Installation of Desktop system
Install stable/testing Debian with Xfce from image to encrypted disk
This text documents initial setting up a computer
for use as desktop (or laptop) workstation.
Prerequisites
You need a computer with monitor and keyboard connected.
Recommended:
Either a Teres-1 laptop or a LIME2 box.
You also need a microSD card as install medium.
Recommended:
microSD card from SanDisk marked as "A1" or "A2".
You will need internet access during install,
both to get the install image
and to finalize system setup.
Beware:
Many wifi controllers does not work out of the box
with Free systems like Debian.
You can either avoid wifi (i.e. use ethernet instead),
use a Debian-compatible USB wifi dongle,
or (if acceptable to you) include suitable nonfree drivers.
Install system
You are generally recommended to install a stable system.
Alternatively you can install a testing system -
more exciting but also less reliable.
You are recommended to use full disk encryption,
which protects your personal data stored on the harddisk
from being accessible by others
e.g. if your computer gets stolen.
Beware:
Disk encryption only protects your data
while the computer is turned off
(also use a strong user password and a screensaver with locking).
Also, if you forget your disk password then all your data is lost!
Download image
Download newest Lime2 image or Teres-I image
(or pick another among all available images).
Beware:
Builtin wifi on the Teres-I laptop does not work
with the regular box image
(see notes [above][#Non-free firmware]).
If including nonfree code is acceptable to you
then you can instead use a nonfree box image.
Store image
You need to transfer the downloaded image onto your install device -
i.e. overwrite the whole raw disk device
(not a partition on the disk).
Beware:
Take great care not to accidentally overwrite the wrong disk device!
First identify the path name of the install device
by running a command repeatedly -
with and without the install device plugged in -
to notice which device changes in the output of the command.
Linux:
Try this command:
lsblk --paths
MacOS:
Try this command:
ls /dev/rdisk?
The path is listed in the first column -
something like /dev/sdf or /dev/rdisk7.
Check also that the disk is not mounted,
on linux shown in last column of output of above command.
If the device disk has anything mounted
then unmount it before preceeding.
Decompress and copy image onto card
(adjust image name and device path as needed):
gunzip core-lime2-buster.img.gz
sudo cp core-lime2-buster.img PATH_TO_YOUR_SDCARD
Install core system
Turn off the target computer,
plug in the microSD card,
turn on power,
and log in.
Username:
debian
Password:
insecure
Setup network
Check network access (status should ideally be routable):
networkctl status
Optionally you can additionally test connectivity
towards a common public host:
mtr --displaymode=1 1.1.1.1
With ethernet
(builtin or a USB dongle),
just connect cable.
With wifi,
do something like this:
iwctl station wlan0 get-networks
iwctl station wlan0 connect SSID_LISTED_ABOVE
If above fails with error message
Operation failed
then try restart iwd:
sudo service iwd restart
...and then repeat the iwctl commands.
Finalize core system
Finalize setup of the system:
sudo system-setup
Install desktop environment
You are recommended to use the Xfce desktop -
as a conservative X11 desktop environment.
Run "box-add-gui" to have a graphical user interface.
