GRML-DEBOOTSTRAP(8)													       GRML-DEBOOTSTRAP(8)

NAME

       grml-debootstrap - wrapper around debootstrap for installing plain Debian

SYNOPSIS

       grml-debootstrap [ options ]

       [IMAGE][1] [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"

       --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.

       --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.

       --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://cdn.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

       Current status:

	   +----------------+-------------+-----------------+
	   | Release / Tool | debootstrap | cdebootstrap    |
	   +----------------+-------------+-----------------+
	   | Lenny	    |  works [1]  |  works [1]	    |
	   +----------------+-------------+-----------------+
	   | Squeeze	    |  works	  |  works	    |
	   +----------------+-------------+-----------------+
	   | Wheezy	    |  works	  |  works	    |
	   +----------------+-------------+-----------------+
	   | Sid	    |  works [2]  |  works [2]	    |
	   +----------------+-------------+-----------------+

	   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://cdn.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.

	   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[2]>.

SEE ALSO

       debootstrap (8), cdebootstrap (1).

AUTHOR

       Michael Prokop <mika@grml.org[2]>

NOTES

	1. [set $man.base.url.for.relative.links]/images/screenshot.png

	2. mika@grml.org
	   mailto:mika@grml.org

								    12/31/2012						       GRML-DEBOOTSTRAP(8)