6 grml-debootstrap - wrapper around debootstrap for installing plain Debian
10 grml-debootstrap [ _options_ ]
12 image:images/screenshot.png[Screenshot]
17 grml-debootstrap is a wrapper suite around debootstrap (and cdebootstrap and mmdebstrap if you
18 want) for installing a plain Debian system very fast and easy.
20 All you have to do is adjust a few variables in the configuration file
21 /etc/debootstrap/config or specify some command line options and invoke
22 grml-debootstrap. If invoked without any configuration modifications or command
23 line options a dialog based front end will be available to control some basic
24 configuration options.
26 A plain and base Debian system will be installed on the given device, directory
27 or virtual image file then. Customization of this process is possible as well.
29 CAUTION: The Grml team does not take responsibility for loss of any data!
31 Options and environment variables
32 ---------------------------------
34 *--arch* _architecture_::
36 Set target architecture you want to install. Defaults to the architecture
37 you are currently running. If you're running an amd64 kernel and want to
38 deploy an i386 system use this option. Note: deploying amd64 from an i386
39 kernel does *not* work. Example: "_--arch i386_"
43 Enable Debian's Backports repository via the
44 /etc/apt/sources.list.d/backports.list configuration file. This provides the
45 option to install Debian packages from Debian's backports repository.
47 *--bootappend* _appendline-for-the-kernel_::
49 Specify appendline for the kernel.
52 *-c*, *--config* _file_::
54 Use specified configuration file, defaults to /etc/debootstrap/config.
56 *--chroot-scripts* _directory_::
58 Execute chroot scripts from specified directory. This allows customisation
59 of the chroot setup, the executable script(s) present in the given directory
60 are executed at the end of the chroot procedure.
61 Default directory: /etc/debootstrap/chroot-scripts/
65 Enable the 'contrib' repository in COMPONENTS. By default only
66 the 'main' repository is enabled.
68 *-d*, *--confdir* _path_::
70 Place of configuration files for debootstrap, defaults to /etc/debootstrap.
74 Use specified file for preseeding Debian packages instead of using
75 the default <confdir>/debconf-selections.
79 Extra parameters passed to the debootstrap command.
83 Execute in very verbose way. Useful for debugging possible problems
84 with grml-debootstrap or identify what's actually executed.
86 *--defaultinterfaces*::
88 Install a default /etc/network/interfaces file (enabling DHCP for all local
89 Ethernet, WLAN and WWAN interfaces using predictable network interface names
90 and using eth0 as traditional interface name for backward compatibility)
91 instead of taking over config from host system.
92 This option is automatically enabled when using --vm or --vmfile.
96 Partition where EFI boot manager should be installed to. If the
97 specified device doesn't use a FAT filesystem yet grml-debootstrap
98 automatically creates the filesystem. If a FAT filesystem is already
99 present the filesystem creation is skipped. Please ensure that it's
100 a valid FAT32 filesystem and the partition has the 'boot' and 'esp'
101 flags enabled. This option requires EFI support on the running system
102 and the option is NOT supported for Virtual Machine deployments.
104 *--filesystem* _filesystem_::
106 Filesystem that should be created when installing to a partition.
107 If unset defaults to ext4. Valid values are all filesystems that
108 can be created through mkfs._filesystem_.
112 Skip user acknowledgement and do not prompt for user input.
116 Enable Grml.org's Debian repository (http://deb.grml.org/) via the
117 /etc/apt/sources.list.d/grml.list configuration file. This provides the
118 option to install Debian packages from Grml's repository.
122 Device where grub should be installed to. Note that only the MBR (master
123 boot record) can be used (/dev/sda, /dev/sdb,...). Partitions (like
124 /dev/sda1, /dev/sdb2,...) are NOT supported because grub2 doesn't support
125 installation into the PBR (partition boot record) anymore. Usage example:
126 '--grub /dev/sda'. Note: just do not set this option to avoid installation
131 Show summary of options and exit.
133 *--hostname* _hostname_::
135 Use specified hostname instead of the default (being $HOSTNAME or if unset 'grml').
137 *-i*, *--iso* _/mntpoint_::
139 Specify mount point where you have a Debian ISO mounted loopback.
140 Using this option instead of the mirror option gives you the possibility
141 to install the base-system without network access. Make sure you
142 mounted the according Debian-ISO to the given _/mntpoint_. See section
143 'Usage examples' for a demonstration.
147 Do not overwrite user provided /etc/apt/sources.list.
149 *-m*, *--mirror* _URL_::
151 Specify mirror which should be used for apt-get/aptitude.
152 Corresponding with configuration variable MIRROR.
156 Skip debootstrap, only do configuration to the target.
160 Do not copy /etc/network/interfaces from host system to the target.
164 Skip installation of default kernel images. This option might be
165 interesting for you if you want a Debian system which doesn't
166 need to provide regular boot, e.g. a system which provides
167 ISOs for booting via GRUB using grml-rescueboot.
171 Enable the 'non-free' repository in COMPONENTS.
172 For bookworm and newer Debian releases also the 'non-free-firmware' repository gets enabled.
173 By default only the 'main' repository is enabled.
177 Skip installation of packages defined in /etc/debootstrap/packages.
181 Do not prompt for the root password. Note: Use the '--password' option if
182 you want to set the root password during an automatic installation but don't
183 want to use the interactive dialog.
185 *-p*, *--mntpoint* _/mntpoint_::
187 Specify mount point that should be used for mounting the target system.
188 Corresponding with configuration variable MNTPOINT.
189 Note: this option has no effect if option -t is given and represents a
192 *--packages* _file_::
194 Use specified file as list for packages that should be installed instead of
195 the default package list file <confdir>/packages.
197 *--password* _password_::
199 Use specified password as password for user root. Use with caution, as your
200 command line might be visible in the process list and the shell history.
201 It's meant for automatic installation only.
203 *--post-scripts* _directory_::
205 Execute scripts from specified directory after executing the chroot script.
206 This allows customisation of the system after the chroot has been set up.
207 The environment variable $MNTPOINT is available inside the scripts for
208 direct access of the chroot.
209 Default directory: /etc/debootstrap/post-scripts/
211 *--pre-scripts* _directory_::
213 Execute scripts from specified directory before executing the chroot
214 script. This allows customisation of the system before the chroot has
215 been set up. The environment variable $MNTPOINT is available inside the
216 scripts for direct access of the chroot.
217 Default directory: /etc/debootstrap/pre-scripts/
219 *-r*, *--release* _releasename_::
221 Specify release of new Debian system. Supported releases names: lenny,
222 squeeze, wheezy, jessie, stretch, buster, bullseye, bookworm and sid.
223 Corresponding with configuration variable RELEASE. Default release: bookworm
227 Delete grml-debootstrap configuration files (/etc/debootstrap/*) from installed
228 system. Useful for reproducible builds or if you don't want to leak information.
232 Use locally available _$HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys_ to authorise root login on the target system.
233 This installs _$HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys_ as _/root/.ssh/authorized_keys_ on
234 the target system. If a different file than _$HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys_ should
235 be used, the environment variable _AUTHORIZED_KEYS_SOURCE_ can be used.
239 Use locally available public keys to authorise root login on the target system.
240 Similar to ssh-copy-id(1) (without the -i option) it checks if `ssh-add -L`
241 provides any output, and if so those keys are appended to
242 _/root/.ssh/authorized_keys_ (creating the file and directory (with mode 0700)).
244 *-t*, *--target* _target_::
246 Target partition (/dev/...) or directory (anything else without /dev at the
255 Set up a Virtual Machine on an existing block device, which will be
257 This allows deployment of a Virtual Machine. The options needs to be
258 combined with the --target option.
259 This option automatically enables the --defaultinterfaces option.
260 Usage example: --vm --target /dev/mapper/your-vm-disk
264 Set up a Virtual Machine using a regular file instead of installing to a
265 partition/block device or directory. This allows deployment of a Virtual
266 Machine. The options needs to be combined with the --target option
267 ('qemu-img create -f raw ...' is executed on the specified target).
268 This option automatically enables the --defaultinterfaces option.
269 Usage example: --vmfile --target /mnt/sda1/qemu.img
273 Use specified size for size of Virtual Machine disk file. If not specified it
274 defaults to 2G (being 2GB). Syntax as supported by qemu-img (see manpage
275 qemu-img(1) for details.
276 Usage example: --vmsize 3G
280 Create an EFI boot partition for the VM.
284 Show version of program and exit.
286 WARNING: the command line parsing of grml-debootstrap usually does not validate
287 the provided arguments for the command line options. Please be careful and check
288 docs and /etc/debootstrap/config for further information.
293 By default (that is, if none of the options *--nointerfaces*,
294 *--defaultinterfaces*, *--vmfile* or *--vm* are given) /etc/network/interfaces
295 will be copied from the host to the target system.
300 grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda1 --grub /dev/sda
302 Install default Debian release (bookworm) on /dev/sda1 and install bootmanager GRUB in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda.
304 grml-debootstrap --release stretch --target /dev/sda1 --grub /dev/sda --hostname debian01 --password changeme
306 Install Debian release stretch on /dev/sda1 and install bootmanager GRUB in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda.
307 Set hostname to 'debian01' and password for user root to 'changeme'.
309 grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda6 --grub /dev/sda --release sid
311 Install Debian unstable/sid on /dev/sda6 and install bootmanager GRUB in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda.
313 DEBOOTSTRAP=mmdebstrap grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda1 --grub /dev/sda
315 Install default Debian release (bookworm) on /dev/sda1 and install bootmanager GRUB in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda.
316 Use mmdebstrap instead of default debootstrap tool for bootstrapping.
318 grml-debootstrap --target /dev/mapper/vg0-rootfs --grub /dev/sda
320 Install default Debian release (bookworm) on LVM device /dev/mapper/vg0-rootfs and install bootmanager GRUB in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda.
322 grml-debootstrap --efi /dev/sda1 --target /dev/sda2 --grub /dev/sda
324 Install default Debian release (bookworm) on /dev/sda2 and install bootmanager GRUB in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda.
325 Use /dev/sda1 as EFI partition (requires EFI support in booted system).
327 mount /dev/sda1 /data/chroot
328 grml-debootstrap --target /data/chroot
330 Install default Debian release (bookworm) in directory /data/chroot (without any bootloader).
332 grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda3 --grub /dev/sda --mirror ftp://ftp.tugraz.at/mirror/debian
334 Install default Debian release (bookworm) on /dev/sda3 and install bootmanager GRUB in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda.
335 Use specified mirror instead of the default (http://deb.debian.org/debian) one.
337 mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1
338 grml-debootstrap --vmfile --vmsize 3G --target /mnt/sda1/qemu.img
340 Install default debian release (bookworm) in a Virtual Machine file with 3GB disk size (including GRUB as bootmanager in MBR of the virtual disk file):
342 mount -o loop ./debian-CD-1.iso /media/cdrom
343 grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda1 --grub /dev/sda --iso /media/cdrom
345 Install Debian on /dev/sda1 using the loopback mounted Debian-ISO for the base-system and install bootmanager GRUB in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda.
346 Please notice, that the chroot system requires network access for all packages which are not part of the ISO.
351 /etc/debootstrap/config
353 Main configuration file. Adjust it according to your needs if you want to
354 execute grml-debootstrap in the non-interactive mode without any special command
357 /etc/debootstrap/chroot-script
359 The script executed within the new Debian system as soon as the main system
360 has been installed via [c]debootstrap.
362 /etc/debootstrap/locale.gen
364 Defines the default locales used for generating locales via locale-gen.
366 /etc/debootstrap/packages
368 Defines the software packages which should be installed in the new
369 Debian system by default.
371 /etc/debootstrap/extrapackages/
373 Debian Packages dropped in this directory will be installed into the new Debian
374 system by default (Control variable: EXTRAPACKAGES)
379 You can control execution of grml-debootstrap via adjusting
380 /etc/debootstrap/config for some main stuff or via setting some selected
381 variables via command line. The packages which should be installed in the new
382 Debian system can be defined via the file /etc/debootstrap/packages. If you
383 want to put existing files to the new Debian system you can place them into the
384 (by default non-existing) directories boot, etc, share, usr and var in
385 /etc/debootstrap/. Every existing directory will be copied to the new Debian
386 system then. If you want to install additional packages that are not available
387 via the Grml or Debian mirror drop them into /etc/debootstrap/extrapackages and
388 make sure that EXTRAPACKAGES is set to "yes".
390 Automatic installation
391 ----------------------
393 If environment variable AUTOINSTALL is set grml-debootstrap can be executed in a
394 full automatic mode. While this mode isn't really useful for interactive
395 execution (just configure /etc/debootstrap/configure or specify the relevant
396 variables on the command line instead) it is meant for use via boot option
397 debian2hd on the Grml live system. The boot option debian2hd (more precise: the
398 kernelname at the bootprompt) supports the following boot options (they
399 correspond with the command line options mentioned above):
403 The target partition/directory of the new Debian system. Usage example:
408 Where do you want to install grub to? Usage example: grub=/dev/sda
412 Specify release of new Debian system. Defaults to Debian bookworm.
413 Supported releases: lenny, squeeze, wheezy, jessie, stretch, buster, bullseye, bookworm and sid.
414 Usage example: release=bullseye
418 Specify mirror which should be used for apt-get/aptitude instead
419 of the default one (http://deb.debian.org/debian).
420 Usage example: mirror=ftp://ftp.tugraz.at/mirror/debian
424 Set password of user root without prompting for it but set it to the given
425 argument. Usage example: password=AiTh5ahn
427 Usage example for automatic installation
428 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
430 debian2hd target=/dev/sda1 grub=/dev/sda mirror=ftp://ftp.tugraz.at/mirror/debian password=foobar
432 You have to enter this command line at the bootprompt of the Grml live system.
433 Please make sure that /dev/sda1 is the partition where you really want to
434 install your new Debian system.
437 Automatic installation within booting process is done in grml-autoconfig via
438 setting environment variable AUTOINSTALL and creation of
439 /usr/bin/grml-debootstrap_noninteractive with the available and relevant
440 boot options for grml-debootstrap.
445 include::releasetable.txt[]
448 .lenny/squeeze/wheezy/jessie/stretch/buster release
449 ================================================================================
450 [1] Please notice that releases like lenny, squeeze, wheezy, jessie, stretch and buster are unsupported releases within Debian nowadays.
451 grml-debootstrap can handle the releases but you really should not use them
452 anymore unless you really know what you are doing.
453 Choose the current Debian stable version instead.
454 See https://wiki.debian.org/DebianReleases for the list of supported releases.
456 Notice that you need to specify a specific mirror providing old releases, the default (http://deb.debian.org/debian) doesn't provide them any longer.
457 Set the mirror to e.g. http://archive.debian.org/debian/ if you don't have your own Debian mirror.
459 Older releases might also fail to install when running on top of recent kernel versions,
460 throwing segfaults during debootstrap. This can be identified by the following messages inside kernel log (check with 'dmesg'):
462 dpkg[...] vsyscall attempted with vsyscall=none ip:[...]
463 dpkg[...]: segfault at [...]
465 To work around this issue boot your system with the kernel boot option 'vsyscall=emulate'.
467 You also need to specify a filesystem that's supported by lenny, e.g.
468 '--filesystem ext3' since grml-debootstrap's current default (ext4) isn't
471 Also when debootstrapping lenny on a live system with a kernel version
472 like "3.16-1-grml-amd64" lenny's libc will fail to install with:
475 /var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: line 265: [: 3.16-1-grml-amd64: integery expression expected
476 /var/lib/dpkg/tmp.ci/preinst: line 231: 3.16-1-grml-amd64: syntax error: invalid arithemtic operator (error token is ".16-1-grml-amd64")
477 dpkg: error processing /var/cache/apt/archives/libc6_2.7-18lenny7_amd64.deb (--install):
480 To workaround this either debootstrap from a system with an according
481 kernel version or use the "fake uname" workaround (just google for it).
483 When installing lenny to a new mdraid, grml-debootstrap will use md metadata
484 format version 0.90. This limits the device to a maximum size of 2TB, but has
485 the advantage of grub-legacy actually being able to boot from it.
486 ================================================================================
489 .unstable and testing releases
490 ================================================================================
491 [2] Please notice that Debian/testing and Debian/unstable (sid) might
492 not be always installable due to their nature. What _might_ work instead is
493 deploying a stable release and upgrade it after installation finished.
494 ================================================================================
499 Please report bugs towards https://github.com/grml/grml-debootstrap/issues
504 debootstrap (8), cdebootstrap (1), mmdebstrap(1).
508 Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>