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# Debian Linux

## Core System Installation

A network connection provided, downloading and booting [Debian's Netinst CD](http://www.debian.org/distrib/netinst) should be the quickest way to get a running _core_ Debian system. For that, deselect any possible selections like e.g. desktop or standard during the software selection part of Debian's _netinst_ installation procedure.

Ask your network administrator for network configuration details. An automatic networking configuration requires a running DHCP system. Otherwise, the following information will be requested during the installation procedure:

* ip-address

* netmask

* gateway

* dns-nameservers

You can do this during the installation procedure, or change your [[#NetworkConfiguration|network configuration]] later.

For the time being, only the user _root_ should be added to the system. Therefore, just cancel the corresponding dialog during the installation procedure prompting you to enter the first user's name.

Next, ensure the source list of Debian's package manager apt includes the following statements:

~~~

deb http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ etch main contrib non-free

deb-src http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/ etch main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/ etch/updates main contrib non-free

deb-src http://security.debian.org/ etch/updates main contrib non-free

~~~

You can do this during the installation procedure, or later by editing the file _/etc/apt/sources.list_

Anyway, after the first system boot, you should update your Debian system by running the following commands as _root_:

~~~

apt-get update

apt-get upgrade

~~~

## Basic System Configuration

Consider to prepare your system with the following useful software packages

| less | Text pager |

| unzip, zip | For .zip files |

| lvm2 | Logical Volume Manager |

| ssh | OpenSSH client and server |

| ntpdate | Network time synchronisation |

Use the _apt-get_ command to install these packages

~~~

apt-get install less unzip zip lvm2 ssh ntpdate

~~~

Follow the instructions below to get a basic configuration for some of these software packages

### OpenSSH configuration

The openssh server has been configured to accept logins via openssh keys only. So, no username/password access should be possible on this system. Therefore, the following options must be set in the openssh-server configuration file _/etc/ssh/sshd_config_ as follows:

~~~

PasswordAuthentication no

UsePAM no

~~~

The public keys of users enabled to login as root must be stated in the file_/root/.ssh/authorized_key_.

## Network Configuration

Ask your network administrator for network configuration details. 

The network configuration file is _/etc/network/interfaces_. Furthermore, you must run the following command to restart your host with the current network configuration:

~~~

/etc/init.d/networking restart

~~~

[[#Automatic|automatic networking configuration]] requires a running DHCP system.

For [[#Static|static networking]], you will need to request the following information from your network administrator:

* ip-address

* netmask

* gateway

* dns-nameservers

 **Important note (Debian Etch only):** The standard etch setup configures ethernet network interfaces (eth0, eth1) using the option **allow-hotplug eth0*. This causes many problems concerning networking (e.g. deletion of the eth0 interface when restarting networking _# /etc/init.d/networking restart_. So, please use the option *auto** instead in _/etc/network/interfaces_.

### Automatic

This is an adequate network configuration file for DHCP managed networks.

~~~

# The loopback network interface

auto lo

iface lo inet loopback

# The primary network interface

auto eth0

iface eth0 inet dhcp

~~~

### Static

This is a general network configuration file template for BGBM external network servers:

~~~

# The loopback network interface

auto lo

iface lo inet loopback

# The primary network interface

auto eth0

iface eth0 inet static

        address 160.45.63.xx

        netmask 255.255.255.0

        network 160.45.63.0

        broadcast 160.45.63.255

        gateway 160.45.63.1

        # dns-* options are implemented by the resolvconf package, if installed

        dns-nameservers 160.45.8.8

        dns-search bgbm.fu-berlin.

~~~