Emdebian Grip 2.0

Preparing a USB stick for Debian

The current preseeding has been tested with the installer from Lenny 5.0.6. For Squeeze (Emdebian Grip 2.0.3, Debian 6.0.3), prebuilt ISO images are available.

Emdebian uses a debconf preconfiguration file called preseed.cfg which is available at http://www.emdebian.org/d-i/squeeze/preseed.cfg to ease installation using standard Debian installer images. However, late changes in the installer have complicated things.

Example graphics

Current issues in Debian Installer for Grip

Grub needs work after the normal install and can cause misleading errors during the install. Before finishing the install, choose to Execute a shell or, if the machine has already failed to reboot, use the Rescue Mode to enter a shell in the installed system.
```
# grub-mkconfig > /boot/grub/grub.cfg
```
Alternatively:
```
# apt-get --reinstall install grub-pc
```
Unconfigured passwords and users. passwd may fail to set the root password or create a normal user.
```
# passwd
# adduser <USERNAME>
# usermod -a -G sudo <USERNAME>
```

hostname not configured.

# hostname <HOSTNAME>
# editor /etc/hosts

To use the official images, follow the instructions for Debian which will erase all data on the chosen USB stick:

Unmount the USB stick if it has been automounted. Use the device node, not the partition, so /dev/sdb, not /dev/sdb1.

# zcat /path/to/boot.img.gz> /dev/sdz

Before mounting, unplug the USB stick and reinsert it.

Download the relevant ISO image. Depending on your system, you may need the small CD ISO (180Mb) or the mini netboot ISO (15Mb).

Copy the ISO image onto the mounted USB stick.

cp debian-testing-i386-netinst.iso /media/Debian\ Inst/

Boot from the USB stick. From the Debian Installer menu, select Advanced Options and move the cursor to either Automated Install or Graphical automated install but do not hit ENTER. Press TAB to configure the automated install configuration. A command line is now offered - keep everything that is already specified and add:

url=http://www.emdebian.org/d-i/squeeze/preseed.cfg

Note that if you delete characters on the command line, the existing command line may repeat for each deletion. Now hit ENTER.

(The shorthand url=www.emdebian.org does not appear to work.)

Using debootstrap

debootstrap can be used to generate a chroot which can be compressed and used in other installation methods.

Native debootstrap

$ mkdir grip/
$ sudo debootstrap squeeze grip/ http://www.emdebian.org/grip/
$ cd grip/
$ sudo tar -czf ../emdeban-grip-debootstrap.tgz .
$ cd ../
$ sudo rm -rf ./grip/

Cross debootstrap

To add extra packages for specific machines, use --include= $package1,$package2 etc. after the --foreign option.

$ mkdir grip/
$ sudo debootstrap --arch=armel --foreign squeeze grip/ http://www.emdebian.org/grip/
$ cd grip/
$ sudo tar -czf ../emdebian-grip-armel-debootstrap.tgz .
$ cd ../
$ sudo rm -rf ./grip/

See customisation for more about how multistrap can be used with Emdebian Grip.

Emdebian Grip repositories

Emdebian Grip target package repository.

All repositories use Secure Apt via the Emdebian Archive Signing Key. Stable releases are also signed by other Debian keys including 0x28BCB3E3.

apt sources

Main install

deb http://www.emdebian.org/grip/ squeeze main
deb-src http://www.emdebian.org/grip/ squeeze main

All components

deb http://www.emdebian.org/grip/ squeeze main dev debug java doc
deb-src http://www.emdebian.org/grip/ squeeze main dev debug java doc

Back to the Emdebian Project homepage.