't work for you, you'll have
to fall back to another technique.
Installing from CD-ROM is described in Section 6.4, `Booting and/or
Installing from a CD-ROM'.
Note that certain CD drives may require special drivers, and so be
inaccessible in the early installation stages.
5.7. Hard Disk
--------------
Booting from an existing operating system is often a convenient
option; for some systems it is the only supported method of
installation. This method is described in Section 6.3, `Booting from
a Hard Disk'.
Exotic hardware or filesystems may render files on the hard disk
inaccessible early in the installation process. If they aren't
supported by the Linux kernel, they may be inaccessible even at the
end!
5.8. Installing from NFS
------------------------
Due to the nature of this method of installation, only the base system
can be installed via NFS. You will need to have the Rescue Floppy and
the Driver Floppies available locally using one of the above methods.
To install the base system via NFS, you'll have to go through the
regular installation as explained in Chapter 7, `Using `dbootstrap'
for Initial System Configuration'. Do not forget to insert the module
(driver) for your Ethernet card, and the file system module for NFS.
When `dbootstrap' asks you where the base system is located (Section
7.15, ```Install the Base System'''), you should choose NFS, and
follow the instructions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Booting the Installation System
----------------------------------
This chapter begins with some general information about booting Debian
GNU/Linux, then moves to individual sections on particular
installation methods, and concludes with some troubleshooting advice.
Note that on some machines, `Control-Alt-Delete' does not properly
reset the machine, so a ``hard'' reboot is recommended. If you are
installing from an existing operating system (e.g., from a DOS box)
you don't have a choice. Otherwise, please do a hard boot when
booting.
6.1. Boot Parameter Arguments
-----------------------------
Boot parameters are Linux kernel parameters which are generally used
to make sure that peripherals are dealt with properly. For the most
part, the kernel can auto-detect information about your peripherals.
However, in some cases you'll have to help the kernel a bit.
If you are booting from the Rescue Floppy or from CD-ROM you will be
presented with the boot prompt, `boot:'. Details about how to use
boot parameters with the Rescue Floppy can be found in Section 6.5,
`Booting With the Rescue Floppy'. If you are booting from an existing
operating system, you'll have to use other means to set boot
parameters. For instance, if you are installing from DOS, you can
edit the `install.bat' file with any text editor. Full information on
boot parameters can be found in the Linux BootPrompt HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/BootPrompt-HOWTO.html); this section
contains only a sketch of the most salient parameters.
If this is the first time you're booting the system, try the default
boot parameters (i.e., don't try setting arguments) and see if it
works correctly. It probably will. If not, you can reboot later and
look for any special parameters that inform the system about your
hardware.
When the kernel boots, a message `Memory: <avail>k/<total>k available'
should be emitted early in the process. <total> should match the
total amount of RAM, in kilobytes. If this doesn't match the actual
of RAM you have installed, you need to use the `mem=<ram>' parameter,
where <ram> is set to the amount of memory, suffixed with ``k'' for
kilobytes, or ``m'' for megabytes. For example, both `mem=65536k' and
`mem=64m' mean 64MB of RAM.
Some systems have floppies with ``inverted DCLs''. If you receive
errors reading from the floppy, even when you know the floppy is good,
try the parameter `floppy=thinkpad'.
On some systems, such as the IBM PS/1 or ValuePoint (which have ST-506
disk drivers), the IDE drive may not be properly recognized. Again,
try it first without the parameters and see if the IDE drive is
recognized properly. If not, determine your drive geometry
(cylinders, heads, and sectors), and use the parameter
`hd=<cylinders>,<heads>,<sectors>'.
If your monitor is only capable of black-and-white, use the `mono'
boot argument. Otherwise, your installation will use color, which is
the default.
If you are booting with a serial console, generally the kernel will
autodetect this. If you have a videocard (framebuffer) and a keyboard
also attached to the computer which you wish to boot via serial
console, you may have to pass the `console=<device>' argument to the
kernel, where <device> is your serial device, which is usually
something like ``ttyS0''.
Again, full details on boot parameters can be found in the Linux
BootPrompt HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/BootPrompt-HOWTO.html), including tips
for obscure hardware. Some common gotchas are included below in
Section 6.6, `Troubleshooting the Boot Process'.
6.1.1. `dbootstrap' Arguments
-----------------------------
The installation system recognizes a few arguments which may be
useful.
quiet
This will cause the installation system to suppress confirmation
messages and try to do the right thing without fuss. If you are
familiar and comfortable with what the installation system is
going to expect, this is a nice option to quieten the process.
verbose
Ask even more questions than usual.
debug
Emit additional debug messages to the installation system log
(see Section 7.1.1, `Using the Shell and Viewing the Logs'),
including every command run.
bootkbd=<...>
Pre-select the keyboard you want to use, e.g.,
`bootkbd=qwerty/us'
mono
Use monochrome rather than color mode.
6.2. Interpreting the Kernel Startup Messages
---------------------------------------------
During the boot sequence, you may see many messages in the form `can't
find something', or `something not present', `can't initialize
something', or even `this driver release depends on something'. Most
of these messages are harmless. You see them because the kernel for
the installation system is built to run on computers with many
different peripheral devices. Obviously, no one computer will have
every possible peripheral device, so the operating system may emit a
few complaints while it looks for peripherals you don't own. You may
also see the system pause for a while. This happens when it is
waiting for a device to respond, and that device is not present on
your system. If you find the time it takes to boot the system
unacceptably long, you can create a custom kernel later (see Section
8.5, `Compiling a New Kernel').
6.3. Booting from a Hard Disk
-----------------------------
In some cases, you may wish to boot from an existing operating system.
You can also boot into the installation system using other means, but
install the base system from disk.
6.3.1. Booting from a DOS partition
-----------------------------------
It is possible to install Debian from an already installed DOS
partition on the same machine. You have two alternatives: either try
the floppy-less installation, or boot from the Rescue Floppy but
install base from the local disk.
To try floppyless booting, follow these directions:
1. Get the following files from your nearest Debian FTP mirror and
put them into a directory on your DOS partition. Be sure to
retain their subdirectory structure, e.g.,
`images-1.44\compact\rescue.bin'.
* One of the Rescue Floppy images, one of the root images, one
of the Linux kernel files, and one of the DOS batch files
from Section 5.4.2, `Files for the Initial System Boot'.
See Section 5.2, `Choosing the Right Installation Set' for
help deciding which kernel to use.
* One of the Driver Floppies archives from Section 5.4.3,
`Driver Files'; it must correspond to the kernel flavor you
chose above.
* http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/base2_2.tgz
(see Section 5.4.4, `Base System Files')
* http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/dosutils/loadlin.exe
(see Section 5.4.2, `Files for the Initial System Boot')
2. Boot into DOS (not Windows) without any drivers being loaded. To
do this, you have to press _F8_ at exactly the right moment (and
optionally select the `safe mode command prompt only' option).
3. Enter the subdirectory for the flavor you chose, e.g., `cd
c:\debian\compact'. Next, execute `install.bat'.
4. Skip down to Chapter 7, `Using `dbootstrap' for Initial System
Configuration'.
If you want to boot from floppies, but install base from a DOS
partition, then simply download and create the Rescue Floppy and
Driver Floppies as described in Section 5.5.4, `Creating Floppies from
Disk Images'. Download
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/base2_2.tgz
and place that file somewhere on a DOS partition.
6.3.2. Installing from a Linux Partition
----------------------------------------
You can install Debian from an ext2fs partition or from a Minix
partition. This installation technique may be appropriate if you are
completely replacing your current Linux system with Debian, for
instance.
Note that the partition you are installing _from_ should not be the
same as the partitions you are installing Debian _to_ (e.g., `/',
`/usr', `/lib', etc.).
To install from an already existing Linux partition, follow these
instructions.
1. Get the following files and place them in a directory on your
Linux partition. Use the largest possible files for your
architecture:
* a Rescue Floppy image, see Section 5.4.2, `Files for the
Initial System Boot'
* one of the Driver Floppies archives from Section 5.4.3,
`Driver Files'
* http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/base2_2.tgz
2. You can use any other functional boot method when installing from
a partition. The following assumes you are booting with
floppies; however, any boot installation can be used.
3. Create the Rescue Floppy as discussed in Section 5.5.4, `Creating
Floppies from Disk Images'. Note that you won't need the Driver
Floppies.
4. Insert the Rescue Floppy into your floppy drive, and reboot the
computer.
5. Skip down to Chapter 7, `Using `dbootstrap' for Initial System
Configuration'.
6.4. Booting and/or Installing from a CD-ROM
--------------------------------------------
If you have a CD which is bootable, and if your architecture and
system supports booting from a CD-ROM, you don't need any floppies.
Often, it's as simple as puting the CD-ROM in the CD drive and
booting. You may need to configure your hardware as indicated in
Section 3.3.2, `Boot Device Selection'. Then put the CD-ROM into the
drive, and reboot. The system should boot up, and you should be
presented with the `boot:' prompt. Here you can enter your boot
arguments, or just hit _enter_.
Note that official Debian CD-ROM sets for Intel x86 will boot
different ``flavors'' depending on which CD-ROM you boot from. See
Section 5.2, `Choosing the Right Installation Set' for a discussion of
the different flavors. Here's how the flavors are laid out on the
different CD-ROMs:
CD 1
Boots the `vanilla' flavor.
CD 2
Boots the `compact' flavor.
CD 3
Boots the `idepci' flavor (2.2r3 or better only)
CD 4
Boots the `udma66' flavor (2.2r3 or better only)
So, if you want to boot from one of the above flavors, put that CD in
the drive for booting.
If your hardware does not support bootable CD-ROMs, you should boot
into DOS, and execute the `boot.bat' file which is located in the
`\boot' directory on your CD. Then, skip down to Chapter 7, `Using
`dbootstrap' for Initial System Configuration'.
Even if you cannot boot from CD-ROM, you can install the base Debian
system from CD-ROM. Simply boot using a different media, such as
floppies. When it is time to install the base system and any
additional packages, point the installation system at the CD-ROM drive
as described in Section 7.15, ```Install the Base System'''.
6.5. Booting With the Rescue Floppy
-----------------------------------
Booting from the Rescue Floppy is easy: place the Rescue Floppy in the
primary floppy drive, and reset the system by pressing _reset_, or by
turning the system off and on. As mentioned above, doing a ``hard
reboot'' is recommended. The floppy disk should be accessed, and you
should then see a screen that introduces the Rescue Floppy and ends
with the `boot:' prompt.
If you are using an alternative way to boot the system, follow the
instructions, and wait for the `boot:' prompt to come up. If you boot
from floppies smaller than 1.44MB, or, in fact, whenever you boot from
floppy on your architecture, you have to use a ramdisk boot method,
and you will need the Root Disk.
You can do two things at the `boot:' prompt. You can press the
function keys _F1_ through _F10_ to view a few pages of helpful
information, or you can boot the system.
Information on boot parameters which might be useful can be found by
pressing _F4_ and _F5_. If you add any parameters to the boot command
line, be sure to type the boot method (the default is `linux') and a
space before the first parameter (e.g., `linux floppy=thinkpad'). If
you simply press _Enter_, that's the same as typing `linux' without
any special parameters.
The disk is called the Rescue Floppy because you can use it to boot
your system and perform repairs if there is ever a problem that makes
your hard disk unbootable. Thus, you should save this floppy after
you've installed your system. Pressing _F3_ will give further
information on how to use the Rescue Floppy.
Once you press _Enter_, you should see the message `Loading...',
followed by `Uncompressing Linux...', and then a screenful or so of
information about the hardware in your system. More information on
this phase of the boot process can be found below.
If you choose a non-default boot method, e.g., ``ramdisk'' or
``floppy'', you will be prompted to insert the Root Floppy. Insert
the Root Floppy into the first disk drive and press _Enter_. (If you
choose floppy1 insert the Root Floppy into the second disk drive.)
6.6. Troubleshooting the Boot Process
-------------------------------------
If you have problems and the kernel hangs during the boot process,
doesn't recognize peripherals you actually have, or drives are not
recognized properly, the first thing to check is the boot parameters,
as discussed in Section 6.1, `Boot Parameter Arguments'.
Often, problems can be solved by removing add-ons and peripherals, and
then trying booting again. Internal modems, sound cards, and
Plug-n-Play devices can be especially problematic.
If you have a very old machine, and the kernel hangs after saying
`Checking 'hlt' instruction...', then you should try the `no-hlt' boot
argument, which disables this test.
If you still have problems, please submit a bug report. Send an email
to <submit@bugs.debian.org>. You _must_ include the following as the
first lines of the email:
Package: boot-floppies
Version: <version>
Make sure you fill in <version> with the version of the boot-floppies
set that you used. If you don't know the _version_, use the date you
downloaded the floppies, and include the distribution you got them
from (e.g., ``stable'', ``frozen'').
You should also include the following information in your bug report:
flavor: <flavor of image you are using>
architecture: i386
model: <your general hardware vendor and model>
memory: <amount of RAM>
scsi: <SCSI host adapter, if any>
cd-rom: <CD-ROM model and interface type, e.g., ATAPI>
network card: <network interface card, if any>
pcmcia: <details of any PCMCIA devices>
Depending on the nature of the bug, it also might be useful to report
whether you are installing to IDE or SCSI disks, other peripheral
devices such as audio, disk capacity, and the model of video card.
In the bug report, describe what the problem is, including the last
visible kernel messages in the event of a kernel hang. Describe the
steps that you did which brought the system into the problem state.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Using `dbootstrap' for Initial System Configuration
------------------------------------------------------
7.1. Introduction to `dbootstrap'
---------------------------------
`dbootstrap' is the name of the program which is run after you have
booted into the installation system. It is responsible for initial
system configuration and the installation of the ``base system''.
The main job of `dbootstrap', and the main purpose of your initial
system configuration, is to configure essential elements of your
system. For instance, you may need to use certain ``kernel modules'',
which are drivers which are linked into the kernel. These modules
include storage hardware drivers, network drivers, special language
support, and support for other peripherals which are not automatically
built in to the kernel you are using.
Disk partitioning, disk formatting, and networking setup are also
handled by `dbootstrap'. This fundamental setup is done first, since
it is often necessary for the proper functioning of your system.
`dbootstrap' is a simple, character-based application, designed for
maximum compatability in all situations (such as installation over a
serial line). It is very easy to use. It will guide you through each
step of the installation process in a linear fashion. You can also go
back and repeat steps if you find you have made a mistake.
Navigation within `dbootstrap' is accomplished with the arrow keys,
_Enter_, and _Tab_.
7.1.1. Using the Shell and Viewing the Logs
-------------------------------------------
If you are an experienced Unix or Linux user, press _Left Alt-F2_ to
get to the second _virtual console_. That's the _Alt_ key on the
left-hand side of the space bar, and the _F2_ function key, at the
same time. This is a separate window running a Bourne shell clone
called `ash'. At this point you are booted from the RAM disk, and
there is a limited set of Unix utilities available for your use. You
can see what programs are available with the command `ls /bin /sbin
/usr/bin /usr/sbin'. Use the menus to perform any task that they are
able to do -- the shell and commands are only there in case something
goes wrong. In particular, you should always use the menus, not the
shell, to activate your swap partition, because the menu software
can't detect that you've done this from the shell. Press _Left
Alt-F1_ to get back to menus. Linux provides up to 64 virtual
consoles, although the Rescue Floppy only uses a few of them.
Error messages are redirected to the third virtual terminal (known as
`tty3'). You can access this terminal by pressing _Left Alt-F3_ (hold
the _Alt_ key while pressing the _F3_ function key); get back to
`dbootstrap' with _Left Alt-F1_.
These messages can also be found in `/var/log/messages'. After
installation, this log is copied to `/var/log/installer.log' on your
new system.
7.2. ``Release Notes''
----------------------
The first screen `dbootstrap' will present you with is the ``Release
Notes''. This screen presents the version information for the
`boot-floppies' software you are using, and gives a brief introduction
to Debian developers.
7.3. ``Debian GNU/Linux Installation Main Menu''
------------------------------------------------
You may see a dialog box that says ``The installation program is
determining the current state of your system and the next installation
step that should be performed.''. On some systems, this will go by
too quickly to read. You'll see this dialog box between steps in the
main menu. The installation program, `dbootstrap', will check the
state of the system in between each step. This checking allows you to
re-start the installation without losing the work you have already
done, in case you happen to halt your system in the middle of the
installation process. If you have to restart an installation, you
will have to configure your keyboard, re-activate your swap partition,
and re-mount any disks that have been initialized. Anything else that
you have done with the installation system will be saved.
During the entire installation process, you will be presented with the
main menu, entitled ``Debian GNU/Linux Installation Main Menu''. The
choices at the top of the menu will change to indicate your progress
in installing the system. Phil Hughes wrote in the Linux Journal
(http://www.linuxjournal.com/) that you could teach a _chicken_ to
install Debian! He meant that the installation process was mostly
just _pecking_ at the _Enter_ key. The first choice on the
installation menu is the next action that you should perform according
to what the system detects you have already done. It should say
``Next'', and at this point the next step in installing the system
will be taken.
7.4. ``Configure the Keyboard''
-------------------------------
Make sure the highlight is on the ``Next'' item, and press _Enter_ to
go to the keyboard configuration menu. Select a keyboard that
conforms to the layout used for your national language, or select
something close if the keyboard layout you want isn't represented.
Once the system installation is complete, you'll be able to select a
keyboard layout from a wider range of choices (run `kbdconfig' as root
when you have completed the installation).
Move the highlight to the keyboard selection you desire and press
_Enter_. Use the arrow keys to move the highlight -- they are in the
same place in all national language keyboard layouts, so they are
independent of the keyboard configuration.
If you are installing a diskless workstation, the next few steps will
be skipped, since there are no local disks to partition. In that
case, your next step will be Section 7.14, ```Configure the
Network'''. After that, you will be prompted to mount your NFS root
partition in Section 7.9, ```Mount a Previously-Initialized
Partition'''.
7.5. Last Chance!
-----------------
Did we tell you to back up your disks? Here's your first chance to
wipe out all of the data on your disks, and your last chance to save
your old system. If you haven't backed up all of your disks, remove
the floppy from the drive, reset the system, and run backups.
7.6. ``Partition a Hard Disk''
------------------------------
If you have not already partitioned your disks for Linux native and
Linux swap filesystems, i.e., as described in Section 4.6,
`Partitioning Prior to Installation', the next step will be
``Partition a Hard Disk''. If you have already created at least one
Linux native and one Linux swap disk partition, the ``Next'' menu
selection will be ``Initialize and Activate a Swap Partition'', or you
may even skip that step if your system had low memory and you were
asked to activate the swap partition as soon as the system started.
Whatever the ``Next'' menu selection is, you can use the down-arrow
key to select ``Partition a Hard Disk''.
The ``Partition a Hard Disk'' menu item presents you with a list of
disk drives you can partition, and runs a partitioning application.
You must create at least one ``Linux native'' (type 83) disk
partition, and you probably want at least one ``Linux swap`` (type 82)
partition, as explained in Chapter 4, `Partitioning Your Hard Drive'.
If you are unsure how to partition your system, go back and read that
chapter.
Depending on your architecture, there are different programs which can
be used. These are the program or programs available on your
architecture:
`fdisk'
The original Linux disk partitioner, good for gurus; read the
fdisk manual page (man-fdisk).
Be careful if you have existing FreeBSD partitions on your
machine. The installation kernels include support for these
partitions, but the way that `fdisk' represents them (or not) can
make the device names differ. Be careful, and see the
Linux+FreeBSD HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Linux+FreeBSD-2.html).
`cfdisk'
A simple-to-use, full-screen disk partitioner for the rest of us;
read the cfdisk manual page (man-cfdisk).
Note that `cfdisk' doesn't understand FreeBSD partitions at all,
and, again, device names may differ as a result.
One of these programs will be run by default when you select
``Partition a Hard Disk''. If the one which is run by default isn't
the one you want, quit the partitioner, go to the shell (tty2), and
manually type in the name of the program you want to use (and
arguments, if any). Then skip the ``Partition a Hard Disk'' step in
`dbootstrap' and continue to the next step.
A swap partition is strongly recommended, but you can do without one
if you insist, and if your system has more than 12MB RAM. If you wish
to do this, please select the ``Do Without a Swap Partition'' item
from the menu.
Remember to mark your boot partition as ``Bootable''.
7.7. ``Initialize and Activate a Swap Partition''
-------------------------------------------------
This will be the next step once you have created one disk partition.
You have the choice of initializing and activating a new swap
partition, activating a previously-initialized one, and doing without
a swap partition. It's always permissible to re-initialize a swap
partition, so select ``Initialize and Activate a Swap Partition''
unless you are sure you know what you are doing.
This menu choice will first present you with a dialog box reading
``Please select the partition to activate as a swap device.''. The
default device presented should be the swap partition you've already
set up; if so, just press _Enter_.
Next, there is a confirmation message, since initialization destroys
any data previously on the partition. If all is well, select ``Yes''.
The screen will flash as the initialization program runs.
7.8. ``Initialize a Linux Partition''
-------------------------------------
At this point, the next menu item presented should be ``Initialize a
Linux Partition''. If it isn't, it is because you haven't completed
the disk partitioning process, or you haven't made one of the menu
choices dealing with your swap partition.
You can initialize a Linux partition, or alternately you can mount a
previously-initialized one. Note that `dbootstrap' will _not_ upgrade
an old system without destroying it. If you're upgrading, Debian can
usually upgrade itself, and you won't need to use `dbootstrap'. For
help on upgrading to Debian 2.2, see the upgrade instructions
(http://www.debian.org/releases/2.2/i386/release-notes/).
Thus, if you are using old disk partitions that are not empty, i.e.,
if you want to just throw away what is on them, you should initialize
them (which erases all files). Moreover, you must initialize any
partitions that you created in the disk partitioning step. About the
only reason to mount a partition without initializing it at this point
would be to mount a partition upon which you have already performed
some part of the installation process using this same set of
installation floppies.
Select ``Initialize a Linux Partition'' to initialize and mount the
`/' disk partition. The first partition that you mount or initialize
will be the one mounted as `/' (pronounced ``root'').
You will be asked whether to preserve ``Pre-2.2 Linux Kernel
Compatibility?''. Saying ``No'' here means that you cannot run 2.0 or
earlier Linux kernels on your system, since the file systems enable
some features not supported in the 2.0 kernel. If you know you'll
never need to run a 2.0 or earlier vintage kernel, then you can
achieve some minor benefits by saying ``No'' here. The default is
``Yes'' in the name of compatibility.
You will also be asked about whether to scan for bad blocks. The
default here is to skip the bad block scan, since the scan can be very
time consuming, and modern disk drive controllers internally detect
and deal with bad blocks. However, if you are at all unsure about the
quality of your disk drive, or if you have a rather old system, you
should probably do the bad block scan.
The next prompts are just confirmation steps. You will be asked to
confirm your action, since initializing is destructive to any data on
the partition, and you will be informed that the partition is being
mounted as `/', the root partition.[1]
Once you've mounted the `/' partition, if you have additional file
systems that you wish to initialize and mount, you should use the
``Alternate'' menu item. This is for those who have created separate
partitions for `/boot', `/var', `/usr' or others, which ought to be
initialized and mounted at this time.
[1] Technically, it's being mounted at `/target'; when you reboot into the
system itself, that will become `/'.
7.9. ``Mount a Previously-Initialized Partition''
-------------------------------------------------
An alternative to Section 7.8, ```Initialize a Linux Partition''' is
the ``Mount a Previously-Initialized Partition'' step. Use this if
you are resuming an installation that was broken off, or if you want
to mount partitions that have already been initialized or have data on
it which you wish to preserve.
If you are installing a diskless workstation, at this point, you want
to NFS mount your root partition from the remote NFS server. Specify
the path to the NFS server in standard NFS syntax, namely,
`<server-name-or-IP>:<server-share-path>'. If you need to mount
additional filesystems as well, you can do that at this time.
If you have not already setup your network as described in Section
7.14, ```Configure the Network''', then selecting an NFS install will
prompt you to do so.
7.10. Mounting Partitions Not Supported by `dbootstrap'
-------------------------------------------------------
In some special situations, `dbootstrap' might not know how to mount
your filesystems (whether root or otherwise). It may be possible, if
you're an experienced Linux user, to simply go to tty2 and manually
run the commands you need to run in order to mount the partition in
question.
If you are mounting a root partition for your new system, just mount
it to `/target', the go back to dbootstrap and continue (perhaps
running the ``View the Partition Table'' step to cause `dbootstrap' to
re-compute where it is in the installation process.
For non-root partitions, you'll have to remember to manually modify
your new `fstab' file so that when you reboot the partition will be
mounted. Wait for that file (`/target/etc/fstab') to be written by
`dbootstrap', of course, before editing it.
7.11. ``Install Operating System Kernel and Modules''
-----------------------------------------------------
The next step is to install a kernel and kernel modules onto your new
system.
You will be offered a menu of devices from which you can install the
kernel. Choose the appropriate device from which to install the
kernel and modules. Remember that you can use any devices which is
available to you, and that you are not restricted to using the same
media you used to mount with (see Chapter 5, `Methods for Installing
Debian').
Note that the options presented to you will vary based on what
hardware `dbootstrap' has detected. If you are installing from an
official CD-ROM, the software should do the right thing automatically,
not even prompting you for a device to install from (unless you boot
with the `verbose' argument). When prompted for the CD-ROM, be sure
to insert the first CD-ROM in the drive.
If you are installing from a local filesystem, you have a choice
between two options. Select ``harddisk'' if the disk partition is not
yet mounted; select ``mounted'' if it is. In both cases, the system
will first look for some files in
`dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current'. If it doesn't find those
files, you will be prompted to ``Select Debian Archive path'' -- this
is the directory within the disk where you have placed the required
installation files discussed in Section 6.3, `Booting from a Hard
Disk'. If you have a Debian archive mirrored locally, you can use
that by giving the directory where that exists, which is often
`/archive/debian'. Such archives are characterized by directory
structures such as `debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current'. You
can type in the path manually, or use the `<...>' button to browse
through the filesystem tree.
Continuing the discusssion on installation from a local disk or
similar medium (such as NFS), you will next be prompted for the actual
directory containing the needed files (which may be based on your
subarchitecture). Note that the system may be quite insistent that
the files appear in the precise location indicated, including the
subdirectories, if any. See the logs in tty3 (see Section 7.1.1,
`Using the Shell and Viewing the Logs') where `dbootstrap' will log
the location of the files it's looking for.
If the ``default'' option appears, then you should use that.
Otherwise, try the ``list'' option to let `dbootstrap' try to find the
actual files on its own (but note that this can be very slow if you're
mounting over NFS). As a last resort, use the ``manual'' option to
specify the directory manually.
If you're installing from floppies, you'll need to feed in the Rescue
Floppy (which is probably already in the drive), followed by the
Driver Floppies.
If you wish to install the kernel and modules over the network, you
can do this using the ``network'' (HTTP) or ``nfs'' options. Your
networking interfaces must be supported by the standard kernel (see
Section 2.4, `Peripherals and Other Hardware'). If these ``nfs''
options don't appear, you need to select ``Cancel'', then go back and
select the ``Configure the Network'' step (see Section 7.14,
```Configure the Network'''), and then re-run this step.
7.11.1. NFS
-----------
Select the ``nfs'' option, and then tell `dbootstrap' your NFS server
name and path. Assuming you've put the Rescue Floppy and Driver
Floppies images on the NFS server in the proper location, these files
should be available to you for installing the kernel and modules. The
NFS filesystem will be mounted under `/instmnt'. Select the location
of the files as for ``harddisk'' or ``mounted''.
7.11.2. Network
---------------
Select the ``network'' option, and then tell `dbootstrap' the URL and
path to the Debian archive. The default will usually work fine, and
in any case, the path part is probably correct for any official Debian
mirror, even if you edit the server part. You may choose to pull the
files in through a proxy server; just enter the server _...this
sentence isn't finished..._
7.11.3. NFS Root
----------------
If you are installing a diskless workstation, you should have already
configured your networking as described in Section 7.14, ```Configure
the Network'''. You should be given the option to install the kernel
and modules from NFS. Proceed using the ``nfs'' option described
above.
Other steps may need to be taken for other installation media.
7.12. ``Configure PCMCIA Support''
----------------------------------
There is an alternate step, _before_ the ``Configure Device Driver
Modules'' menu selection, called ``Configure PCMCIA Support''. This
menu is used to enable PCMCIA support.
If you do have PCMCIA, but are not installing your Debian system using
it (e.g., installation with a PCMCIA Ethernet card), then you need not
configure PCMCIA at this point. You can easily configure and enable
PCMCIA at a later point, after installation is complete. However, if
you are installing by way of a PCMCIA network device, this alternate
must be selected, and PCMCIA support must be configured prior to
configuring the network.
If you need to install PCMCIA, select the alternate, below ``Configure
Device Driver Modules''. You will be asked which PCMCIA controller
your system contains. In most cases, this will be `i82365'. In some
cases, it will be `tcic'; your laptop's vendor-supplied specifications
should provide the information if in doubt. You can generally leave
the next few sets of options blank. Again, certain hardware has
special needs; the Linux PCMCIA HOWTO
(http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/PCMCIA-HOWTO.html) contains plenty of
information in case the default doesn't work.
In some unusual cases, you may also need to read and edit
`/etc/pcmcia/config.opts'. You can open your second virtual terminal
(_Left Alt-F2_) and edit the file there, and then reconfigure your
PCMCIA, or manually forcing a reload of the modules using `insmod' and
`rmmod'.
Once PCMCIA is properly configured and installed, you should jump back
up and configure your device drivers as described in the next section.
7.13. ``Configure Device Driver Modules''
-----------------------------------------
Select the ``Configure Device Driver Modules'' menu item to configure
device drivers, that is, kernel modules.
You will first be prompted if you would like to load additional kernel
modules from a vendor-supplied floppy. Most can skip this step, since
it is only useful if there are some additional proprietary or
non-standard modules which are needed for your hardware (for instance,
for a specific SCSI controller). It will look for modules in the
floppy in locations such as `/lib/modules/misc' (where <misc> can be
any standard kernel module section). Any such files will be copied to
the disk you're installing to, so that they can be configured in the
next step.
Next, the `modconf' program will be run, which is a simple program
which displays the kernel modules sections and allows you to step
through the various kernel sections, picking out what modules you
would like to install.
We recommend that you _only_ configure devices which are required for
the installation process and not already detected by the kernel. Many
people do not need to configure any kernel modules at all.
For instance, you may need to explicitly load a network interface card
driver from the `net' section, a SCSI disk driver in the `scsi'
section, or a driver for a proprietary CD-ROM in the `cdrom' section.
The devices you configure will be loaded automatically whenever your
system boots.
Some modules may require parameters. To see what parameters are
relevant, you'll have to consult the documentation for that kernel
driver.
At any point after the system is installed, you can reconfigure your
modules by using the `modconf' program.
7.14. ``Configure the Network''
-------------------------------
If the installation system does not detect that you have a network
device available, you will be presented with the ``Configure the
Hostname'' option. Even if you don't have a network, or if your
network connection dynamically goes up and down (e.g., uses dialup)
your machine must have a name to call itself.
If the installation system does detect a network device, you'll be
presented with the ``Configure the Network'' step. If the system does
not allow you to run this step, then that means it cannot see any
network devices present. If you have a network device, that means you
probably missed configuring the network device back in Section 7.13,
```Configure Device Driver Modules'''. Go back to that step and look
for `net' devices.
As you enter the ``Configure the Network'' step, if the system detects
that you have more than one network device, you'll be asked to choose
which device you wish to configure. You may only configure one.
After installation, you may configuration additional interfaces ---
see the interfaces(5) man page.
If `dbootstrap' detects that you configured PCMCIA (Section 7.12,
```Configure PCMCIA Support'''), you will be asked to confirm that
your network card is a PCMCIA card. This affects how and where the
network configuration is set.
`dbootstrap' will next ask you whether you wish to use a DHCP or BOOTP
server to configure your network. If you can, you should say ``Yes'',
since it allows you to skip all the rest of the next section. You
should hopefully see the reply ``The network has been successfully
configured using DHCP/BOOTP.''. Jump forward to Section 7.15,
```Install the Base System'''. If configuration fails, check your
wires and the log on tty3, or else move on and configure the network
manually.
To manually configure the network, `dbootstrap' will ask a number of
questions about your network; fill in the answers from Section 3.2,
`Information You Will Need'. The system will also summarize your
network information and ask you for confirmation. Next, you need to
specify the network device that your primary network connection uses.
Usually, this will be ``eth0'' (the first Ethernet device).
Some technical details you might, or might not, find handy: the
program assumes the network IP address is the bitwise-AND of your
system's IP address and your netmask. It will guess the broadcast
address is the bitwise OR of your system's IP address with the bitwise
negation of the netmask. It will guess that your gateway system is
also your DNS server. If you can't find any of these answers, use the
system's guesses -- you can change them once the system has been
installed, if necessary, by editing `/etc/network/interfaces'.
7.15. ``Install the Base System''
---------------------------------
The next step is to install the base system. The base system is a
minimal set of packages which provides a working, basic,
self-contained system. It's under 70MB in size.
During the ``Install the Base System'' step, if you're not installing
from a CD-ROM, you'll be offered a menu of devices from which you may
install the base system. You should select the appropriate
installation media. If you are installing from an official CD-ROM,
you will simply be prompted to insert it.
If you choose to install from a filesystem on the harddisk or from a
non-official CD-ROM, you will be prompted to specify the path to the
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/base2_2.tgz
file. If you have official media, the default value should be
correct. Otherwise, enter the path where the base system can be
found, relative to the media's mount point. As with the ``Install
Operating System Kernel and Modules'' step, you can either let
`dbootstrap' find the file itself or type in the path at the prompt.
If you choose to install from floppy disk, feed in the base floppies
in order, as requested by `dbootstrap'. If one of the base floppies
is unreadable, you'll have to create a replacement floppy and feed all
floppies into the system again. Once the floppies have all been read,
the system will install the files it had read from the floppies. This
could take 10 minutes or more on slow systems, less on faster ones.
If you are installing the base system from NFS, then choose NFS and
continue. You'll be prompted to specify the server, the share on the
server, and the subdirectory within that share where the
`http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/base2_2.tgz'
file can be found. If you have problems mounting NFS, make sure that
the system time on the NFS server more or less agrees with the system
time on the client. You can set your date on `tty2' using the `date'
command; you'll have to set it by hand. See the date(1) manual page.
7.16. ``Configure the Base System''
-----------------------------------
At this point you've read in all of the files that make up a minimal
Debian system, but you must perform some configuration before the
system will run.
You'll be asked to select your time zone. There are many ways to
specify your time zone; we suggest you go to the ``Directories:'' pane
and select your country (or continent). That will change the
available time zones, so go ahead and select your geographic locality
(i.e., country, province, state, or city) in the ``Timezones:'' pane.
Next, you'll be asked if your system clock is to be set to GMT or
local time. Select GMT (i.e., ``Yes'') if you will only be running
Unix on your computer; select local time (i.e., ``No'') if you will be
running another operating system as well as Debian. Unix (and Linux
is no exception) generally keeps GMT time on the system clock and
converts visible time to the local time zone. This allows the system
to keep track of daylight savings time and leap years, and even allows
users who are logged in from other time zones to individually set the
time zone used on their terminal.
7.17. ``Make Linux Bootable Directly From Hard Disk''
-----------------------------------------------------
If you elect to make the hard disk boot directly to Linux, and you are
_not_ installing a diskless workstation, you will be asked to install
a master boot record. If you aren't using a boot manager (and this is
probably the case if you don't know what a boot manager is) and you
don't have another different operating system on the same machine,
answer ``Yes'' to this question. Note that if you answer ``Yes'', you
won't be able to boot into DOS normally on your machine, for instance.
Be careful, and see Section 8.3, `Reactivating DOS and Windows'. If
you answer ``Yes'', the next question will be whether you want to boot
Linux automatically from the hard disk when you turn on your system.
This sets Linux root partition to be the _bootable partition_ -- the
one that will be loaded from the hard disk.
Note that multiple operating system booting on a single machine is
still something of a black art. This document does not even attempt
to document the various boot managers, which vary by architecture and
even by subarchitecture. You should see your boot manager's
documentation for more information. Remember: when working with the
boot manager, you can never be too careful.
The standard i386 boot loader is called ``LILO''. It is a complex
program which offers lots of functionality, including DOS, NT, and
OS/2 boot management. Please carefully read the instructions in the
directory `/usr/share/doc/lilo/' if you have special needs; also see
the LILO mini-HOWTO (http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/LILO.html).
You can skip this step for now, and set the bootable partition later
with the Linux `fdisk' or `activate' programs.
If you mess up and can no longer boot into DOS, you'll need to use a
DOS boot disk and use the `fdisk /mbr' command to reinstall the DOS
master boot record -- however, this means that you'll need to use some
other way to get back into Debian! For more information on this
please read Section 8.3, `Reactivating DOS and Windows'.
If you are installing a diskless workstation, obviously, booting off
the local disk isn't a meaningful option, and this step will be
skipped.
7.18. ``Make a Boot Floppy''
----------------------------
You may wish to make a boot floppy even if you intend to boot the
system from the hard disk. The reason for this is that it's possible
for the hard disk bootstrap to be mis-installed, but a boot floppy
will almost always work. Select ``Make a Boot Floppy'' from the menu
and feed the system a blank floppy as directed. Make sure the floppy
isn't write-protected, as the software will format and write it. Mark
this the ``Custom Boot'' floppy and write-protect it once it has been
written.
This floppy will contain a kernel and a simple filesystem, with a
directive to use your new root filesystem.
7.19. The Moment of Truth
-------------------------
You system's first boot on its own power is what electrical engineers
call the ``smoke test''. If you have any floppies in your floppy
drive, remove them. Select the ``Reboot the System'' menu item.
If are booting directly into Debian, and the system doesn't start up,
either use your original installation boot media (for instance, the
Rescue Floppy), or insert the Custom Boot floppy if you created one,
and reset your system. If you are _not_ using the Custom Boot floppy,
you will probably need to add some boot arguments. If booting with
the Rescue Floppy or similar technique, you need to specify `rescue
root=<root>', where <root> is your root partition, such as
``/dev/sda1''.
Debian should boot, and you should see the same messages as when you
first booted the installation system, followed by some new messages.
7.20. Debian Post-Boot (Base) Configuration
-------------------------------------------
After booting, you will be prompted to complete the configuration of
your basic system, and then to select what additional packages you
wish to install. The application which guides you through this
process is called `base-config'.
If you wish to re-run `base-config' at any point after installation is
complete, as root run `dpkg-reconfigure base-config'.
7.21. MD5 Passwords
-------------------
You will first be prompted whether to install MD5 passwords. This is
an alternate method of storing passwords on your system which is more
secure than the standard means (called ``crypt'').
The default is ``no'', but if you do not require NIS support and are
very concerned about security on this machine, you may say ``yes''.
7.22. Shadow Passwords
----------------------
Unless you said ``yes'' to MD5 passwords, the system will ask whether
you want to enable shadow passwords. This is a system in which your
Linux system is made to be a bit more secure. In a system without
shadow passwords, passwords are stored (encrypted) in a world-readable
file, `/etc/passwd'. This file has to be readable to anyone who can
log in because it contains vital user information, for instance, how
to map between numeric user identifiers and login names. Therefore,
someone could conceivably grab your `/etc/passwd' file and run a brute
force attack (i.e. run an automated test of all possible password
combinations) against it to try to determine passwords.
If you have shadow passwords enabled, passwords are instead stored in
`/etc/shadow', which is readable and writable only by root, and
readable by group shadow. Therefore, we recommend that you enable
shadow passwords.
Reconfiguration of the shadow password system can be done at any time
with the `shadowconfig' program. After installation, see
`/usr/share/doc/passwd/README.debian.gz' for more information.
7.23. Set the Root Password
---------------------------
The _root_ account is also called the _super-user_; it is a login that
bypasses all security protection on your system. The root account
should only be used to perform system administration, and only used
for as short a time as possible.
Any password you create should contain from 6 to 8 characters, and
should contain both upper- and lower-case characters, as well as
punctuation characters. Take extra care when setting your root
password, since it is such a powerful account. Avoid dictionary words
or use of any personal information which could be guessed.
If anyone ever tells you they need your root password, be extremely
wary. You should normally never give your root account out, unless
you are administering a machine with more than one system
administrator.
7.24. Create an Ordinary User
-----------------------------
The system will ask you whether you wish to create an ordinary user
account at this point. This account should be your main personal
log-in. You should _not_ use the root account for daily use or as
your personal login.
Why not? Well, one reason to avoid using root's privileges is that it
is very easy to do irreparable damage as root. Another reason is that
you might be tricked into running a _Trojan-horse_ program -- that is
a program that takes advantage of your super-user powers to compromise
the security of your system behind your back. Any good book on Unix
system administration will cover this topic in more detail -- consider
reading one if it is new to you.
Name the user account anything you like. If your name is John Smith,
you might use ``smith'', ``john'', ``jsmith'' or ``js''. You will
also be prompted for the full name of the user, and, like before, a
password.
If at any point after installation you would like to create another
account, use the `adduser' command.
7.25. Setting Up PPP
--------------------
You will next be asked whether you wish to install the rest of the
system using PPP. If you are installing from CD-ROM and/or are
connected directly to the network, you can safely say ``no'' and skip
this section.
If you do choose to configure PPP at this point, a program named
`pppconfig' will be run. This program helps you configure your PPP
connection. _Make sure, when it asks you for the name of your dialup
connection, that you name it ``provider''._
Hopefully, the `pppconfig' program will walk you through a pain-free
PPP connection setup. However, if it does not work for you, see below
for detailed instructions.
In order to setup PPP, you'll need to know the basics of file viewing
and editing in Linux. To view files, you should use `more', and
`zmore' for compressed files with a `.gz' extension. For example, to
view `README.debian.gz', type `zmore README.debian.gz'. The base
system comes with two editors: `ae', which is very simple to use, but
does not have a lot of features, and `elvis-tiny', a limited clone of
`vi'. You will probably want to install more full-featured editors
and viewers later, such as `nvi', `less', and `emacs'.
Edit `/etc/ppp/peers/provider' and replace ``/dev/modem'' with
``/dev/ttyS<#>'' where <#> stands for the number of your serial port.
In Linux, serial ports are counted from 0; your first serial port
(i.e., `COM1') is `/dev/ttyS0' under Linux. The next step is to edit
`/etc/chatscripts/provider' and insert your provider's phone number,
your user-name and password. Please do not delete the ``\q'' that
precedes the password. It hides the password from appearing in your
log files.
Many providers use PAP or CHAP for login sequence instead of text mode
authentication. Others use both. If your provider requires PAP or
CHAP, you'll need to follow a different procedure. Comment out
everything below the dialing string (the one that starts with
``ATDT'') in `/etc/chatscripts/provider', modify
`/etc/ppp/peers/provider' as described above, and add `user <name>'
where <name> stands for your user-name for the provider you are trying
to connect to. Next, edit `/etc/ppp/pap-secrets' or
`/etc/ppp/chap-secrets' and enter your password there.
You will also need to edit `/etc/resolv.conf' and add your provider's
name server (DNS) IP addresses. The lines in `/etc/resolv.conf' are
in the following format: `nameserver <xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx>' where the <x>s
stand for numbers in your IP address. Optionally, you could add the
`usepeerdns' option to the `/etc/ppp/peers/provider' file, which will
enable automatic choosing of appropriate DNS servers, using settings
the remote host usually provides.
Unless your provider has a login sequence different from the majority
of ISPs, you are done! Start the PPP connection by typing `pon' as
root, and monitor the process using `plog' command. To disconnect,
use `poff', again, as root.
Read `/usr/share/doc/ppp/README.Debian.gz' file for more information
on using PPP on Debian.
7.26. Removing PCMCIA
---------------------
If you have no use for PCMCIA, you can choose to remove it at this
point. This will make your startup cleaner; also, it will make it
easier to replace your kernel (PCMCIA requires a lot of correlation
between the version of the PCMCIA drivers, the kernel modules, and the
kernel itself).
7.27. Configuring APT
---------------------
The main means that people use to install packages on their system is
via a program called `apt-get', from the `apt' package.[1] APT must be
configured, however, so that it knows where to retrieve packages from.
The helper application which assists in this task is called
`apt-setup'.
The next step in your configuration process is to tell APT where other
Debian packages can be found. Note that you can re-run this tool at
any point after installation by running `apt-setup', or by manually
editing `/etc/apt/sources.list'.
If you are booting from an official CD-ROM, then that CD-ROM should
automatically be configured as an apt source without prompting. You
will notice this because you will see the CD-ROM being scanned, and
then asked if you want to configure another CD-ROM. If you have a
multiple CD-ROM set --- and most people will --- then you should go
ahead and scan each of them one by one.
For users without an official CD-ROM, you will be offered an array of
choices for how Debian packages are accessed: FTP, HTTP, CD-ROM, or a
local filesystem. For CD-ROM users, you can get to this step by
specifically asking to add another source.
You should know that it's perfectly acceptable to have a number of
different APT sources, even for the same Debian archive. `apt-get'
will automatically pick the package with the highest version number
given all the available versions. Or, for instance, if you have both
an HTTP and a CD-ROM APT source, `apt-get' should automatically use
the local CD-ROM when possible, and only resort to HTTP if a newer
version is available there. However, it is not a good idea to add
unnecessary APT sources, since this will tend to slow down the process
of checking the network archives for new versions.
[1] Note that the actual program that installs packages is called `dpkg'.
However, this package is more of a low-level tool. `apt-get' will
invoke `dpkg' as appropriate; it is a higher-level too, however,
because it knows to install other packages which are required for the
package you're trying to install, as well as how to retrieve the
package from your CD, the network, or whereever.
7.27.1. Configuring Network Package Sources
-------------------------------------------
If you plan on installing the rest of your system via the network, the
most common option is to select the ``http'' source. The ``ftp''
source is also acceptable, but tends to be a little slower making
connections.
For any of the network package sources, you will be prompted whether
you wish to use ``non-US software''. You will generally wish to say
``yes'', because otherwise you won't be able to install
cryptographically secure software, such as the popular `ssh' program.
Next you will be asked whether you wish to have any non-free software.
That refers to commercial software or any other software whose
licensing does not comply with the Debian Free Software Guidelines
(http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines). It's fine to say
``yes'', but be careful when installing such software, because you
will need to ensure that you are using the software in compliance with
its license.
The next step during the configuration of network packages sources is
to tell `apt-setup' which country you live in. This configures which
of the official Debian Internet mirror network you connect to.
Depending on which country you select, you will be given a list of
possible machines. Its generally fine to pick the one on the top of
the list, but any of them should work.
If you are installing via HTTP, you will be asked to configure your
proxy server. This is sometimes required by people behind firewalls,
on corporate networks, etc.
Finally, your new network package source will be tested. If all goes
well, you will be prompted whether you want to do it all over again
with another network source.
7.28. Package Installation: Simple or Advanced
----------------------------------------------
You will next be prompted whether you wish to install packages the
simple way, or the more fine-grained, advanced way. We recommend you
start with the simple way, since you can always run the more advanced
way at any time.
You should know that for simple installation, `base-config' is merely
invoking the `tasksel' program. For advanced package installation,
the `dselect' program is being run. Either of these can be run at any
time after installation to install more packages. If you are looking
for a specific single package, after installation is complete, simply
run `apt-get install <package>', where <package> is the name of the
package you are looking for.
7.29. Simple Package Selection -- The Task Installer
----------------------------------------------------
If you chose ``simple'' installation, you will next be thrown into the
Task Installer (`tasksel'). This technique offers you a number of
pre-rolled software configurations offered by Debian. You could
always choose, package by package, what do you want to install on your
new machine. This is the purpose of the `dselect' program, described
below. But this can be a long task with around 3900 packages
available in Debian!
So, you have the ability to choose _tasks_ instead. These loosely
represent a number of different jobs or things you want to do with
your computer, such as ``Samba'' for SAMBA servers, or ``Gnome
Desktop'' for the GNOME desktop environment.
For each task, you can highlight that task and select ``Task Info'' to
see more information on that task. This will show you an extended
description and the list of packages included for that task.
Once you've selected your tasks, select ``Finish''. At this point,
`apt-get' will be run to install the packages you've selected. You
will be shown the number of packages to be installed, and how many
kilobytes of packages, if any, need to be downloaded.
There are two caveats to be mentioned at this point. Firstly, of the
3900 packages available in Debian, only a small minority of those are
covered by tasks offered in the Task Installer. To see information on
more packages, either use `apt-cache search <search-string>' for some
given search string (see the apt-cache(8) man page), or run `dselect'
as described below.
The second caveat is that some so-called ``standard'' packages are not
installed by default. Thus, some software, which we consider basic to
any Linux system, may not be installed.[1] In order to install that
software, simply run `tasksel -s', without selecting any packages,
then select ``Finish''.
[1] This is due to a bug in `base-config' which we have fixed for the next
release. We decided not to change this after Potato release, since it
was a rather large change, and too likely to cause problems.
7.30. Advanced Package Selection with `dselect'
-----------------------------------------------
If you selected ``advanced'' packge selection, you'll be dropped into
the `dselect' program. The dselect Tutorial (dselect-beginner) is
required reading before you run `dselect'. `dselect' allows you to
select _packages_ to be installed on your system. If you have a
CD-ROM or hard disk containing the additional Debian packages that you
want to install on your system, or you are connected to the Internet,
this will be useful to you right away. Otherwise, you may want to
quit `dselect' and start it later, once you have transported the
Debian package files to your system. You must be the super-user
(root) when you run `dselect'.
7.31. Log In
------------
After you've installed packages, you'll be presented with the login
prompt. Log in using the personal login and password you selected.
Your system is now ready to use.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Next Steps and Where to Go From Here
---------------------------------------
8.1. If You Are New to Unix
---------------------------
If you are new to Unix, you probably should go out and buy some books
and do some reading. The Unix FAQ
(ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/unix-faq/faq/) contains a
number of references to books and Usenet news groups which should help
you out. You can also take a look at the User-Friendly Unix FAQ
(http://www.camelcity.com/~noel/usenet/cuuf-FAQ.htm).
Linux is an implementation of Unix. The Linux Documentation Project
(LDP) (http://www.linuxdoc.org/) collects a number of HOWTOs and
online books relating to Linux. Most of these documents can be
installed locally; just install the `doc-linux-html' package (HTML
versions) or the `doc-linux-text' package (ASCII versions), then look
in `/usr/doc/HOWTO'. International versions of the LDP HOWTOs are
also available as Debian packages.
Information specific to Debian can be found below.
8.2. Orienting Yourself to Debian
---------------------------------
Debian is a little different from other distributions. Even if you're
familiar with Linux in other distributions, there are things you
should know about Debian to help you to keep your system in a good,
clean state. This chapter contains material to help you get oriented;
it is not intended to be a tutorial for how to use Debian, but just a
very brief glimpse of the system for the very rushed.
The most important concept to grasp is the Debian packaging system.
In essence, large parts of your system should be considered under the
control of the packaging system. These include:
* `/usr' (excluding `/usr/local')
* `/var' (you could make `/var/local' and be safe in there)
* `/bin'
* `/sbin'
* `/lib'
For instance, if you replace `/usr/bin/perl', that will work, but then
if you upgrade your `perl' package, the file you put there will be
replaced. Experts can get around this by putting packages on ``hold''
in `dselect'.
8.3. Reactivating DOS and Windows
---------------------------------
After installing the base system and writing to the _Master Boot
Record_, you will be able boot Linux, but probably nothing else. This
depends what you have chosen during the installation. This chapter
will describe how you can reactivate your old systems so that you can
also boot your DOS or Windows again.
`LILO' is a boot manager with which you can also boot other operating
systems than Linux, which complies to PC conventions. The boot
manager is configured via `/etc/lilo.conf' file. Whenever you edited
this file you have to run `lilo' afterwards. The reason for this is
that the changes will take place only when you call the program.
Important parts of the `lilo.conf' file are the lines containing the
`image' and `other' keywords, as well as the lines following those.
They can be used to describe a system which can be booted by `LILO'.
Such a system can include a kernel (`image'), a root partition,
additional kernel parameters, etc. as well as a configuration to boot
another, non-Linux (`other') operating system. These keywords can
also be used more than once. The ordering of these systems within the
configuration file is important because it determines which system
will be booted automatically after, for instance, a timeout (`delay')
presuming `LILO' wasn't stopped by pressing the _shift_-key.
After a fresh install of Debian, just the current system is configured
for booting with `LILO'. If you want to boot another Linux kernel,
you have to edit the configuration file `/etc/lilo.conf' to add the
following lines:
image=/boot/vmlinuz.new
label=new
append="mcd=0x320,11"
read-only
For a basic setup just the first two lines are necessary. If you want
to know more about the other two options please have a look at the
`LILO' documentation. This can be found in `/usr/share/doc/lilo/'.
The file which should be read is `Manual.txt'. To have a quicker
start into the world of booting a system you can also look at the
`LILO' manpages lilo.conf(5) for an overview of configuration keywords
and lilo(8) for description of the installation of the new
configuration into the boot sector.
Notice that there are other boot loaders available in Debian
GNU/Linux, such as GRUB (in `grub' package), CHOS (in `chos' package),
Extended-IPL (in `extipl' package), loadlin (in `loadlin' package)
etc.
8.4. Further Reading and Information
------------------------------------
If you need information about a particular program, you should first
try `man <program>', or `info <program>'.
There is lots of useful documentation in `/usr/doc' as well. In
particular, `/usr/doc/HOWTO' and `/usr/doc/FAQ' contain lots of
interesting information.
The Debian web site (http://www.debian.org/) contains a large quantity
of documentation about Debian. In particular, see the Debian FAQ
(http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/) and the Debian Mailing List Archives
(http://lists.debian.org/). The Debian community is self-supporting;
to subscribe to one or more of the Debian mailing lists, see the Mail
List Subscription (http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/subscribe) page.
8.5. Compiling a New Kernel
---------------------------
Why would someone want to compile a new kernel? It is often not
necessary since the default kernel shipped with Debian handles most
configurations. However, it is useful to compile a new kernel in
order to:
* handle special hardware needs, or hardware conflicts with the
pre-supplied kernels
* handle hardware or options not included in the stock kernel, such
as APM or SMP
* optimize the kernel by removing useless drivers to speed up boot
time
* use options of the kernel which are not supported by the default
kernel (such as network firewalling)
* run a updated or development kernel
* impress your friends, try new things
Don't be afraid to try compiling the kernel. It's fun and profitable.
To compile a kernel the Debian way, you need some packages:
`kernel-package', `kernel-source-2.2.19' (the most recent version at
the time of this writing), `fakeroot' and a few others which are
probably already installed (see
`/usr/share/doc/kernel-package/README.gz' for the complete list).
Note that you don't _have_ to compile your kernel the ``Debian way'';
but we find that using the packaging system to manage your kernel is
actually safer and easier. In fact, you can get your kernel sources
right from Linus instead of `kernel-source-2.2.19', yet still use the
`kernel-package' compilation method.
Note that you'll find complete documentation on using `kernel-package'
under `/usr/share/doc/kernel-package'. This section just contains a
brief tutorial.
Hereafter, we'll assume your kernel source will be located in
`/usr/local/src' and that your kernel version is 2.2.19. As root,
create a directory under `/usr/local/src' and change the owner of that
directory to your normal non-root account. As your normal non-root
account, change your directory to where you want to unpack the kernel
sources (`cd /usr/local/src'), extract the kernel sources (`tar xIf
/usr/src/kernel-source-2.2.19.tar.bz2'), change your directory to it
(`cd kernel-source-2.2.19/'). Now, you can configure your kernel.
Run `make xconfig' if X11 is installed, configured and being run,
`make menuconfig' otherwise (you'll need `ncurses-dev' installed).
Take the time to read the online help and choose carefully. When in
doubt, it is typically better to include the device driver (the
software which manages hardware peripherals, such as Ethernet cards,
SCSI controllers, and so on) you are unsure about. Be careful: other
options, not related to a specific hardware, should be left at the
default value if you do not understand them. Do not forget to select
``Kernel module loader'' in ``Loadable module support'' (it is not
selected by default). If not included, your Debian installation will
experience problems.
Clean the source tree and reset the `kernel-package' parameters. To
do that, do `make-kpkg clean'.
Now, compile the kernel: `fakeroot make-kpkg --revision=custom.1.0
kernel_image'. The version number of ``1.0'' can be changed at will;
this is just a version number that you will use to track your kernel
builds. Likewise, you can put any word you like in place of
``custom'' (e.g., a host name). Kernel compilation may take quite a
while, depending on the power of your machine.
If you require PCMCIA support, you'll also need to install the
`pcmcia-source' package. Unpack the gzipped tar file as root in the
directory `/usr/src' (it's important that modules are found where they
are expected to be found, namely, `/usr/src/modules'). Then, as root,
do `make-kpkg modules_image'.
Once the compilation is complete, you can install your custom kernel
like any package. As root, do `dpkg -i
../kernel-image-2.2.19-<subarch>_custom.1.0_i386.deb'. The <subarch>
part is an optional sub-architecture, such as ``i586'', depending on
what kernel options you set. `dpkg -i kernel-image...' will install
the kernel, along with some other nice supporting files. For
instance, the `System.map' will be properly installed (helpful for
debugging kernel problems), and `/boot/config-2.2.19' will be
installed, containing your current configuration set. Your new
`kernel-image-2.2.19' package is also clever enough to automatically
use you're platform's boot-loader to run an update on the booting,
allowing you to boot without re-running the boot loader. If you have
created a modules package, e.g., if you have PCMCIA, you'll need to
install that package as well.
It is time to reboot the system: read carefully any warning that the
above step may have produced, then `shutdown -r now'.
For more information on `kernel-package', read documentation in
`/usr/doc/kernel-package'.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Technical Information on the Boot Floppies
---------------------------------------------
9.1. Source Code
----------------
The `boot-floppies' package contains all of the source code and
documentation for the installation floppies.
9.2. Rescue Floppy
------------------
The Rescue Floppy has an Ext2 filesystem (or a FAT filesystem,
depending on your architecture), and you should be able to access it
from anything else that can mount Ext2 or FAT disks. The Linux kernel
is in the file `linux'. The file `root.bin' is a `gzip'-compressed
disk image of a 1.4MB Minix or Ext2 filesystem, and will be loaded
into the RAM disk and used as the root filesystem.
9.3. Replacing the Rescue Floppy Kernel
---------------------------------------
If you find it necessary to replace the kernel on the Rescue Floppy,
you must configure your new kernel with these features linked in, not
in loadable modules:
* RAM disk support (`CONFIG_BLK_DEV_RAM')
* Initial RAM disk (initrd) support (`CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD')
* Kernel support for ELF binaries (`CONFIG_BINFMT_ELF')
* Loop device support (`CONFIG_BLK_DEV_LOOP')
* FAT, Minix, and Ext2 filesystems (some architectures don't need
FAT and/or Minix filesystems -- see the source)
* Socket filtering for DHCP (`CONFIG_FILTER')
* Packet socket, also for DHCP (`CONFIG_PACKET')
* Unix domain sockets for syslogging -- it is provided as a module
in the vanilla flavor (`CONFIG_UNIX')
Copy your new kernel to the file `linux' on the Rescue Floppy, and
then run the shell script `rdev.sh' that you'll find on the floppy.
The `rdev.sh' script assumes the kernel is in the current directory,
or else `/mnt/linux'. If not, you should supply the path as an
argument to the script.
You'll also want to replace the `modules.tgz' file on the Driver
Floppies. This file simply contains a `gzip'-compressed tar file of
`/lib/modules/<kernel-ver>'; make it from the root filesystem so that
all leading directories are in the tar file as well.
9.4. The Base Floppies
----------------------
The base floppies contain a 512-byte header followed by a portion of a
gzip-compressed `tar' archive. If you strip off the headers and then
concatenate the contents of the base floppies, the result should be
the compressed tar archive. The archive contains the base system that
will be installed on your hard disk.
Once this archive is installed, you must go through the steps
described in Section 7.16, ```Configure the Base System''', and other
`dbootstrap' menu items to configure the network, and you must install
the operating system kernel and modules on your own. Once you have
done that, the system should be usable.
As for the post-installation tasks, those are mostly handled by the
`base-config' package.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Appendix
------------
10.1. Further Information and Obtaining Debian GNU/Linux
--------------------------------------------------------
10.1.1. Further Information
---------------------------
A general source of information on Linux is the Linux Documentation
Project (http://www.linuxdoc.org/). There you will find the HOWTOs
and pointers to other very valuable information on parts of a
GNU/Linux system.
10.1.2. Obtaining Debian GNU/Linux
----------------------------------
If you want to buy a CD set to install Debian GNU/Linux system from
CD-ROM you should look at the CD vendors page
(http://www.debian.org/distrib/vendors). There you get a list of
addresses which sell Debian GNU/Linux on CD-ROMs. The list is sorted
by country so you shouldn't have a problem to find a vendor near you.
10.1.3. Debian Mirrors
----------------------
If you live outside of the USA and you want to download Debian
packages, you can also use one of many mirrors which reside outside
the USA. A list of countries and mirrors can be found at the Debian
FTP server website (http://www.debian.org/distrib/ftplist).
10.1.4. GPG, SSH and other Security Software
--------------------------------------------
United States laws place restrictions on the export of defense
articles, which, unfortunately, includes some types of cryptographic
software. PGP and ssh, among others, fall into this category. It is
legal however, to import such software into the US.
To prevent anyone from taking unnecessary legal risks, some Debian
packages are available from a server outside the US which serves the
various cryptographic programs: Debian non-US Server
(ftp://nonus.debian.org/debian-non-US/).
This text is taken from the README.non-US file, which you can find on
any Debian FTP archive mirror. It also contains a list of mirrors of
the non-US server.
10.2. Linux Devices
-------------------
In Linux you have various special files in `/dev'. These files are
called devices files. In the Unix world accessing hardware is
different. There you have a special file which actually runs a driver
which in turn accesses the hardware. The device file is an interface
to the actual system component. Files under `/dev' also behave
differently than ordinary files. Below are the most important device
files listed.
fd0 1. Floppy Drive
fd1 2. Floppy Drive
hda IDE Harddisk / CD-ROM on the first IDE port (Master)
hdb IDE Harddisk / CD-ROM on the first IDE port (Slave)
hdc IDE Harddisk / CD-ROM on the second IDE port (Master)
hdd IDE Harddisk / CD-ROM on the second IDE port (Slave)
hda1 1. partition of the first IDE harddisk
hdd15 15. partition of the fourth IDE harddisk
sda SCSI Harddisk with lowest SCSI ID (e.g. 0)
sdb SCSI Harddisk with next higher SCSI ID (e.g. 1)
sdc SCSI Harddisk with next higher SCSI ID (e.g. 2)
sda1 1. partition of the first SCSI harddisk
sdd10 10. partition of the fourth SCSI harddisk
sr0 SCSI CD-ROM with the lowest SCSI ID
sr1 SCSI CD-ROM with the next higher SCSI ID
ttyS0 Serial port 0, COM1 under DOS
ttyS1 Serial port 1, COM2 under DOS
psaux PS/2 mouse device
gpmdata Pseudo device, repeater data from GPM (mouse) daemon
cdrom Symbolic link to the CD-ROM drive
mouse Symbolic link to the mouse device file
null everything pointed to this device will disappear
zero one can endlessly read zeros out of this device
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Administrivia
-----------------
11.1. About This Document
-------------------------
This document is written in SGML, using the ``DebianDoc'' DTD. Output
formats are generated by programs from the `debiandoc-sgml' package.
In order to increase the maintainability of this document, we use a
number of SGML features, such as entities and marked sections. These
play a role akin to variables and conditionals in programming
languages. The SGML source to this document contains information for
each different architecture -- marked sections are used to isolate
certain bits of text as architecture-specific.
11.2. Contributing to This Document
-----------------------------------
If you have problems or suggestions regarding this document, you
should probably submit them as a bug report against the package
`boot-floppies'. See the `bug' or `reportbug' package or read the
online documentation of the Debian Bug Tracking System
(http://bugs.debian.org/). It would be nice if you could check the
open bugs against boot-floppies (http://bugs.debian.org/boot-floppies)
to see whether your problem has already been reported. If so, you can
supply addition corroboration or helpful information to
<XXXX@bugs.debian.org>, where <XXXX> is the number for the
already-reported bug.
Better yet, get a copy of the SGML source for this document, and
produce patches against it. The SGML source can be found in the
`boot-floppies'; try to find the newest revision in the unstable
(ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/unstable/) distribution. You can
also browse the source via CVSweb
(http://cvs.debian.org/boot-floppies/); for instructions on how to
check out the sources via CVS, see README-CVS
(http://cvs.debian.org/~checkout~/boot-floppies/README-CVS?tag=HEAD%26content-type=text/plain)
from the sources.
Please do _not_ contact the authors of this document directly. There
is also a discussion list for `boot-floppies', which includes
discussions of this manual. The mailing list is
<debian-boot@lists.debian.org>. Instructions for subscribing to this
list can be found at the Debian Mailing List Subscription
(http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/subscribe) page; an online
browsable copy can be found at the Debian Mailing List Archives
(http://lists.debian.org/).
11.3. Major Contributions
-------------------------
Many, many Debian users and developers contributed to this document.
Particular note must be made for Michael Schmitz (m68k support), Frank
Neumann (original author of the Debian Installation Instructions for
Amiga
(http://www.informatik.uni-oldenburg.de/~amigo/debian_inst.html)),
Arto Astala, Eric Delaunay/Ben Collins (SPARC information), Tapio
Lehtonen, and Stéphane Bortzmeyer for numerous edits and text.
Extremely helpful text and information was found in Jim Mintha's HOWTO
for network booting (no URL available), the Debian FAQ
(http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/), the Linux/m68k FAQ
(http://www.linux-m68k.org/faq/faq.html), the Linux for SPARC
Processors FAQ (http://www.ultralinux.org/faq.html), the Linux/Alpha
FAQ (http://www.alphalinux.org/faq/FAQ.html), amongst others. The
maintainers of these freely available and rich sources of information
must be recognized.
11.4. Trademark Acknowledgement
-------------------------------
All trademarks are property of their respective trademark owners.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Installing Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 For Intel x86
Bruce Perens
Sven Rudolph
Igor Grobman
James Treacy
Adam Di Carlo
version 2.2.26, 12 June, 2001