Re: Install from writeable USB To: debian-user@lists.debian.org Subject: Re: Install from writeable USB From: Brian <a...@cityscape.co.uk> Date: Sun, 31 May 2015 20:25:13 +0100 Message-id: <31052015201122.ad69d8aa6...@desktop.copernicus.demon.co.uk> In-reply-to: <556b58fb.1020...@gmail.com> References: <556b58fb.1020...@gmail.com> On Sun 31 May 2015 at 11:54:51 -0700, Charles Chambers wrote:
> I have a set of Dell Optiplex 620's for which I'd like to install Debian > entirely hands off from a writeable USB stick. It would seem to me that > preseeding would figure into this process. All USB sticks are writable. Please explain why you see "writable" as a crucial aspect for what you want to do. Have you actually installed Debian hands-on? Writeable *after* it's set up. When I do a dd of an isohybrid image, the resulting USB stick is read only. > The problem I'm running into is that the isohybrid images are write only I think you mean the images are "read-only". This doesn't prevent the stick from being writable. Correct. Sorry, I'm a little frustrated. > (when you dd them to a USB stick), and I can't find anything else that > leads me in the right direction - which would be installing Debian from > a writable USB stick. > > Has no one done this before? It's pretty common in the Windows world. It's very common in Debian too. In what way was the advice you have previously received not guided you to a solution? Two directions: 1) I've found lots of solutions regarding how to refer the install process to a URL (web server). This is a bit of an overkill. 2) I've been told repeatedly that doing a dd copy to a USB stick gives one the ability to create a writeable partition on the same USB stick, only to have such advice withdrawn when I point out that fdisk, gparted, and kparted indicate that there are four partitions (fdisk) or no partitions (gparted and kparted) on the USB thumb drive. Fdisk won't add a partition beyond /dev/sdb4, and gparted and kparted wipe out the existing (dd copy) data when they create a new partition. > If the netinst image is the starting point, are any packages included > with the image that shouldn't be strictly necessary just to accomplish > the install and apt? System utilities and KDE desktop both are > variables when one is preseeding... What has this to do with what you want to accomplish? I started looking for a single install media for a recovery process. Clonezilla and a backup image created with it works fine, but I wouldn't mind a single/set of recovery DVD's that will restore a corrupted system. These Dells I have were all originally supplied with restore CD's, and I can order replacements for each of them from Dell. I'm curious as to whether Debian has a corresponding capability - a media/set that you install, boot, and restore.
