Place of configuration files for debootstrap, defaults to /etc/debootstrap.
-*--debconf*[=<_file_>]::
+*--debconf* <_file_>::
- When using *--debconf* without the optional '=<_file_>' parameter, it
- enables preseeding Debian packages using the default
- '<confdir>/debconf-selections' file. If the optional parameter is given,
- use the specified file for preseeding Debian packages instead.
+ Use specified file for preseeding Debian packages instead of using
+ the default <confdir>/debconf-selections.
*--debopt* <_params_>::
Extra parameters passed to the debootstrap command.
+*--filesystem* <_filesystem_>::
+
+ Filesystem that should be created when installing to a partition.
+ If unset defaults to ext3. Valid values are all filesystems that
+ can be created through mkfs.<filesystem>.
+
+*--force*::
+
+ Skip user acknowledgement and do not prompt for user input.
+
*--grub* <_device_>::
Device where grub should be installed to. Note that only the MBR (master
Skip debootstrap, only do configuration to the target.
+*--nopackages*::
+
+ Skip installation of packages defined in /etc/debootstrap/packages.
+
*--insecure*::
Do not download and check signatures for retrieved Release files.
Note: this option has no effect if option -t is given and represents a
directory.
-*--packages*[=<_file_>]::
+*--packages* <_file_>::
- When using *--packages* without the optional '=<_file_>' parameter, it
- enables installing the packages defined in the default package list
- '<confdir>/packages' file. If the optional parameter is given, the
- specified list file is used as list for packages that should be
- installed instead.
+ Use specified file as list for packages that should be installed instead of
+ the default package list file <confdir>/packages.
*--password* <_password_>::
*-r*, *--release* <_releasename_>::
Specify release of new Debian system. Supported releases names: lenny,
- squeeze (note: requires current version of debootstrap) and sid.
+ squeeze, wheezy (note: requires current version of debootstrap) and sid.
Corresponding with configuration variable RELEASE.
-*--pre-scripts*[=<_directory_>]::
+*--pre-scripts* <_directory_>::
- When using *--pre-scripts* without the optional '=<_directory_>'
- parameter, it enables executing scripts from the default
- '<confdir>/pre-scripts/' directory before executing the chroot script.
- If the optional parameter is given, execute scripts from the specified
- directory instead. This allows customization of the system before the
- chroot has been set up. The environment variable $MNTPOINT is available
- inside the scripts for direct access of the chroot.
+ Execute scripts from specified directory before executing the chroot
+ script. This allows customisation of the system before the chroot has
+ been set up. The environment variable $MNTPOINT is available inside the
+ scripts for direct access of the chroot.
+ Default directory: /etc/debootstrap/pre-scripts/
-*--scripts*[=<_directory_>]::
+*--scripts* <_directory_>::
- When using *--scripts* without the optional '=<_directory_>' parameter,
- it enables executing scripts from the default '<confdir>/scripts/'
- directory after the chroot has been set up. If the optional parameter is
- given, execute scripts from the specified directory instead. This allows
- customisation of the system after the chroot has been set up. The
- environment variable $MNTPOINT is available inside the scripts for
- direct access of the chroot.
+ Execute scripts from specified directory. This allows customisation of
+ the system after the chroot has been set up. The environment variable
+ $MNTPOINT is available inside the scripts for direct access of the chroot.
+ Default directory: /etc/debootstrap/scripts/
*-t*, *--target* <_target_>::
Target partition (/dev/...) or directory (anything else without /dev at the
*-v*, *--verbose*::
Increase verbosity.
-*-V*, *--version*::
- Show version of program and exit.
-
-TIP: The long options may be abbreviated, as long as the abbreviation is not
-ambiguous. Eg. '--k' will be the same as '--keep_src_list', and '--pac' be
-'--packages'.
+*--vmfile*::
+ Set up a Virtual Machine instead of installing to a partition or directory.
+ This allows deployment of a Virtual Machine. The options needs to be
+ combined with the --target option.
+ Usage example: --vmfile --target /mnt/sda1/qemu.img
-[WARNING]
-=====================================================================
+*--vmsize* <_size_>::
+ Use specified size for size of Virtual Machine disk file. If not specified it
+ defaults to 2G (being 2GB). Syntax as supported by qemu-img (see manpage
+ qemu-img(1) for details.
+ Usage example: --vmsize 3G
-- To specify the optional parameter for switches that accept them, the
-optional argument must be written directly after the long option name,
-separated by `=' (without space).
+*-V*, *--version*::
+ Show version of program and exit.
-- the commandline parsing of grml-debootstrap does not validate the provided
+WARNING: the commandline parsing of grml-debootstrap does not validate the provided
arguments for the commandline options. Please be careful and check docs and
/etc/debootstrap/config for further information.
-=====================================================================
Usage examples
---------------
grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda1 --grub /dev/sda
-Install default Debian release (stable/lenny) on /dev/sda1 and install bootmanager
+Install default Debian release (stable/squeeze) on /dev/sda1 and install bootmanager
Grub in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda and use /dev/sda1 as system partition.
grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda6 --grub /dev/sda --release sid
mount /dev/sda1 /data/chroot
grml-debootstrap --target /data/chroot
-Install default Debian release (stable/lenny) in directory /data/chroot (without
+Install default Debian release (stable/squeeze) in directory /data/chroot (without
any bootloader).
grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda3 --grub /dev/sda --mirror ftp://ftp.tugraz.at/mirror/debian
-Install default Debian release (stable/lenny) on /dev/sda3 and install bootmanager
+Install default debian release (stable/squeeze) in a Virtual Machine file with
+3GB disk size (including Grub as bootmanager in MBR of the virtual disk file):
+
+ mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1
+ grml-debootstrap --vmfile --vmsize 3G --target /mnt/sda1/qemu.img
+
+Install default Debian release (stable/squeeze) on /dev/sda3 and install bootmanager
Grub in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda and use /dev/sda3 as system partition.
Use specified mirror instead of the default (ftp://ftp.debian.de/debian) one.
mount -o loop /mnt/sda6/debian-40r0-i386-CD-1.iso /mnt/iso
grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda1 --grub /dev/sda --iso file:/mnt/iso/debian/
-Install Debian stable/lenny on /dev/sda1 using the loopback mounted Debian-ISO
+Install Debian stable/squeeze 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 and use /dev/sda1 as system partition. Please notice, that the chroot
system requires network access for all packages which are not part of the
/etc/debootstrap/config
Main configuration file. You have to adjust it according to your needs
-before you are able to run grml-debootstrap.
+if you want to execute grml-debootstrap in the non-interactive mode without
+any special command line arguments.
/etc/debootstrap/chroot-script
release=...
-Specify release of new Debian system. Defaults to Debian stable. Supported
-relases: lenny, squeeze and sid. Usage example: release=sid
+Specify release of new Debian system. Defaults to Debian squeeze. Supported
+relases: lenny, squeeze, wheezy and sid. Usage example: release=sid
mirror=...
================================================================================
[1] Please notice that Etch is the current old-stable within Debian.
grml-debootstrap can handle the release but you really should not use Etch
-anymore unless you really know what you are doing. Choose Lenny instead.
+anymore unless you really know what you are doing. Choose Lenny or
+Squeeze instead.
+================================================================================
+
+[NOTE]
+.Lenny-Release
+================================================================================
+When installing lenny to a new mdraid, grml-debootstrap will use md metadata
+format version 0.90. This limits the device to a maximum size of 2TB, but has
+the advantage of grub-legacy actually being able to boot from it.
================================================================================
Bugs