On Thu 29 Nov 2012 at 15:05:24 +0100, Stefan Klinger wrote: Hello Stefan,
> I intend to have a completely encrypted harddisk and boot off a separate > pendrive. apt-cacher on the local network is used to limit network > load, and I wanted (but failed) to use preseeding. > > $ curl -OL > 'http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/testing/main/installer-amd64/current/images/hd-media/boot.img.gz' > $ curl -OL > 'http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/wheezy_di_beta4/amd64/iso-cd/debian-wheezy-DI-b4-amd64-netinst.iso' [Snip] > Well, proceed with installation. First try: Plugged pendrive into > another machine, and proceedas follows: > > $ gunzip <boot.img.gz >/dev/sdb > $ mount /dev/sdb /media/sdb > $ cp debian-wheezy-DI-b4-amd64-netinst.iso /media/sdb > $ umount /media/sdb This works for me. > Plugged into target machine, switched on. Machine hangs, no boot menu > visible, just a cursor blinking in the top left corner. > > $ dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdb # clean device, cfdisk /dev/sdb failed > $ cfdisk /dev/sdb # create a /dev/sdb1 partition > $ gunzip <boot.img.gz >/dev/sdb1 > $ mount /dev/sdb1 /media/sdb1 > $ cp debian-wheezy-DI-b4-amd64-netinst.iso /media/sdb1 This would not work because the MBR is not written to. There is nothing in it to say how to boot. > Plugged into target machine, switched on. This time GRUB bails out, > saying "error: no such device: 85163fd4-b4w2-43a1-9501-1df805be52ce". > The rescue mode leaves me pretty clueless. So I decide to just put the > installer image on the pendrive: I think you may have your comments on the two techniques the wrong way round. Also, it is SYSLINUX which does the booting, not GRUB. Did you really get a screen with "GRUB" displayed at the top? > $ dd if=debian-wheezy-DI-b4-amd64-netinst.iso of=/dev/sdb This is the recommended way, unless you have some specialised needs. It is fast and reliable. > I would really love to be able to skip creation of a non-root user. I > have to delete the account anyway, because I change adduser.conf, and > some groups. Also, if I just replace the OS, but leave all other data > intact, I need to match existing UIDs when creating users. A preseed file with d-i passwd/make-user boolean false should do it. Putting passwd/make-user=0 on the kernel commandline definitely does do it. > I have undertaken various attempts to add my `preseed.cfg` to a > remastered ISO image, following these [1,2] and other instructions. The > best I could get was aforementioned GRUB error, maybe the UUID changed. > > So I give up preseeding. I really like the option to just `dd` an ISO > image on a pendrive, and install from that. But obviously it's > difficult to hand preseeding data to the installer. Maybe it would make > sense to allow mounting and accessing an additional device (e.g., > another USB pendrive, or another partition on the same pendrive as used > for installation) via boot parameters, and scan it for preseeding > information? Something like > > auto url=(hd0,1)/path/to/mypreseed.file > > or similar would be cool. Then one would not have to unpack an ISO > image, get the right initrd.gz, unpack it as well, add the preseed info > in the (hopefully) right place, and then repackage everything, getting > the bootable ISO-image right, and so on... Put mypreseed.file on a USB pendrive, or on another partition on the same pendrive as used for installation. Use FAT16. You are going do some mounting from within the installer. mount -tvfat /dev/sdX(n) /mnt On the kernel commandline have file=/mnt/mypreseed.file -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
