Debian Headless install - simple-cdd

README.md

Description

The following will create an automated custom debian iso image using simple-cdd.
Copy the iso to the USB. Plug in the USB and press power; it will automatically restart with a fresh debian install. No prompts, or typing required. Barebone and vm tested.

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Install the required package

simple-cdd is in the debian repositories so there is no need to add or configure anything. Install it like any other package.

# install

apt install simple-cdd

Create the working directories

This will create some directories to save your custom profiles.

# custom profiles

mkdir -p  ~/simple-cdd/{profiles,config}
touch profiles/mjc.{description,packages,downloads,preseed,postinst}
touch config/mjc.conf
cd ~/simple-cdd

Edit the default profile

See a custom default.preseed below

You can use the global preseed or a defined local one by copying the global one into ~/simple-cdd/profiles/

# Global to local

#sudo vim /usr/share/simple-cdd/profiles/default.preseed

cp /usr/share/simple-cdd/profiles/default.preseed ~/simple-cdd/profiles/
vim profiles/default.preseed

Edit your custom profile

See mjc.preseed below

Here is the magic of simple-cdd. The custom profile (mjc.preseed) is only 15 lines long.
The rest will be added into default.preseed; which will be the base for all custom isos.

# custom preseed

vim profiles/mjc.preseed

Edit the packages file

See mjc.packages below

Add all of the packages you would like in this file;
Do not add dependencies.

# packages

vim profiles/mjc.packages

Edit the conf file

See mjc.conf below

These are variables passed to simple-cdd.

# conf

vim config/mjc.conf

Create the ISO image

# This will create the iso in images/

build-simple-cdd --conf config/mjc.conf -p mjc

Copy the ISO image to USB

Make sure your usb is partitioned before using a high capacity USB.

# Your usb "/dev/sdc" might be different
# Do a df or disk -l

sudo dd if=images/debian-9.8-amd64-CD-1.iso of=/dev/sdc conv=notrunc,sync

Shortcut

# Overview

sudo apt install simple-cdd;

mkdir -p  ~/simple-cdd/{profiles,config};

cd ~/simple-cdd;

# copy the files below into the profiles directory so it looks like this.
profiles/default.preseed;

profiles/mjc.preseed;

profiles/mjc.packages;

config/mjc.conf;

build-simple-cdd --conf config/mjc.conf -p mjc;

sudo dd if=images/debian-9.8-amd64-CD-1.iso of=/dev/sdc conv=notrunc,sync;

Resources

12.3. Automated Installation
B.4. Contents of the preconfiguration file (for stretch)
Simple-CDD/Howto - Debian Wiki
/usr/share/simple-cdd/README

default.conf

BOOT_TIMEOUT=50
locale="en_US"
keyboard=us
use_qemu="true"
profiles="mjc fixed"
force_preseed="true"
auto_profiles="fixed"
simple_cdd_dir="$(pwd)"
KERNEL_PARAMS="$KERNEL_PARAMS DEBIAN_FRONTEND=text fb=false vga=normal"
vga_normal="true"
qemu_opts="-curses -no-reboot"
#use_serial_console=true

default.preseed

simple-cdd simple-cdd/profiles multiselect ltsp, x-basic, test, mjc

d-i clock-setup/utc boolean     true
d-i time/zone select            US/Pacific

console-common console-data/keymap/policy select  Don't touch keymap
console-data console-data/keymap/policy select  Don't touch keymap
console-data console-data/keymap/qwerty/layout select US american

d-i netcfg/choose_interface select  auto
d-i netcfg/wireless_wep string 

d-i partman-auto/method string      regular
d-i partman-auto/init_automatically_partition select Use the largest continuous free space
d-i partman-auto/init_automatically_partition       select  Guided - use entire disk
d-i partman-auto/choose_recipe  select All files in one partition (recommended for new users)
d-i partman/confirm_write_new_label boolean true
d-i partman/choose_partition  select finsh
d-i partman/confirm boolean true
d-i partman/confirm_nooverwrite boolean true

choose-mirror-bin	mirror/country string US
choose-mirror-bin	mirror/http/countries select US
choose-mirror-bin	mirror/http/directory string /debian/
choose-mirror-bin	mirrror/http/hostname string debian.osuosl.org
choose-mirror-bin	mirror/http/mirror	select debian.osuosl.org
choose-mirror-bin	mirror/http/proxy	string
choose-mirror-bin	mirror/no-default	boolean true
choose-mirror-bin	mirror/protocol 	select http

d-i grub-installer/only_debian  boolean true
d-i grub-installer/with_other_os  boolean true
d-i grub-installer/bootdev	string default
d-i grub-installer/bootdev	string /dev/sda

base-config apt-setup/cd/another  boolean false

exim4-config  exim4/dc_eximconfig_configtype  select no configuration at this time
exim4-config  exim4/dc_postmaster   string 

d-i finish-install/reboot_in_progress note
base-config base-config/intro note 
base-config base-config/login note 

d-i     popularity-contest/participate  boolean false

apt-cdrom-setup apt-setup/cdrom/set-first	boolean false

d-i preseed/early_command string anna-install simple-cdd-profiles

mjc.packages

# window manager
#icewm
openbox

# x-teminal-emulator
rxvt-unicode
terminator

# menus up to date
menu

# login manager
lightdm

# includes startx
xbase-clients

# X
xorg

# workaround http://bugs.debian.org/405639
xserver-xorg-input-all
xserver-xorg-video-all
slim
thunar
vim-nox
virt-manager
vnc4server 
xvnc4viewer
autossh
ssvnc
ufw
sudo

mjc.preseed

# This profile is added to the iso image when applied with the -p flag.
# Example: build-simple-cdd --config final.conf -p mjc 

tasksel tasksel/first multiselect 	standard, openssh-server, lxde-desktop

passwd passwd/root-password		password profdale
passwd passwd/root-password-again	password profdale

passwd passwd/make-user			boolean true
passwd passwd/user-fullname		string jeremy tux
passwd passwd/username			string jeremy
passwd passwd/user-password		password Yosemite1
passwd passwd/user-password-again	password Yosemite1

d-i netcfg/get_hostname string 		mjc-final
d-i netcfg/get_domain string 		mjc-final

d-i apt-setup/services-select multiselect security, updates, backports