====== Debian Base Install ======


===== Pros and Cons of Using a Debian Base =====

Pros

  * Very well-established
  * Known for stability
  * Large software repositories
  * Many people familiar with Debian or a derivative such as Ubuntu, Knoppix, MEPIS

Cons

  * Not always the latest technology




===== Creating your own base install of Debian =====

You can follow instructions [[http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=5484|here]] and [[http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/432|here]].\\ \\
''NOTE: The above links are great guides, but\\ the process described below adds a few tweaks and provides \\ you with a more-compact base''\\ \\ \\
Simple Instructions:
  * Download, install and set up VirtualBox or VMWare (or use a real PC if you prefer)
  * Download the Debian business card CD installer (32 MB) [[http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/debian-installer/]]
  * Start the normal install process and proceed all the way to where it asks if you want to use a network mirror
  * Select NO for network mirror and complete the install. Your base install should take up 269 MB.
  * edit the sources.list\\
    ''nano /etc/apt/sources.list''\\ \\
add your own local mirror for speedy downloads + updates\\ \\
''deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian etch main contrib''\\
''deb-src http://ftp.debian.org/debian etch main contrib''\\ \\
Then make sure to comment out the line with the CD in it with a #. Close and save the file.
  * Start installing items you want:
''apt-get update''\\ \\
The base that we have is missing a few small tools that I prefer in my distros. ''apt-get install'' the\\
following packages, leave out any that you don't want: \\ \\
  * ''localepurge''  \\ INSTALL THIS FIRST! It will then purge locales from any packages installed after it. **SPACE SAVER** \\
  * ''deborphan''    \\ Good for finding orphaned packages when cleaning up the distro for packaging.\\ 
  * ''psmisc''       \\ Provides ''killall'' and process handling tools \\ 
  * ''less''         \\ Who could possibly live without ''less''? \\ 
  *''sudo''         \\ Always a good idea to use ''sudo'' instead of ''root'' \\ \\
To get a small X-Server base system to work, install the following packages using apt-get install:\\ 
''xserver-xorg-video-vesa'' \\
''xserver-xorg-video-vga''\\
''xserver-xorg-video-vmware''\\
''xserver-xorg-input-mouse''\\
''xserver-xorg-input-kbd''\\
''xserver-xorg-input-synaptics''\\
''xserver-xorg-core''\\
''xfonts-base''\\
''xfonts-scalable''\\

The main reason behind not doing a full ''apt-get install xserver-xorg'' is that ''xserver-xorg'' is modular\\
and pulls down xserver drivers that we do not need. By specifying exactly what we want we can save a lot of \\
space (you can always add something later if you need to).

''NOTE: I have also intentionally left out non-free from the sources list. I personally believe there is no\\
need for it. If others need non-free they can add it later.''