The Debian Edu / Skolelinux +project provide a Linux solution for schools, including a +powerful desktop with education software, a central server providing +web pages, user database, user home directories, central login and PXE +boot of both clients without disk and the installation to install Debian +Edu on machines with disk (and a few other services perhaps to small +to mention here). We in the Debian Edu team are currently working on +the Jessie based version, trying to get everything in shape before the +freeze, to avoid having to maintain our own package repository in the +future. The +current +status can be seen on the Debian wiki, and there is still heaps of +work left. Some fatal problems block testing, breaking the installer, +but it is possible to work around these to get anyway. Here is a +recipe on how to get the installation limping along.
+ +First, download the test ISO via +ftp, +http +or rsync (use +ftp.skolelinux.org::cd-edu-testing-nolocal-netinst/debian-edu-amd64-i386-NETINST-1.iso). +The ISO build was broken on Tuesday, so we do not get a new ISO every +12 hours or so, but thankfully the ISO we got is able to install with +some tweaking.
+ +When you get to the Debian Edu profile question, go to tty2 +(use Alt-Ctrl-F2), run
+ ++ ++nano /usr/bin/edu-eatmydata-install +
and add 'exit 0' as the second line, disabling the eatmydata +optimization. Return to the installation, select the profile you want +and continue. Without this change, exim4-config will fail to install +due to a known bug in eatmydata.
+ +When you get the grub question at the end, answer /dev/sda (or if +this do not work, figure out what your correct value would be. All my +test machines need /dev/sda, so I have no advice if it do not fit +your need.
+ +If you installed a profile including a graphical desktop, log in as +root after the initial boot from hard drive, and install the +education-desktop-XXX metapackage. XXX can be kde, gnome, lxde, xfce +or mate. If you want several desktop options, install more than one +metapackage. Once this is done, reboot and you should have a working +graphical login screen. This should no longer be needed once the +education-tasks package version 1.801 enter testing in two days.
+ +I believe the ISO build will start working on two days when the new +tasksel package enter testing and Steve McIntyre get a chance to +update the debian-cd git repository. The eatmydata, grub and desktop +issues are already fixed in unstable and testing, and should show up +on the ISO as soon as the ISO build start working again. Well the +eatmydata optimization is really just disabled. The proper fix +require an upload by the eatmydata maintainer applying the patch +provided in bug #702711. +The rest have proper fixes in unstable.
+ +I hope this get you going with the installation testing, as we are +quickly running out of time trying to get our Jessie based +installation ready before the distribution freeze in a month.
+