+* Copy the UEFI firmware files (`RPI_EFI.fd`, `bootcode.bin`, `fixup.dat` and
`start.elf`)
+ as well as an appropriate `config.txt` onto the FAT partition. If needed you
can download
+ the non UEFI binary files from
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/boot.
+* (Optional) If you plan to install through WiFi, you will need to download
relevant non-free
+ WLAN firmware binaries from your WLAN interface (`brcmfmac43430-sdio.txt`
and
+ `brcmfmac43430-sdio.bin` for a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B,
`brcmfmac43455-sdio.txt` and
+ `brcmfmac43455-sdio.bin` for a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+). You may also want
to obtain the
+ relevant `.clm_blob` (`brcmfmac43430-sdio.clm_blob` or
`brcmfmac43455-sdio.clm_blob`),
+ though wireless networking should work even if you do not provide these
files. Copy these
+ files either at the root of your FAT partition or into a `firmware/`
directory there.
+* Download the latest `debian-##.#.#-arm64-netinst.iso` from
+ https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/arm64/iso-cd/
+* Extract the full content of the ISO onto the FAT partition you created.
+* Insert the media and power up the Raspberry Pi device.
+* On the GRUB menu select `Install` and let the Debian Installer process start.
+ __Note:__ In case anything goes wrong during the install process, you can use
+ <kbd>Alt</kbd>-<kbd>F4</kbd> to check the installation log.
+* Select your Language, Country and Keyboard and let the installer proceed
until it reports
+ that `No Common CD-ROM drive was detected.`
+* On `Load CD-ROM drivers from removable media` select `No`.
+* On `Manually select a CD-ROM module and device` select `Yes`.
+* On `Module needed for accessing the CD-ROM` select `none`.
+* On `Device file for accessing the CD-ROM` type the following exactly:
+ ```
+ -t vfat -o rw /dev/mmcblk0p1
+ ```
+* (Optional) If you have copied the non-free WLAN firmware binaries, and plan
to install
+ through wireless, you can let the installer select the firmware files.
Please be mindful
+ that you may be asked multiple times as there are multiple files to provide.
+* If requested by the installer, set up your network by choosing the network
interface you
+ want to use for installation and (optionally) your access point and
credentials.
+* Go through the hostname, user/password set up and customize those as you see
fit.
+* Let the installer continue until you get to the `Partition disks` screen.
There, for
+ `Partitioning method` select `Manual`. You __should__ see something like
this:
+ ```
+ MMC/SD card #1 (mmcblk0) - 16.0 GB SD 2WCGO
+ #1 primary 314.6 MB B K ESP
+ pri/log FREE SPACE
+ ```
+ In other words, the partition manager should already detect your existing
partition as
+ `ESP`, with the `B` (bootable) and `K` (keep data) flags. If that is not the
case, (e.g.
+ if it says `fat16` or `fat32` instead of `ESP`) then it probably means you
either didn't
+ format the partition to FAT or you forgot to set the bootable flag. If that
is the case,
+ refer to the _Additional Notes:_ below.
+* Select `FREE SPACE` → `Create a new partition` and create a `1 GB`
primary `swap`
+ partition.
+* Select `FREE SPACE` → `Create a new partition` and allocate the rest to
a primary
+ `ext4` root partition (mountpoint = `/`)
+* After doing the above, your partition report should look like this:
+ ```
+ MMC/SD card #1 (mmcblk0) - 16.0 GB SD 2WCGO
+ #1 primary 314.6 MB B K ESP
+ #2 primary 1.0 GB f swap swap
+ #3 primary 14.7 GB f ext4 /
+ ```
+* Select `Finish partitioning and write changes to disk` and then `Yes` and
let the
+ installer continue with the base system installation.
+* After a while, the installer should produce a message that states:
+ ```
+ [!!] Configure the package manager
+
+ apt-configuration problem
+ An attempt to configure apt to install additional packages from the CD
failed.
+ ```
+ This is a __benign__ message that you can safely ignore by selecting
`Continue` (The
+ reason it is benign is we are running a net install and won't need to access the
"CD-ROM"
+ files post install).
+* Once you have dimissed the message above, pick the mirror closest to your
geographical
+ location and let the installer proceed with some more software installation.
+* Finally, at the `Software selection` screen, choose any additional software
package you
+ wish to install. `Debian desktop environment` should work out of the box if
you choose to
+ install it.
+* Let the process finalize the software and GRUB bootloader installation and,
provided you
+ didn't run into the partition manager issue described above (installation
partition not
+ seen as `ESP`) you can reboot your machine when prompted, which, once
completed, should
+ bring you to your newly installed Debian environment.
+
+### Additional Notes for Debian
+
+The reason we use `-t vfat -o rw /dev/mmcblk0p1` for the source media (i.e.
"CD-ROM" device)
+is because, whereas the first partition on the SD card is indeed
`/dev/mmcblk0p1`, we also
+need to provide additional parameters for the `mount` command that the
installer invokes
+behind the scenes. For instance, if we don't use `-t vfat`, then ISO-9660 is
forced as the
+file system, and if we don't use `-o rw` then the partition will be mounted as
read-only
+which then prevents the same partition from being remounted when locating the
non-free
+firmware files or when setting up `/efi/boot`.
+
+With regards to fixing the partitioning if you don't see `B K ESP` when
entering the
+partition manager, what you need to do is:
+* Before you create the additional partitions, select the first partition and
change its
+ type to `ESP`. Note however that doing this will change the type of the
partition to `0xef`
+ which is precisely what we're trying to avoid by having the partition
manager already
+ detect it as ESP, as type `0xef` is __unbootable__ by the Broadcom CPU.
+* To fix this then, before you choose `Continue` on the `Installation
complete` prompt you
+ need to open a new console (<kbd>Alt</kbd>-<kbd>F2</kbd>) and then type:
+ ```
+ chroot /target fdisk /dev/mmcblk0
+ ```
+ Then press <kbd>t</kbd>, <kbd>1</kbd>, <kbd>e</kbd> <kbd>w</kbd>, to reset
the partition
+ to type `0x0e` (FAT16 LBA).
+
## Ubuntu
[Ubuntu 18.04 LTS](http://releases.ubuntu.com/18.04/) has been tested and confirmed to work,
@@ -35,10 +155,6 @@ Then, to have your changes applied run `update-grub` and
reboot.
## Other Linux distributions
-* Debian ARM64 does not currently work, most likely due to missing required module support
- in its kernel. However its installation process works, so it may be possible
to get it
- running with a custom kernel.
-
* OpenSUSE Leap 42.3 has been reported to work on Raspberry 3 Model B.
* Other ARM64 Linux releases, that support UEFI boot and have the required hardware support
--
2.21.0.windows.1
