Debian GNU/Linux Installation Guide

Debian GNU/Linux Installation

Guide
Copyright 2004 2015 the Debian Installer team
This manual is free software; you may redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License. Please refer
to the license in Appendix F, GNU General Public License.
Abstract
This document contains installation instructions for the Debian
GNU/Linux 8 system (codename jessie), for the 64-bit PC
(amd64) architecture. It also contains pointers to more
information and information on how to make the most of your new
Debian system.
Note
Although this installation guide for amd64 is mostly
up-to-date, we plan to make some changes and
reorganize parts of the manual after the official
release of jessie. A newer version of this manual may
be found on the Internet at the debian-installer
home page. You may also be able to find additional
translations there.
Table of Contents
Installing Debian GNU/Linux 8 For amd64
1. Welcome to Debian
1.1.
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.
1.5.
1.6.
1.7.
1.8.

What is Debian?
What is GNU/Linux?
What is Debian GNU/Linux?
What is Debian GNU/kFreeBSD?
Getting Debian
Getting the Newest Version of This Document
Organization of This Document
About Copyrights and Software Licenses

2. System Requirements
2.1. Supported Hardware
2.1.1.
2.1.2.
2.1.3.
2.1.4.
2.1.5.
2.1.6.
2.1.7.
2.1.8.
2.1.9.

Supported Architectures
CPU Support
Laptops
Multiple Processors
Graphics Hardware Support
Network Connectivity Hardware
Braille Displays
Hardware Speech Synthesis
Peripherals and Other Hardware

2.2. Devices Requiring Firmware

2.3. Purchasing Hardware Specifically for GNU/Linux
2.3.1. Avoid Proprietary or Closed Hardware
2.4. Installation Media
2.4.1.
2.4.2.
2.4.3.
2.4.4.
2.4.5.
2.4.6.

CD-ROM/DVD-ROM/BD-ROM
USB Memory Stick
Network
Hard Disk
Un*x or GNU system
Supported Storage Systems

2.5. Memory and Disk Space Requirements

3. Before Installing Debian GNU/Linux
3.1. Overview of the Installation Process
3.2. Back Up Your Existing Data!
3.3. Information You Will Need
3.3.1.
3.3.2.
3.3.3.
3.3.4.

Documentation
Finding Sources of Hardware Information
Hardware Compatibility
Network Settings

3.4. Meeting Minimum Hardware Requirements

3.5. Pre-Partitioning for Multi-Boot Systems
3.6. Pre-Installation Hardware and Operating System Setup
3.6.1.
3.6.2.
3.6.3.
3.6.4.
3.6.5.

Invoking the BIOS Set-Up Menu

Boot Device Selection
Systems with UEFI firmware
Disabling the Windows 8 fast boot feature
Hardware Issues to Watch Out For

4. Obtaining System Installation Media

4.1. Official Debian GNU/Linux CD/DVD-ROM Sets

4.2. Downloading Files from Debian Mirrors
4.2.1. Where to Find Installation Images
4.3. Preparing Files for USB Memory Stick Booting
4.3.1. Preparing a USB stick using a hybrid CD or DVD
image
4.3.2. Manually copying files to the USB stick
4.3.3. Manually copying files to the USB stick the
flexible way
4.4. Preparing Files for Hard Disk Booting
4.4.1. Hard disk installer booting from Linux using LILO
or GRUB
4.4.2. Hard disk installer booting from DOS using loadlin
4.5. Preparing Files for TFTP Net Booting
4.5.1.
4.5.2.
4.5.3.
4.5.4.

Setting up a DHCP server

Setting up a BOOTP server
Enabling the TFTP Server
Move TFTP Images Into Place

4.6. Automatic Installation

4.6.1. Automatic Installation Using the Debian Installer
5. Booting the Installation System
5.1. Booting the Installer on 64-bit PC
5.1.1.
5.1.2.
5.1.3.
5.1.4.
5.1.5.
5.1.6.
5.1.7.
5.1.8.

Booting from USB Memory Stick

Booting from a CD-ROM
Booting from Windows
Booting from DOS using loadlin
Booting from Linux using LILO or GRUB
Booting with TFTP
The Boot Screen
The Graphical Installer

5.2. Accessibility
5.2.1.
5.2.2.
5.2.3.
5.2.4.
5.2.5.
5.2.6.
5.2.7.
5.2.8.

Installer front-end
USB Braille Displays
Serial Braille Displays
Software Speech Synthesis
Hardware Speech Synthesis
Board Devices
High-Contrast Theme
Preseeding

5.2.9. Accessibility of the installed system

5.3. Boot Parameters
5.3.1.
5.3.2.
5.3.3.
5.3.4.
5.3.5.

Boot console
Debian Installer Parameters
Using boot parameters to answer questions
Passing parameters to kernel modules
Blacklisting kernel modules

5.4. Troubleshooting the Installation Process

5.4.1.
5.4.2.
5.4.3.
5.4.4.
5.4.5.
5.4.6.
5.4.7.

CD-ROM Reliability
Boot Configuration
Software Speech Synthesis
Common 64-bit PC Installation Problems
Interpreting the Kernel Startup Messages
Reporting Installation Problems
Submitting Installation Reports

6. Using the Debian Installer

6.1. How the Installer Works
6.1.1. Using the graphical installer
6.2. Components Introduction
6.3. Using Individual Components
6.3.1. Setting up Debian Installer and Hardware
Configuration
6.3.2. Setting Up Users And Passwords
6.3.3. Partitioning and Mount Point Selection
6.3.4. Installing the Base System
6.3.5. Installing Additional Software
6.3.6. Making Your System Bootable
6.3.7. Finishing the Installation
6.3.8. Troubleshooting
6.3.9. Installation Over the Network
6.4. Loading Missing Firmware
6.4.1. Preparing a medium
6.4.2. Firmware and the Installed System
7. Booting Into Your New Debian System
7.1. The Moment of Truth
7.2. Mounting encrypted volumes
7.2.1. Troubleshooting
7.3. Log In

8. Next Steps and Where to Go From Here

8.1. Shutting down the system
8.2. If You Are New to Unix
8.3. Orienting Yourself to Debian
8.3.1.
8.3.2.
8.3.3.
8.3.4.

Debian Packaging System

Additional Software Available for Debian
Application Version Management
Cron Job Management

8.4. Further Reading and Information

8.5. Setting Up Your System To Use E-Mail
8.5.1. Default E-Mail Configuration
8.5.2. Sending E-Mails Outside The System
8.5.3. Configuring the Exim4 Mail Transport Agent
8.6. Compiling a New Kernel
8.6.1. Kernel Image Management
8.7. Recovering a Broken System
A. Installation Howto
A.1. Preliminaries
A.2. Booting the installer
A.2.1.
A.2.2.
A.2.3.
A.2.4.

CDROM
USB memory stick
Booting from network
Booting from hard disk

A.3. Installation
A.4. Send us an installation report
A.5. And finally
B. Automating the installation using preseeding
B.1. Introduction
B.1.1. Preseeding methods
B.1.2. Limitations
B.2. Using preseeding
B.2.1.
B.2.2.
B.2.3.
B.2.4.
B.2.5.
files

Loading the preconfiguration file

Using boot parameters to preseed questions
Auto mode
Aliases useful with preseeding
Using a DHCP server to specify preconfiguration

B.3. Creating a preconfiguration file

B.4. Contents of the preconfiguration file (for jessie)
B.4.1. Localization
B.4.2. Network configuration
B.4.3. Network console
B.4.4. Mirror settings
B.4.5. Account setup
B.4.6. Clock and time zone setup
B.4.7. Partitioning
B.4.8. Base system installation
B.4.9. Apt setup
B.4.10. Package selection
B.4.11. Boot loader installation
B.4.12. Finishing up the installation
B.4.13. Preseeding other packages
B.5. Advanced options
B.5.1. Running custom commands during the installation
B.5.2. Using preseeding to change default values
B.5.3. Chainloading preconfiguration files
C. Partitioning for Debian
C.1.
C.2.
C.3.
C.4.
C.5.

Deciding on Debian Partitions and Sizes

The Directory Tree
Recommended Partitioning Scheme
Device Names in Linux
Debian Partitioning Programs
C.5.1. Partitioning for 64-bit PC

D. Random Bits
D.1. Linux Devices
D.1.1. Setting Up Your Mouse
D.2. Disk Space Needed for Tasks
D.3. Installing Debian GNU/Linux from a Unix/Linux System
D.3.1. Getting Started
D.3.2. Install debootstrap
D.3.3. Run debootstrap
D.3.4. Configure The Base System
D.3.5. Install a Kernel
D.3.6. Set up the Boot Loader
D.3.7. Remote access: Installing SSH and setting up
access
D.3.8. Finishing touches
D.4. Installing Debian GNU/Linux over Parallel Line IP (PLIP)

D.4.1. Requirements
D.4.2. Setting up source
D.4.3. Installing target
D.5. Installing Debian GNU/Linux using PPP over Ethernet
(PPPoE)
E. Administrivia
E.1.
E.2.
E.3.
E.4.

About This Document

Contributing to This Document
Major Contributions
Trademark Acknowledgement

F. GNU General Public License

List of Tables
3.1. Hardware Information Helpful for an Install
3.2. Recommended Minimum System Requirements

Installing Debian GNU/Linux

8 For amd64