Debian Powered Hosts Yet Simple, Version 3 (dphys3)

Simple Automated Installer (SAI) for Debian 3.1 (sarge)

Project Basics

The aim is to be able to simply insert an set of modified boot and root disks and then walk away, while the machine does its install by itsself.

For this the information asked for by the official installer must be pre-entered while generating the modified root disk. This is done by using the preseed feature of the d-t installer, by an custom root floppy image generator dphys3preseed.

In addition we also want to install using our own custom kernels, to avoid problem with Debian stable kernels which do not run any more on our newer hardware. This is done by an custom boot floppy image generator dphys3kernel.

Target is to create an base, on top of which our automatic config file manager dphys-config and package manager dphys-admin can then complete and upkeep automated maintenance of the machines, automatically installing/upgrading and removing configs and packages.

This program requires an network to run, as it will load all code and data and packages (appart from the first 2 floppys, or 1 CD) from the network. It presently can only use config from DHCP, static IP is not supported. The floppy images can also be fetched from the net via PXE/TFTP, avoiding any removable media. An tool for extracting data for the TFTP server is also provided.

Intended parts in this project are:

• an config file which knows all settings we want, and which therefore does not require the Debian installer to ask any questions
• as part of above config file, also settings that pre-modify the installed system, so that the second boot stage questions (by base-config) don't get asked
• an script to generate an modified root disk image using just an HTTP connection to any random Debian mirror, and scp connection to our local package server, and a few files provided in this projects package
• possibly an subset of the additional drivers floppy for ethernet cards we use, to be added to the modified root disks standard selection, to reduce disk jockeying
• an script to simplify making an custom kernel based disk image set automatically
• an option to have our automatic config file manager and package manager (and the identd needed by the later) run automatically after installation
• have all of above configured by an single config file, instead of interactive questioning by dialogs

For more info on this project read the README file.
For some questions people have asked or may ask read the FAQ list.
For an quick guide to installation and using read the QUICK_GUIDE file.

Project Status

Done are:

• Converted dphys2* scripts to dphys3*

• Analysed the new Debian 3.1 (sarge) debian-installer install process
• Analysed using preseed, by initrd-preseed /preseed.cfg
• Generated preseed data for our partition and base-config setups
• make root floppy with preseed and boot floppy without prompt
• make CDROM image and extract PXE/TFTP files from above

• made dphys3kernel compile and install into images
• dphys3pressed with endstage scripts download while install
• made end1stage script to install production kernel while install

• made end0stage script to install without killing local data
• added detailed description of investigation of d-i process
• extensive code and docs update

• Nothing yet

Todo are:

• Nothing yet

Code Download

• Installation Guide
• Quick Guide to using dphys3
• entire project: dphys3.tar.gz
• single files:
  • dphys3.7, man page overview of entire dphys3
  • Makefile, control process
  • dphys3kernel, generate custom floppy images with own kernel
  • dphys3kernel.1, man page for dphys3kernel
  • dphys3preseed, generate custom floppy images with preseed
  • dphys3preseed.1, man page for dphys3preseed
  • dphys3boot, install boot flopy image
  • dphys3boot.1, man page for dphys3boot
  • dphys3root, install root flopy image
  • dphys3root.1, man page for dphys3root
  • dphys3cd, generate bootable CD image from floppy images, and burn that onto CD
  • dphys3cd.1, man page for dphys3cd
  • dphys3pxe, extract kernel and initrd for PXE/TFTP boot server from floppy images, and upload then to boot server
  • dphys3pxe.1, man page for dphys3pxe
  • dphys3.example, example config file, containing only the default settings as comments, to adapt to your site
  • end0stage.dphys, example end0stage user script that runs at end of preseeding and modifies the installer to avoid partitioning and formatting, allowing reinstalls without data loss
  • end1stage.dphys, example end1stage user script that runs at end of first stage and installs an own non-Debian custom kernel and multiple external module packages for it
  • end2stage.simple, example end2stage user script that runs at end of second stage and sets up an simple environment for my test installation machine
  • end2stage.dphys, example end2stage user script that runs at end of second stage and sets up and runs the dphys-config configuration file manager and dphys-admin package manager
  • preseed-common_1.10_all.udeb, post-sarge infrastructure for initrd-preseed_1.10_all.udeb
  • initrd-preseed_1.10_all.udeb, post-sarge preseeding directly from install root floppy image

• Installation Guide
• Quick Guide to using dphys3
• entire project: dphys3-20061201.tar.gz
• single files:
  • dphys3.7, man page overview of entire dphys3
  • Makefile, control process
  • dphys3kernel, generate custom floppy images with own kernel
  • dphys3kernel.1, man page for dphys3kernel
  • dphys3preseed, generate custom floppy images with preseed
  • dphys3preseed.1, man page for dphys3preseed
  • dphys3boot, install boot flopy image
  • dphys3boot.1, man page for dphys3boot
  • dphys3root, install root flopy image
  • dphys3root.1, man page for dphys3root
  • dphys3cd, generate bootable CD image from floppy images, and burn that onto CD
  • dphys3cd.1, man page for dphys3cd
  • dphys3pxe, extract kernel and initrd for PXE/TFTP boot server from floppy images, and upload then to boot server
  • dphys3pxe.1, man page for dphys3pxe
  • dphys3.example, example config file, containing only the default settings as comments, to adapt to your site
  • end0stage.dphys, example end0stage user script that runs at end of preseeding and modifies the installer to avoid partitioning and formatting, allowing reinstalls without data loss
  • end1stage.dphys, example end1stage user script that runs at end of first stage and installs an own non-Debian custom kernel and multiple external module packages for it
  • end2stage.simple, example end2stage user script that runs at end of second stage and sets up an simple environment for my test installation machine
  • end2stage.dphys, example end2stage user script that runs at end of second stage and sets up and runs the dphys-config configuration file manager and dphys-admin package manager
  • preseed-common_1.10_all.udeb, post-sarge infrastructure for initrd-preseed_1.10_all.udeb
  • initrd-preseed_1.10_all.udeb, post-sarge preseeding directly from install root floppy image

• Installation Guide
• Quick Guide to using dphys3
• entire project: dphys3-20051110.tar.gz
• single files:
  • dphys3.7, man page overview of entire dphys3
  • Makefile, control process
  • dphys3kernel, generate custom floppy images with own kernel
  • dphys3kernel.1, man page for dphys3kernel
  • dphys3preseed, generate custom floppy images with preseed
  • dphys3preseed.1, man page for dphys3preseed
  • dphys3boot, install boot flopy image
  • dphys3boot.1, man page for dphys3boot
  • dphys3root, install root flopy image
  • dphys3root.1, man page for dphys3root
  • dphys3cd, generate bootable CD from floppy images
  • dphys3cd.1, man page for dphys3cd
  • dphys3pxe, extract files for PXE/TFTP bootserver from floppy images
  • dphys3pxe.1, man page for dphys3pxe
  • dphys3.example, example config file, containing only the default settings as comments, to adapt to your site
  • end1stage.dphys, example end1stage user script that runs at end of first stage and installs an own non-Debian custom kernel and multiple external module packages for it
  • end2stage.simple, example end2stage user script that runs at end of second stage and sets up an simple environment for my test installation machine
  • end2stage.dphys, example end2stage user script that runs at end of second stage and sets up and runs the dphys-admin package manager
  • preseed-common_1.10_all.udeb, post-sarge infrastructure for initrd-preseed_1.10_all.udeb
  • initrd-preseed_1.10_all.udeb, post-sarge preseeding directly from install root floppy image

• Installation Guide
• Quick Guide to using dphys3
• entire project: dphys3-20050415.tar.gz
• single files:
  • dphys3.7, man page overview of entire dphys3
  • dphys3, default config file, containing only the default settings as comments, to adapt to your site
  • Makefile, control process
  • dphys3kernel, generate custom floppy images with own kernel. WARNING: making custom kernel images not yet supported in this version of dphys3
  • dphys3kernel.1, man page for dphys3kernel
  • dphys3preseed, generate custom floppy images with preseed
  • dphys3preseed.1, man page for dphys3preseed
  • dphys3boot, install boot flopy image
  • dphys3boot.1, man page for dphys3boot
  • dphys3root, install root flopy image
  • dphys3root.1, man page for dphys3root
  • dphys3cd, generate bootable CD from floppy images
  • dphys3cd.1, man page for dphys3cd
  • dphys3pxe, extract files for PXE/TFTP bootserver from floppy images
  • dphys3pxe.1, man page for dphys3pxe
  • end2stage.simple, example end2stage user script that runs at end of second stage and sets up an simple environment for my test installation machine
  • end2stage.dphys-admin, example end2stage user script that runs at end of second stage and sets up and runs the dphys-admin package manager

Auxillary documents

Saved test installations:

• saved 20051124 test install of installation system, just before reboot (.tar.gz, 4.6M)
• saved 20041216 test install of sarge, 1st stage, just before reboot (.tar.gz, 114M)
• saved 20041216 test install of sarge, 2nd stage, just after first login (.tar.gz, 121M)
• Dump of debconf database of installer, just before reboot
• Dump of debconf database of target system, just after install
• Test with an static preseeding file
• Test script to build preseeded image with above

Here I have put together all that I have learned about the Debian 3.1 (sarge) debian-installer Installation Program and Process

External Stuff (Links)

• Debian main site
• Our Debian mirror

This page is by Neil Franklin, last modification 2006.12.01