Re: debian image questions
Hello, On Sun, Aug 06, 2023 at 04:39:47PM -0400, Stuart Barkley wrote: > Installing Debian without additional physical devices is possible. It > requires running/modifying DHCP, TFTP and possibly other services on > another system (I guess that does actually mean additional hardware). The OP has only continued posting to debian-project despite multiple pointers to try to get them to move their questions here, and is now complaining about how if they want to update MacOS they just tell it to update. So, I think this particular person is very very very far away from TFTP-booting Linux, and this thread is not actually finding a person to help now! Cheers, Andy -- https://bitfolk.com/ -- No-nonsense VPS hosting
Re: debian image questions
On Thu, 3 Aug 2023 at 15:59 -, debian-u...@howorth.org.uk wrote: > I suspect you both may be misinterpreting the OP's question. I think > he is asking about doing a net install without needing to start with > a USB stick or similar. > > AIUI the issue is that the installer is started by booting the > system into it, so some bootable device is needed to boot from. > Whether it would be possible for some application to be written for > linux and/or Windows and/or MacOS etc that downloaded the installer > and booted into it I don't know, but I see some obvious > difficulties. Installing Debian without additional physical devices is possible. It requires running/modifying DHCP, TFTP and possibly other services on another system (I guess that does actually mean additional hardware). See: https://wiki.debian.org/PXEBootInstall I have done this in the past. Just using a bootable USB stick is much easier. Stuart -- I've never been lost; I was once bewildered for three days, but never lost! -- Daniel Boone
Re: debian image questions
>> Based on shenanigans I've seen people get up to in classes at the >> college where I work, I'm nearly certain that it would be possible to >> create a Windows executable which would dump specified data into a >> disk-image file on the hard drive, and modify the Windows boot > https://www.goodbye-microsoft.com/ ? Duh, it's only after sending this that I found a non-.com version of it: https://people.debian.org/~rmh/goodbye-microsoft/ -- Stefan
Re: debian image questions
> Based on shenanigans I've seen people get up to in classes at the > college where I work, I'm nearly certain that it would be possible to > create a Windows executable which would dump specified data into a > disk-image file on the hard drive, and modify the Windows boot > configuration to include a boot entry which points to that disk image, > and possibly also even modifies the boot setup so that the next boot > will automatically use that new boot entry (or at least prompt you to > select which boot entry to use). https://www.goodbye-microsoft.com/ ? Stefan
Re: debian image questions
On 2023-08-03 at 15:59, debian-u...@howorth.org.uk wrote: > Andy Smith wrote: >> Hi Bill, >> >> Your question is more suited to debian-user so I've redirected >> there. Please send replies there (I've set reply-to for that >> purpose also). >> >> On Wed, Aug 02, 2023 at 08:40:51PM -0400, Bill Miller wrote: >>> why cant i just install Debian from a digital cloud? i dont >>> understand why i need physical hardware to run digital software? >>> >> >> You don't. Roughly 60% of our customers choose Debian¹ (another >> ~30% Ubuntu) to run on their virtual machines and Debian is >> available on all major clouds. Also if you prefer container >> technology like Podman or Docker, Debian is represented on those >> registries also. >> >> What are you actually trying to do? > > I suspect you both may be misinterpreting the OP's question. I think > he is asking about doing a net install without needing to start with > a USB stick or similar. I agree, that's the direction of the original question: "why do I have to create physical (boot) media in order to install Debian, instead of being able to just initiate the install by clicking a button on a Website, as I can do with so many other things?". (Where "clicking a button on a Website" can include initiating a download that then gets automatically run, or that the browser then prompts you to run.) > AIUI the issue is that the installer is started by booting the > system into it, so some bootable device is needed to boot from. > Whether it would be possible for some application to be written for > linux and/or Windows and/or MacOS etc that downloaded the installer > and booted into it I don't know, but I see some obvious > difficulties. Based on shenanigans I've seen people get up to in classes at the college where I work, I'm nearly certain that it would be possible to create a Windows executable which would dump specified data into a disk-image file on the hard drive, and modify the Windows boot configuration to include a boot entry which points to that disk image, and possibly also even modifies the boot setup so that the next boot will automatically use that new boot entry (or at least prompt you to select which boot entry to use). If you then make that disk-image file pivot into the equivalent of an initrd, so that it's free to repartition the hard drive even if that means wiping it, then it should be entirely possible to get into the same installer environment as you could get to with bootable install media. Whether doing that would be either advisable or practical, however, is much a different question. -- The Wanderer The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Re: debian image questions
Andy Smith wrote: > Hi Bill, > > Your question is more suited to debian-user so I've redirected > there. Please send replies there (I've set reply-to for that purpose > also). > > On Wed, Aug 02, 2023 at 08:40:51PM -0400, Bill Miller wrote: > > why cant i just install Debian from a digital cloud? i dont > > understand why i need physical hardware to run digital software? > > You don't. Roughly 60% of our customers choose Debian¹ (another ~30% > Ubuntu) to run on their virtual machines and Debian is available on > all major clouds. Also if you prefer container technology like > Podman or Docker, Debian is represented on those registries also. > > What are you actually trying to do? I suspect you both may be misinterpreting the OP's question. I think he is asking about doing a net install without needing to start with a USB stick or similar. AIUI the issue is that the installer is started by booting the system into it, so some bootable device is needed to boot from. Whether it would be possible for some application to be written for linux and/or Windows and/or MacOS etc that downloaded the installer and booted into it I don't know, but I see some obvious difficulties.
Re: debian image questions
Hi Bill, Your question is more suited to debian-user so I've redirected there. Please send replies there (I've set reply-to for that purpose also). On Wed, Aug 02, 2023 at 08:40:51PM -0400, Bill Miller wrote: > why cant i just install Debian from a digital cloud? i dont > understand why i need physical hardware to run digital software? You don't. Roughly 60% of our customers choose Debian¹ (another ~30% Ubuntu) to run on their virtual machines and Debian is available on all major clouds. Also if you prefer container technology like Podman or Docker, Debian is represented on those registries also. What are you actually trying to do? Cheers, Andy ¹ https://ibin.co/7VcgnCUN7wO9.png -- https://bitfolk.com/ -- No-nonsense VPS hosting
Fwd: debian image questions
-- Forwarded message - Från: ghostbar Date: tors 3 aug. 2023 kl 14:35 Subject: Re: debian image questions To: On 8/2/23 21:40, Bill Miller wrote: > I really want to try Debian but i dont live in the 90's CDs and USB > drives times. why cant i just install Debian from a digital cloud? i > dont understand why i need physical hardware to run digital software? Hi Bill, This is a good question for debian-user@l.d.o instead of debian-project@, maybe that's a hint about why you can't find what you're looking for. You can install Debian in the cloud, of course. Actually, all cloud providers ship Debian. Is your cloud provider missing Debian? Or maybe you're mistaking an operating system for an application? Debian is not a game nor an app, is an operating system[1]. So you need either virtualized (most cloud-providers) or physical hardware to run any operating system. If you want to run it like an application in your current operating system, you can use a virtual machine like VirtualBox[2]. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system [2]: https://www.virtualbox.org/
