Setting Up and Installing Debian Etch

Get Netinstall

Installing over the net is fast, and a time saver compared to burning cds

Go to http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ and get the netinst version for you. * Intel32 and AMD32

once the iso is downloaded burn it This worked for me (as root)

  cdrecord mmap dev=/dev/hdc -eject -v -data -nopad /home/ericp/debian-testing-i386-netinst.iso

The directions for cdrecord tell you to do this, but it didn't work for me

  sudo cdrecord dev=0,0,0 -data speed=48 debian-testing-i386-netinst.iso

Software Selection

Destop env
Web server
SQL database
Laptop (if laptop)
Standard system

Next shut off Postgress

  rm /etc/rc3.d/SPostgress*

Go get mysql and emacs packages. Get wordpress and php4

  emacsen-common_1.4.17.all.deb
  emacs21-common_21.4a-3_all.deb
  emacs21-bin-common_21.4a-3_i386.deb
  libungif4g_4.1.4-2_i.386.deb
  xaw3dg_1.5+E-10_i386.deb
  emacs21_21.4a-3_i386.deb
  mysql-common_5.0.18-9_all.deb
  libmysqlclient5_5.0.18-9_i386.deb
  libnet-daemon-perl_0.38-1_all.deb
  libplrpc-perl_0.2017-1_all.deb
  libdb-mysql-perl_3.0002-2_i386.deb
  mysql-client-5.0_5.0.18-9_i396.deb
  mysql-server-5.0_5.0.18.9_i386.deb
  openssh-server
  php4_4
  php4-mysql
  wordpress_2.0.2-1_all.deb
  gkrellm
  libapache2-svn
  rsync

set the root password from mysql

  mysqladmin -u root password 'passwordyouwant'

Startup gkrellm and configure. Then automatically startup with Gnome

  Desktop -> Preferences -> Sessions [Startup Tab]

Grab mediawiki1.5 from packages.debian.org

  mediawiki1.5_1.5.8-1_all.deb

Dell D610

Special instructions for Latitude D610, because the CDROM/DVD is a Sata drive

  boot: expert
  nano /etc/modprobe.conf
  # add to file
  options libata atapi_enabled=1
  save and exit from shell

After choosing language and keyboard make sure the cdrom is there

  cat /proc/scsi/scsi

  vi /etc/mkinitrd/modules
  added: libata atapi_enabled=1

Just to be sure i've put the "old" initrd out of the way

  mv  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-1-686 /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-1-686.bak
  mkinitrd -o /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-1-686

After the creation of the new initrd image:

  dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-2.6.15-1-686

Then a reboot and checked everything, all worked so the *.bak file is of no use:

  rm -f /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-1-686.bak

Excellent tidbits here http://www.sirlab.de/linux/debian_dell_d610.html

WiFi Working

This took a few hours, but everyone seems to have the same instructions. First I downloaded two packages, I'm not sure that ifplugd is needed.

  ifplugd
  wpasupplicant

Next I got the firmware for the ipw2200 card which I downloaded here http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/firmware.php?fid=6 Check for the latest software and instructions here http://ipw2200.sourceforge.net/ Then I copied the software into the right place

  mkdir ipw-fw
  cd ipw-fw
  tar xvzf ../ipw2200-fw-2.4.tgz 
  sudo cp *.fw /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware/

Now I rebooted, but that didn't seem to help. Check /var/log/syslog for fireware loading problems. So I removed and readded the ipw2200 module and that did the trick

  rmmod ipw2200
  modprobe ipw200

Once I upgraded to wpasupplicant 0.4.8-4 my Wifi connections stopped working! I took a look at http://wiki.debian.org/WPA and found the interfaces for wpasupplicant had changed for the better. If you are using /etc/init.d/wpasupplicant or /etc/wpasupplicant.conf and you are running the above mentioned wpasupplicant, follow these instructions to re-do your configs.

Add the following to /etc/network/interfaces. This sets up two different configurations for the wireless card. I've specified the wpa-driver, you may want to try the generic wext driver which works most of the time. The script is a required line which I don't need so grep is effectively a no op.

  # establish multiple wifi networks via mappings
  # ifup will loop through all of these
  mapping eth1
        script grep
        map eth1-work
        map eth1-home

  iface eth1-work inet dhcp
        wpa-driver ipw
        wpa-ssid CNET_public

  iface eth1-home inet dhcp
        wpa-driver ipw
        wpa-ssid AIRCHIU
        wpa-key-mgmt NONE

You could create a script to do the modprobe of ipw2200 instead of the useless grep. Really its up to you. The WPA.README shows all possible options.

  ENABLED=1
  DRIVER=wext
  INTERFACE=eth1
  CONFIG=/etc/wpa_supplicant.conf
  OPTIONS="-w -i ${INTERFACE} -D ${DRIVER} -c ${CONFIG}"

  ctrl_interface=/var/run/wpa_supplicant
  ctrl_interface_group=0

  eapol_version=1
  ap_scan=1
  fast_reauth=1

  network={
        ssid="MYSSID"
        channel=6
        key_mgmt=NONE
        priority=2
  }

  auto eth1
  iface eth1 inet dhcp
  pre-up /etc/init.d/wpasupplicant start
  post-down /etc/init.d/wpasupplicant stop

Now startup the interface

  ifup eth1

WiFi tricks

turn led on

  echo >/sys/bus/pci/drivers/ipw2200/0000*.0/led

   iwconfig eth1 mode ad-hoc
   iwconfig eth1 mode managed