[grml-debootstrap.git] / grml-debootstrap.8.txt

grml-debootstrap(8)
===================

Name
----
grml-debootstrap - wrapper around debootstrap for installing plain Debian

Synopsis
--------
grml-debootstrap [ _options_ ]

image:images/screenshot.png[Screenshot]

Introduction
------------

grml-debootstrap is a wrapper suite around debootstrap (and cdebootstrap if you
want) for installing a plain Debian system (e.g. via Grml) very fast and easy.

All you have to do is adjust a few variables in the configuration file
/etc/debootstrap/config or specify some command line options and invoke
grml-debootstrap. If invoked without any configuration modifications or command
line options a dialog based frontend will be available to control some basic
configuration options.

A plain and base Debian system will be installed on the given device, directory
or virtual image file then. Customization of this process is possible as well.

CAUTION: The Grml team does not take responsibility for loss of any data!

Options and environment variables
---------------------------------

*--arch* _architecture_::

    Set target architecture you want to install. Defaults to the architecture
    you are currently running. If you're running an amd64 kernel and want to
    deploy an i386 system use this option. Note: deploying amd64 from an i386
    kernel does *not* work. Example: "_--arch i386_"

*--backportrepos*::

    Enable Debian's Backports repository (http://backports.debian.org/) via the
    /etc/apt/sources.list.d/backports.list configuration file. This provides the
    option to install Debian packages from Debian's backports repository.

*--bootappend* _appendline-for-the-kernel_::

    Specify appendline for the kernel.
    E.g. "_pci=nomsi_"

*-c*, *--config* _file_::

    Use specified configuration file, defaults to /etc/debootstrap/config.

*--chroot-scripts* _directory_::

    Execute chroot scripts from specified directory. This allows customisation
    of the chroot setup, the executable script(s) present in the given directory
    are executed at the end of the chroot procedure.
    Default directory: /etc/debootstrap/chroot-scripts/

*-d*, *--confdir* _path_::

    Place of configuration files for debootstrap, defaults to /etc/debootstrap.

*--debconf* _file_::

    Use specified file for preseeding Debian packages instead of using
    the default <confdir>/debconf-selections.

*--debopt* _params_::

    Extra parameters passed to the debootstrap command.

*--debug*::

   Execute in very verbose way. Useful for debugging possible problems
   with grml-debootstrap or identify what's actually executed.

*--filesystem* _filesystem_::

    Filesystem that should be created when installing to a partition.
    If unset defaults to ext4. Valid values are all filesystems that
    can be created through mkfs._filesystem_.

*--force*::

    Skip user acknowledgement and do not prompt for user input.

*--grmlrepos*::

    Enable Grml.org's Debian repository (http://deb.grml.org/) via the
    /etc/apt/sources.list.d/grml.list configuration file. This provides the
    option to install Debian packages from Grml's repository.

*--grub* _device_::

    Device where grub should be installed to. Note that only the MBR (master
    boot record) can be used (/dev/sda, /dev/sdb,...). Partitions (like
    /dev/sda1, /dev/sdb2,...) are NOT supported because grub2 doesn't support
    installation into the PBR (partition boot record) anymore.  Usage example:
    '--grub /dev/sda'.  Note: just do not set this option to avoid installation
    of grub.

*--help*, *-h*::

    Show summary of options and exit.

*--hostname* _hostname_::

    Use specified hostname instead of the default (being 'grml').

*-i*, *--iso* _/mntpoint_::

    Specify mount point where you have a Debian ISO mounted loopback.
    Using this option instead of the mirror option gives you the possibility
    to install the base-system without network access. Make sure you
    mounted the according Debian-ISO to the given _/mntpoint_. See section
    'Usage examples' for a demonstration.

*--keep_src_list*::

     Do not overwrite user provided /etc/apt/sources.list.

*-m*, *--mirror* _URL_::

    Specify mirror which should be used for apt-get/aptitude.
    Corresponding with configuration variable MIRROR.

*--nodebootstrap*::

    Skip debootstrap, only do configuration to the target.

*--nopackages*::

    Skip installation of packages defined in /etc/debootstrap/packages.

*--nopassword*::

    Do not prompt for the root password. Note: Use the '--password' option if
    you want to set the root password during an automatic installation but don't
    want to use the interactive dialog.

*-p*, *--mntpoint* _/mntpoint_::

    Specify mount point that should be used for mounting the target system.
    Corresponding with configuration variable MNTPOINT.
    Note: this option has no effect if option -t is given and represents a
    directory.

*--packages* _file_::

    Use specified file as list for packages that should be installed instead of
    the default package list file <confdir>/packages.

*--password* _password_::

    Use specified password as password for user root. Use with caution, as your
    command line might be visible in the process list and the shell history.
    It's meant for automatic installation only.

*-r*, *--release* _releasename_::

    Specify release of new Debian system. Supported releases names: lenny,
    squeeze, wheezy (note: requires current version of debootstrap) and sid.
    Corresponding with configuration variable RELEASE.

*--pre-scripts* _directory_::

    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_::

    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
    beginning). To install grub using *--grub* make sure to use a _device_
    instead of a directory as _target_ (installation of grub as bootloader when
    using directories is NOT supported).

*-v*, *--verbose*::
    Increase verbosity.

*--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

*--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

*-V*, *--version*::
    Show version of program and exit.

WARNING: the command line parsing of grml-debootstrap does not validate the provided
arguments for the command line 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 (wheezy) 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

Install Debian unstable/sid on /dev/sda6, install bootmanager Grub in MBR
(master boot record) of /dev/sda and use /dev/sda6 as system partition.

  mount /dev/sda1 /data/chroot
  grml-debootstrap --target /data/chroot

Install default Debian release (wheezy) 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 (wheezy) 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 (wheezy) 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-CD-1.iso /mnt/iso
  grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda1 --grub /dev/sda --iso file:/mnt/iso/debian/

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 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
ISO.

Files
-----

  /etc/debootstrap/config

Main configuration file. You have to adjust it according to your needs
if you want to execute grml-debootstrap in the non-interactive mode without
any special command line arguments.

  /etc/debootstrap/chroot-script

The script executed within the new Debian system as soon as the main system
has been installed via [c]debootstrap.

  /etc/debootstrap/locale.gen

Defines the default locales used for generating locales via locale-gen.

  /etc/debootstrap/packages

Defines the software packages which should be installed in the new
Debian system by default.

  /etc/debootstrap/extrapackages/

Debian Packages dropped in this directory will be installed into the new Debian
system by default (Control variable: EXTRAPACKAGES)

  /etc/debootstrap/stages/

The default directory for storing information about executed stages. Every
single function of grml-debootstrap will write 'done' to the stages directory
into a file named as the function itself if it has been executed successfully.
You can adjust the location of the directory via configuration variable STAGES
via /etc/debootstrap/config.  Please notice that you have to remove the stages
directory on your own if you want to re-execute grml-debootstrap after running it
successfully once. This should avoid recurrent execution by error of
grml-debootstrap (which might delete present data).

Customization
-------------

You can control execution of grml-debootstrap via adjusting
/etc/debootstrap/config for some main stuff or via setting some selected
variables via command line.  The packages which should be installed in the new
Debian system can be defined via the file /etc/debootstrap/packages.  If you
want to put existing files to the new Debian system you can place them into the
(by default non-existing) directories boot, etc, share, usr and var in
/etc/debootstrap/. Every existing directory will be copied to the new Debian
system then. If you want to install additional packages that are not available
via the Grml or Debian mirror drop them into /etc/debootstrap/extrapackages and
make sure that EXTRAPACKAGES is set to "yes".

Automatic installation
----------------------

If environment variable AUTOINSTALL is set grml-debootstrap can be executed in a
full automatic mode. While this mode isn't really useful for interactive
execution (just configure /etc/debootstrap/configure or specify the relevant
variables on the command line instead) it is meant for use via boot option
debian2hd on the Grml live system. The boot option debian2hd (more precise: the
kernelname at the bootprompt) supports the following boot options (they
correspond with the command line options mentioned above):

  target=...

The target partition/directory of the new Debian system. Usage example:
target=/dev/sda1

  grub=...

Where do you want to install grub to? Usage example: grub=/dev/sda

  release=...

Specify release of new Debian system. Defaults to Debian wheezy. Supported
relases: lenny, squeeze, wheezy and sid. Usage example: release=sid

  mirror=...

Specify mirror which should be used for apt-get/aptitude instead
of the default one (http://http.debian.net/debian).
Usage example: mirror=ftp://ftp.tugraz.at/mirror/debian

  password=...

Set password of user root without prompting for it but set it to the given
argument. Usage example: password=AiTh5ahn

Usage example for automatic installation:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  debian2hd target=/dev/sda1 grub=/dev/sda mirror=ftp://ftp.tugraz.at/mirror/debian password=foobar

You have to enter this command line at the bootprompt of the Grml live system.
Please make sure that /dev/sda1 is the partition where you really want to
install your new Debian system.

[NOTE]
Automatic installation within booting process is done in grml-autoconfig via
setting environment variable AUTOINSTALL and creation of
/usr/bin/grml-debootstrap_noninteractive with the available and relevant
boot options for grml-debootstrap.

Supported Releases
------------------

include::releasetable.txt[]

[NOTE]
.lenny release
================================================================================
[1] Please notice that lenny is the current old-stable release within Debian.
grml-debootstrap can handle the release but you really should not use lenny
anymore unless you really know what you are doing. Choose Debian 6.0 (squeeze)
or Debian 7.0 (wheezy) instead.

Notice that you need to specify a mirror providing the lenny release, the
default (http://http.debian.net/debian) doesn't provide it any longer nowadays.
Set the mirror to e.g. http://archive.debian.org/debian/ if you don't have
your own lenny mirror.

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.
================================================================================

[NOTE]
.sid release
================================================================================
[2] Please notice that sid is Debian/unstable and due to its nature might not be
always installable. What _might_ work instead is deploying a stable or testing
release and upgrade it after installation finished.
================================================================================

Bugs
----

Probably. Please send bugreports to Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>.

See also
--------

debootstrap (8), cdebootstrap (1).

Author
------
Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>