Com Sci 501
System Administration in Linux

Department of Computer Science
The University of Chicago

Install Debian GNU/Linux

The key thing to keep in mind is that repartitioning and initializing the disk destroys data. Everything else can be redone if you don't like it the first time. But, if you destroy important data, it may be gone forever. Review your plan for preserving your Windows system and data.

1. Read relevant-looking parts of Installing Debian GNU/Linux 1.3. Print a copy, and keep it by you while you do the installation. These instructions are quite good. I will point out a few things that are left out, a few things that you can skip, and I'll recommend which alternative to choose in some cases. Print out my instructions, too.
2. Don't forget the backup!
3. Information You'll Need. Don't worry about the bulletted information (domain name, etc.). Your initial installation will not be on a network. When you start networking through PPP, this information will be assigned and filled in automatically whenever you dial in. Do choose a nice name for the system.
4. Methods for Installing Debian.
   1. Initial Boot Medium: floppy disk (diskette)
   2. Kernel and Driver Modules: CD-ROM
   3. Base system: CD-ROM
   4. Debian Packages: CD-ROM
5. Writing the Floppy Disk Image Files to Floppy Disk. You definitely want the ``Rescue Disk.'' It will be useful in emergencies, as well as in the installation. You might as well make a ``Driver Disk'', too. It might let you configure a slightly odd CD-ROM drive. Don't bother with ``Root Disk'', ``Low-Memory Root Disk''. You shouldn't need the 5 ``Base Disks'', but I suggest that you make them anyway, in case you have trouble with the CD-ROM installation. The contents of all these diskettes, and also the rawrite2.exe command for creating them from your Windows system, are on the Debian binary CD.
6. The Rescue Floppy. At the boot:, just hit [Enter]. Figure out the other possibilities another day.
7. The Shell. This time through, follow the installation menu items in the order presented. But, notice that the last item gives you access to a Unix shell. That's the one to choose if you use the Rescue/Install disk for rescue purposes some other day.
8. Partition Your Hard Disks. This is the first danger point. Even so, nothing will happen until you select the [Write] menu item, and confirm your decision. I recommend the simplest configuration: one partition for Windows (which you may have already created), one Linux Swap partition (type 82) of 128 megabytes, and one Linux partition (type 83) with all the remaining non-Windows space. I recommend that you do not mark the Linux partition as a boot partition. Some day you can study the reasons for making more Linux partitions, and consider changing.
9. Initialize .... This is the other danger point. Initializing a Disk partition, like initializing a diskette, destroys all the information on that partition. So, make sure that you initialize the right partition. The installer is good about helping you, since it only offers to initialize Linux partitions. Nonetheless, be careful. I suggest that you choose the scan for bad blocks the first time, but if you repeat this step, there's not much point in scanning again unless you suspect a problem with the physical disk.
10. Install the Operating System Kernel and the Device Drivers. This is where you can switch to CD-ROM. After you select cdrom you'll be asked for a description of your ``CD interface.'' Try to figure this out from your hardware inventory. It's OK to just try all the choices. If nothing works, fall back on the diskette method.
11. Configure the Device Drivers. It's OK to experiment in this area. You can always redo it later. Many of these drivers can be added as modules later, without re-installing.
12. Configure the Base System. This is just selecting the time zone. Select local time, rather than GMT, for compatibility with Windows (even though GMT is the right thing).
13. Make the Hard Disk Bootable. I recommend that you skip this, since it will introduce a small complication in booting Windows. When you've had some experience with boot loaders, you can go back and do this.
14. Make a Boot Floppy. Do this, even if you ignored my excellent advice not to boot from the hard disk. The diskette that you make here will boot Linux, whenever it is in the diskette drive during startup. Test it, even if you don't think you'll use it. Make a new one if you re-install.
15. Set the Root Password.
    1. We'll discuss ``password hygiene'' later when we get to security. For now, just select a password that the system does not complain about. It's OK to use the same password as root and as yourself, as long as you are the only one with root privileges (so you don't have to share the password with anyone).
    2. Dselect. The instructions refer you to the Dselect Tutorial now. I recommend that you just try to survive Dselect now, and then learn how to really use it later. Dselect is a tool for installing software packages, and upgrading them automatically. It has a wacky user interface, but it's worth learning to use, because it maintains a list of the software that you choose, informs you of problems with your combinations of choices, and keeps your choices up-to-date automatically when there are upgrades. In the long run, this is an invaluable service, like having a free system administrator working for you over the net. And, the user interface is improving gradually, so you will benefit whenever Dselect upgrades itself (yup, it does that, too). I'll walk you through your first Dselect experience.
       1. Like the installation program, Dselect has a sequence of menu items, in the order that they are normally used. You can rearrange the order by selecting with the arrow keys, with the numbers of the items, or with the initial letters in their names. But, mostly you just go through in order.
       2. You're on 0. [A]ccess at first. Hit [Enter].
          1. Choose cdrom and hit [Enter] (later on, for automatic upgrading over the network, you will choose ftp).
          2. Usually, Dselect finds your CD-ROM drive and uses it properly. Sometimes, it asks you for the device name. It could be /dev/cdrom, /dev/hdc, or other possibilities. You can usually find the right name in the log of the boot messages at /var/log/messages. If not, you'll have to exit Dselect, figure this out, and try again later. Make sure that the ``Official'' Debian 1.3.1 Binary CD that I gave you is in the drive.
          3. Since anybody in the world might have made your CD, Dselect asks you how it is organized. Fortunately, your CD is organized in a standard way, and you can get by mostly with defaults. But, when Dselect prompts you for ``Distribution top level ? [none]'', you do not want none. Answer ``/'', since your CD has the right stuff right at its root. You can just hit [Return] and take the defaults for the rest. In case you're interested, you do not have a ``non-free'' section because of concerns about licensing, and you do not have a ``local'' section because the CD was not made locally.
       3. You're on 1. [U]pdate. Just hit [Enter] until it gets done (twice, I think). This is just updating a list of things that you might want.
       4. Now, you have 2. [S]elect. this is the one where you'll work hardest later on. But, we'll just take defaults this time. Hit [Enter].
       1. You see a page full of complicated instructions. Ignore them. But, to get out you must hit [Space].
       2. Now you see the graphical display through which Dselect allows you to choose software. Fortunately, someone has already chosen some nice defaults. Resist the temptation to see what's there, and take the defaults by hitting [Enter].
       5. 3. [I]nstall. Hit [Enter]. Wait while lots of boring messages scroll by. Unfortunately, Dselect always reads through the whole CD, ignoring things that you don't want. This is not a problem when you're getting lots of stuff, but later when you only want one thing, it might actually be faster by FTP. I hope this will improve in a later version. After a while, you will be hit by some questions from the installation of particular software packages.
          1. After a substantial wait, the smail package will ask you to choose between 5 confusing possibilities. Choose 5. You should already have a successful method for sending and receiving mail on your Windows system. We'll consider setting up mail services in Linux later, and do it carefully.
          2. Soon after, gpm will ask whether you want to change its default configuration for your mouse. It is safe to answer ``N''. You may answer ``y'', and test the mouse configuration if have time, and want to. Gpm allows you to use the mouse to cut and paste text in terminal mode. The real usefulness of the mouse comes when you install X next week.
          3. Next, inews asks whether you want to configure it. Answer ``n'', and leave this for later.
          4. Answer ``y'' to English as the default dictionary. Even if you have another language, your main job prospects are probably in the US right now, so focus on English.
          5. For the same reason, answer ``1'' to the next question, to select American spelling instead of British.
       6. 4. [C]onfig doesn't do anything in this case, but it goes very quickly, so you might as well hit [Enter] and watch it do nothing.
       7. 5. [R]emove also does nothing quickly, since you haven't chosen to remove anything. Doesn't hurt to see how it does nothing: hit [Enter].
       8. 6. [Q]uit. Hit [Enter], and you're all done.
16. Log In. Use your personal login name. Log in as root only to do things that require you to be root. Otherwise, you will certainly make a serious preventable errors some day.