Re: debootstrap as an valuable instructioanal experience
On 2/20/15, Richard Owlett <rowlett@cloud85.net> wrote:
> Several months ago, when I was having problems with a very
> customized install, I was pointed to debootstrap as an
> appropriate tool. I finding that it will evidently give me not
> only the fine control and minimal footprint desired, but it leads
> me to explore areas of Debian that I know less about than I thought.
>
> My question -- Does anyone know of a detailed (newbie oriented)
> writeup on using debootstrap to install a bootable Debian to a
> second partition of a drive already containing a complete default
> install? All the writeups I've found assume various levels of
> experience and leave out things that "everybody knows".
> Fortunately the leave out different things so I think I am
> getting a reasonably complete overview.
>
> Comments? TIA
Ok, I've been looking at this. I think I hear what you're saying. I
*think* I did it that way, but I need to look. Most times I just
debootstrap into a directory then rsync it over, but I do think I went
the partition route once.. I think.. I have a TON of notes I need to
dig through where I've been rambling to myself as I did this over the
last year or so..
I'm so sorry, I think I have "snow" brain. It's not really been
snowing much but it's been the absolute coldest sustained cold I ever
remember here. Kind of the opposite of spring fever but basically
about the same effect. :)
One thing that's already top of my head is not everyone who might try
this is going to have 100% success. I've done it... at least five or
six times... on the same laptop.. usually using the same everything,
especially the online how-to, and SOMEHOW there'll be different issues
each time. I don't know what changes.
The good news is that, just as you're saying, I say the same. It has
been a great learning experience with a much faster learning curve
than anything else I've done. I think it's because we're really
driving what happens rather than "just" downloading a single ISO
package, zipping it open, and off we go.
I'm looking right now for those two links I occasionally reference
(somewhere?). I'm sure there are two. I gave you all one a while back
then that same week had to search on the Net again for the same.
Whatever I found afterward was not quite the same as but was very
similar to what I shared on the list.
Between the two and then us filling in with examples or something,
it's really pretty much all there. The proof's in that I'm
successfully working from Sid after having also done the same with
both Wheezy and Jessie while using the exact same notes. My original
quickly self-destructing distro debootstrapped Wheezy in. Wheezy then
debootstrapped Jessie, and lastly Jessie debootstrapped Sid..
It consciously seems odd that nothing has had to be changed to get
each newer distro running, especially Sid. If anyone knows that, yes,
something should have changed to get Sid's debootstrap up and running,
that would be good to know. I sure don't want to make something
confusing even more so instead of helping. It might just be
apprehension on my part because of all the chatter about how different
some things are under the hood these days. :)
We'll need to do this same thing for "hardening" users' debootstrapped
copies after the initial install, too. I've... hm.. they lost me on
that one. I have no doubt I'm not alone. I'm just not ashamed to say
I've given it an honest try a couple times but... it's been beyond my
comprehension level so far. And it's EXTREMELY important that we get
through that part....
The hardening part, that's one of the things that's the bonus of going
the ISO/image-type route. Some things like that are done there in
those options where it's not in debootstrap. Debootstrap is absolute
bare bones. Its purpose is to just give us just the barest number of
packages so we can then start filling in ALL the other holes as
needed.
After first stumbling on debootstrap as an option, it was that "bare
minimum" that was so attractive to me. I'm on dialup and was looking
at 200+ MB downloads everywhere I turned. I just checked my saved deb
archive files here. There's some duplication there so best number I
can get right now is approximately 69.2 MB to get through the initial
download phase of debootstrap.
Not to worry, the steps require larger downloads after that. There's a
couple gigabytes of saved debs I've got elsewhere that has a lot of
duplication from upgrades but still.. Stuff like the window managers
and even browsers are hefty. My personalized setup also has Openshot,
Inkscape, and GIMP.. Seems like those combined were as large as the
window manager, too.
First thing I'm going to do is dig for another neat link I found AND
LOST... Thinking as a newbie user, it would have been GREAT to have
had that one link to reference to get to really know Debian's reach
via software classifications...
Let me find that... and those other two links. Even if the
afterthought is never mind, this has been on my to-do list to find
ways to start bringing parts of the debootstrap to the list.
There's some very basic steps in the setup that would be useful even
for someone who goes the ISO/image install route. Adding a user,
changing a password, setting our date and time, those kinds of really
basic things. All accomplished very simply via command line when you
debootstrap.. :)
I'm here working on it.. :)
Cindy
--
Cindy-Sue Causey
Talking Rock, Pickens County, Georgia, USA
* runs with plastic sporks *
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