![]() | ![]() | Using Debian From Scratch | ![]() |
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Welcome to Debian From Scratch (DFS). DFS is really two systems: 1) a bootable CD for repairing Linux systems or installing Debian; and 2) the program that generates the CDs that are used for #1. Most of this manual focuses on #1. A wide variety of DFS CDs can be made using the DFS build tools. This manual will refer to CDs made using the default configuration.
You can expect the following from your DFS CD:
Bootable CD featuring the GNU Grub bootloader. Can be used to boot hard disk partitions even if no hard disk bootloader is present.
Kernel and userland support for all major filesystems, including ext2, ext3, JFS, XFS, ReiserFS, FAT, VFAT, NTFS, ISO9660, CramFS, tmpfs, and more. Userland support for Reiser4.
Kernel and userland support for different disk layout schemes including standard partitioning, Logical Volume Manager 2 (LVM2), software RAID, etc.
Full recovery tools runnable directly from CD, including:
Filesystem utilities for all mazjor filesystems, including undeletion tools for ext2
Partition editors (fdisk, cfdisk, parted)
Text editors (nano, joe, vim, emacs)
C, Perl, Python, and OCaml development environments. Enough to configure and compile a new kernel and build basic .debs. Kernel 2.6.6 sources included on CD.
Full networking support, including PPP and various Ethernet cards and DHCP
Network tools including FTP clients, Web client, ssh, telnet, NFS, smbclient, tcpdump, netcat, etc.
Backup restoration tools such as rdiff-backup, dump/restore, tar, cpio, amanda client, afbackup client, etc.
CD and DVD burning tools
Basic printing tools (cat for local printers, rlpr for remote ones, and netcat for Jetdirect, plus unix2dos for text files and Ghostscript for emergency conversions)
Mail reader (mutt)
Base systems for multiple versions of Debian installable directly from CD, including: woody (i386), sarge (i386), sid (i386), and sid (amd64). Alpha CD can install woody, sarge, or sid for Alpha.
amd64 support: Enough to install or fix an AMD64 system. Includes 64-bit kernel with 32-bit emulation (to run the 32-bit userland on the CD). Also includes 64-bit package for bootstrapping a new AMD64 support. In short, you can boot a 64-bit kernel and be treated as a first-class citizen in almost all respects.
i386 or x86_64 (amd64) kernels bootable directly from initial boot menu.
DFS generation scripts support custom kernels, packages, mirrors, compressed ISO images, and a high degree of flexibility.
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