Re: Cross-install howto
On Sun, Jul 07, 2002 at 02:47:26PM +0200, Ben Bucksch wrote:
> Hi Tillman,
>
> Chris Tillman wrote:
>
> > This section explains how to install Debian GNU/Linux from an existing
> > Unix or Linux system.
> >
> Thanks for writing that up.
>
> >This has been requested by users switching to
> > the "best" Linux system from Redhat, Mandrake, or SUSE.
> >
> Please leave these plugs like "best" out.
OK...
> (heavily cutted:)
>
> >Installing debootstrap
> >Running debootstrap (Using basedebs.tar)
> >Configuring The Base System
> > OK. You've got a few things to configure that would ordinarily be
> > handled by the Debian installer:
> > * keyboard
> > * language
> > * time zone
> > * partition mounting
> > * networking
> > * apt sources
> >
> > You need to create /etc/fstab.
> >
> > $ editor /etc/network/interfaces
> > $ editor /etc/resolv.conf -- your nameserver(s) and search directives
> >
> Sorry for my lacking knowledge about debootstrap. debootstrap doesn't
> run that ncurses-based, menu-driven installer tool that comes up when
> you boot using the Debian boot disks?
Right, it does not. The two programs are easily confused because of their names;
dbootstrap is the ncurses-based menu-driven installer. woody's dbootstrap calls,
in turn, debootstrap which is a command-line tool. It installs a baseline set
of Debian packages in a target folder.
> Then, this was the reason why I ditched debootstrap as option to
> install. Back then, I found it too cumbersome to edit all the files by
> hand. While it might be interesting for power users (so your write-up is
> useful), I think the existing, more comfortable tools should be used, if
> possible.
Of course that is always an option.
> That's what I described [1]. Although not exactly being easy, these
> steps start the dbootstrap (without e) UI tool on the boot disks
> directly from the harddisk. That's why I would suggest to use the steps
> on my webpage (maybe made a bit easier for newbies) for this section of
> the Debian manual.
The installation manual already describes in great detail how to launch
dbootstrap. This section is not for newbies. I added a note in the first
paragraph saying one needed some familiarity with *nix commands and file
system navigation to use this method.
> I think that your text would be useful as *additional* path, for people
> who want to control things more or want to know how it works under the
> hood, e.g. to change an existing system.
That's how it's intended.
> IMO, we would ideally have
>
> * a tarball with a complete, runnable Debian base system
> (so one wget, cfdisk, mkfs, tar xzf and GRUB command suffices to
> end up in Debian)
> * a tool which helps to configure the system and which can be run
> from an existing installation.
> This would help with both the cross-install and later
> modifications to an existing system (e.g. a changed network name)
> without having to edit a ton of config files.
Hope you can help on debian-installer.
--
*------v--------- Installing Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 --------v------*
| <http://www.debian.org/releases/woody/installmanual> |
| debian-imac (potato): <http://debian-imac.sourceforge.net> |
| Chris Tillman tillman@voicetrak.com |
| May the Source be with you |
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