6 grml-debootstrap - wrapper around debootstrap for installing plain Debian via grml
10 grml-debootstrap [ _options_ ]
12 image:images/screenshot.png[Screenshot]
17 grml-debootstrap is a wrapper suite around debootstrap (and cdebootstrap if you
18 want) for installing a plain Debian system via grml very fast and easy.
20 All you have to do is adjust a few variables in configuration file
21 /etc/debootstrap/config (or specify some variables via commandline) and invoke
22 grml-debootstrap without any further options then.
24 A plain and base Debian system will be installed on the given device (or
25 directory) then. Customization of this process is possible as well.
27 CAUTION: The grml team does not take responsibility for loss of any data!
29 Options and environment variables
30 ---------------------------------
32 *--arch* <_architecture_>::
34 Architecture you want to bootstrap. Currently only i386 is supported.
35 Defaults to the architecture that is currently running on your system. If
36 you're running an amd64 system and want to deploy a i386 system use this option.
37 Note: deploying amd64 from a i386 system won't work.
39 *--bootappend* <_appendline for the kernel_>::
41 Specify appendline for the kernel.
44 *-c*, *--config* <_file_>::
46 Use specified configuration file, defaults to /etc/debootstrap/config.
48 *--chroot-scripts* <_directory_>::
50 Execute chroot scripts from specified directory. This allows customisation
51 of the chroot setup, the executable script(s) present in the given directory
52 are executed at the end of the chroot procedure.
53 Default directory: /etc/debootstrap/chroot-scripts/
55 *-d*, *--confdir* <_path_>::
57 Place of configuration files for debootstrap, defaults to /etc/debootstrap.
59 *--debconf*[=<_file_>]::
61 When using *--debconf* without the optional '=<_file_>' parameter, it
62 enables preseeding Debian packages using the default
63 '<confdir>/debconf-selections' file. If the optional parameter is given,
64 use the specified file for preseeding Debian packages instead.
66 *--debopt* <_params_>::
68 Extra parameters passed to the debootstrap command.
72 Device where grub should be installed to. Note that only the MBR (master
73 boot record) can be used (/dev/sda, /dev/sdb,...). Partitions (like
74 /dev/sda1, /dev/sdb2,...) are NOT supported because grub2 doesn't support
75 installation into the PBR (partition boot record) anymore. Usage example:
76 '--grub /dev/sda'. Note: just do not set this option to avoid installation
81 Show summary of options and exit.
83 *--hostname* <_hostname_>::
85 Use specified hostname instead of the default (being 'grml').
87 *-i*, *--iso* <_/mntpoint_>::
89 Specify mountpoint where you have a Debian ISO mounted loopback.
90 Using this option instead of the mirror option gives you the possibility
91 to install the base-system without network access. Make sure you
92 mounted the according Debian-ISO to the given <_/mntpoint_>. See section
93 'Usage examples' for a demonstration.
97 Do not overwrite user provided /etc/apt/sources.list.
99 *-m*, *--mirror* <_URL_>::
101 Specify mirror which should be used for apt-get/aptitude.
102 Corresponding with configuration variable MIRROR.
106 Skip debootstrap, only do configuration to the target.
110 Do not download and check signatures for retrieved Release files.
112 *-p*, *--mntpoint* <_/mntpoint_>::
114 Specify mountpoint that should be used for mounting the target system.
115 Corresponding with configuration variable MNTPOINT.
116 Note: this option has no effect if option -t is given and represents a
119 *--packages*[=<_file_>]::
121 When using *--packages* without the optional '=<_file_>' parameter, it
122 enables installing the packages defined in the default package list
123 '<confdir>/packages' file. If the optional parameter is given, the
124 specified list file is used as list for packages that should be
127 *--password* <_password_>::
129 Use specified password as password for user root. Use with caution, as your
130 commandline might be visible in the process list and the shell history.
131 It's meant for automatic installation only.
133 *-r*, *--release* <_releasename_>::
135 Specify release of new Debian system. Supported releases names: lenny,
136 squeeze (note: requires current version of debootstrap) and sid.
137 Corresponding with configuration variable RELEASE.
139 *--pre-scripts*[=<_directory_>]::
141 When using *--pre-scripts* without the optional '=<_directory_>'
142 parameter, it enables executing scripts from the default
143 '<confdir>/pre-scripts/' directory before executing the chroot script.
144 If the optional parameter is given, execute scripts from the specified
145 directory instead. This allows customization of the system before the
146 chroot has been set up. The environment variable $MNTPOINT is available
147 inside the scripts for direct access of the chroot.
149 *--scripts*[=<_directory_>]::
151 When using *--scripts* without the optional '=<_directory_>' parameter,
152 it enables executing scripts from the default '<confdir>/scripts/'
153 directory after the chroot has been set up. If the optional parameter is
154 given, execute scripts from the specified directory instead. This allows
155 customisation of the system after the chroot has been set up. The
156 environment variable $MNTPOINT is available inside the scripts for
157 direct access of the chroot.
159 *-t*, *--target* <_target_>::
160 Target partition (/dev/...) or directory (anything else without /dev at the
161 beginning). To install grub using *--grub* make sure to use a _device_
162 instead of a directory as _target_ (installation of grub as bootloader when
163 using directories is NOT supported).
169 Show version of program and exit.
171 TIP: The long options may be abbreviated, as long as the abbreviation is not
172 ambiguous. Eg. '--k' will be the same as '--keep_src_list', and '--pac' be
176 =====================================================================
178 - To specify the optional parameter for switches that accept them, the
179 optional argument must be written directly after the long option name,
180 separated by `=' (without space).
182 - the commandline parsing of grml-debootstrap does not validate the provided
183 arguments for the commandline options. Please be careful and check docs and
184 /etc/debootstrap/config for further information.
185 =====================================================================
190 grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda1 --grub /dev/sda
192 Install default Debian release (stable/lenny) on /dev/sda1 and install bootmanager
193 Grub in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda and use /dev/sda1 as system partition.
195 grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda6 --grub /dev/sda --release sid
197 Install Debian unstable/sid on /dev/sda6, install bootmanager Grub in MBR
198 (master boot record) of /dev/sda and use /dev/sda6 as system partition.
200 mount /dev/sda1 /data/chroot
201 grml-debootstrap --target /data/chroot
203 Install default Debian release (stable/lenny) in directory /data/chroot (without
206 grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda3 --grub /dev/sda --mirror ftp://ftp.tugraz.at/mirror/debian
208 Install default Debian release (stable/lenny) on /dev/sda3 and install bootmanager
209 Grub in MBR (master boot record) of /dev/sda and use /dev/sda3 as system partition.
210 Use specified mirror instead of the default (ftp://ftp.debian.de/debian) one.
212 mount -o loop /mnt/sda6/debian-40r0-i386-CD-1.iso /mnt/iso
213 grml-debootstrap --target /dev/sda1 --grub /dev/sda --iso file:/mnt/iso/debian/
215 Install Debian stable/lenny on /dev/sda1 using the loopback mounted Debian-ISO
216 for the base-system and install bootmanager Grub in MBR (master boot record) of
217 /dev/sda and use /dev/sda1 as system partition. Please notice, that the chroot
218 system requires network access for all packages which are not part of the
224 /etc/debootstrap/config
226 Main configuration file. You have to adjust it according to your needs
227 before you are able to run grml-debootstrap.
229 /etc/debootstrap/chroot-script
231 The script executed within the new Debian system as soon as the main system
232 has been installed via [c]debootstrap.
234 /etc/debootstrap/locale.gen
236 Defines the default locales used for generating locales via locale-gen.
238 /etc/debootstrap/packages
240 Defines the software packages which should be installed in the new
241 Debian system by default.
243 /etc/debootstrap/extrapackages
245 Debian Packages dropped here will be installed into the new Debian system by
246 default (Controlvariable: EXTRAPACKAGES)
248 /etc/debootstrap/stages/
250 The default directory for storing information about executed stages. Every
251 single function of grml-debootstrap will write 'done' to the stages directory
252 into a file named as the function itself if it has been executed successfully.
253 You can adjust the location of the directory via configuration variable STAGES
254 via /etc/debootstrap/config. Please notice that you have to remove the stages
255 directory on your own if you want to re-execute grml-debootstrap after running it
256 successfully once. This should avoid recurrent execution by error of
257 grml-debootstrap (which might delete present data).
262 You can control execution of grml-debootstrap via adjusting
263 /etc/debootstrap/config for some main stuff or via setting some selected
264 variables via commandline. The packages which should be installed in the new
265 Debian system can be defined via the file /etc/debootstrap/packages. If you
266 want to put existing files to the new Debian system you can place them into the
267 (by default non-existing) directories boot, etc, share, usr and var in
268 /etc/debootstrap/. Every existing directory will be copied to the new Debian
269 system then. If you want to install additional packages that are not available
270 via the grml or debian mirror drop them into /etc/debootstrap/extrapackages and
271 make sure that EXTRAPACKAGES is set to "yes".
273 Automatic installation
274 ----------------------
276 If environment variable AUTOINSTALL is set grml-debootstrap can be executed in a
277 full automatic mode. While this mode isn't really useful for interactive
278 execution (just configure /etc/debootstrap/configure or specify the relevant
279 variables on the commandline instead) it is meant for use via bootoption
280 debian2hd. The bootoption debian2hd (more precise: the kernelname on bootprompt)
281 supports the following bootoptions (they correspond with the commandline options
286 The target partition/directory of the new Debian system. Usage example:
291 Where do you want to install grub to? Usage example: grub=/dev/sda
295 Specify release of new Debian system. Defaults to Debian stable. Supported
296 relases: lenny, squeeze and sid. Usage example: release=sid
300 Specify mirror which should be used for apt-get/aptitude instead
301 of the default one (ftp://ftp.debian.de/debian).
302 Usage example: mirror=ftp://ftp.tugraz.at/mirror/debian
306 Set password of user root without prompting for it but set it to the given
307 argument. Usage example: password=AiTh5ahn
309 Usage example for automatic installation:
310 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
312 debian2hd target=/dev/sda1 grub=/dev/sda mirror=ftp://ftp.tugraz.at/mirror/debian password=foobar
314 You have to enter this commandline at the bootprompt of grml. Please make sure
315 that /dev/sda1 is the partition where you really want to install your new Debian
319 Automatic installation within booting process is done in grml-autoconfig via
320 setting environment variable AUTOINSTALL and creation of
321 /usr/bin/grml-debootstrap_noninteractive with the available and relevant
322 bootoptions for grml-debootstrap.
327 include::releasetable.txt[]
331 ================================================================================
332 [1] Please notice that Etch is the current old-stable within Debian.
333 grml-debootstrap can handle the release but you really should not use Etch
334 anymore unless you really know what you are doing. Choose Lenny instead.
335 ================================================================================
340 Probably. Please send bugreports to Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>.
345 debootstrap (8), cdebootstrap (1).
349 Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org>