X-Git-Url: http://pere.pagekite.me/gitweb/homepage.git/blobdiff_plain/e3a8866f477cce38e62ec7003cabe9990d4b8fad..3f8051a7da60ef98586d6d56df6771a3f557f6d7:/blog/archive/2012/01/01.rss diff --git a/blog/archive/2012/01/01.rss b/blog/archive/2012/01/01.rss index f6a20d70e5..ecc8fc5d0e 100644 --- a/blog/archive/2012/01/01.rss +++ b/blog/archive/2012/01/01.rss @@ -7,88 +7,159 @@ - Fixing an hanging debian installer for Debian Edu - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Fixing_an_hanging_debian_installer_for_Debian_Edu.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Fixing_an_hanging_debian_installer_for_Debian_Edu.html - Tue, 3 Jan 2012 11:25:00 +0100 - <p>During christmas, I have been working getting the next version of -<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux</a> ready -for release. The initial problem I looked at was particularly -interesting.</p> + Handling non-free firmware in Debian Edu/Squeeze + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Handling_non_free_firmware_in_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Handling_non_free_firmware_in_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html + Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:30:00 +0100 + <p>With some computer hardware, one need non-free firmware blobs. +This is the sad fact of todays computers. In the next version of +<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux</a> based +on Squeeze, we provide several scripts and modifications to make +firmware blobs easier to handle. The common use case I run into is a +laptop with a wireless network card requiring non-free firmware to +work, but there are other use cases as well.</p> -<P>The installer would hang at the end when it was doing it -post-installation configuration, and whatevery I did to try to find -the cause and fix it always worked while I tested it, but never when I -integrated it into the installer and ran the installation from -scratch. I would try to restart processes, close file descriptors, -remove or create files, and the installer would always unblock and -wrap up its tasks.</p> +<p>First and foremost, Debian Edu provide ISO images for DVD and CD +with all firmware packages in the Debian sections main and non-free +included, to ensure debian-installer find and can install all of them +during installation. This take care firmware for network devices used +by the installer when installing from from local media. But for +example multimedia devices are not activated in the installer and are +not taken care of by this.</p> -<p>Eventually the cause was found. The kernel was simply running out -of entropy, causing the Kerberos setup to hang waiting for more. -Pressing keys was adding entropy to the kernel, and thus all my tries -to fix the problem worked not because what I was typing to fix it, but -because I was typing.</P> +<p>For non-network devices, we provide the script +<tt>/usr/share/debian-edu-config/tools/auto-addfirmware</tt> which +search through the <tt>dmesg</tt> output for drivers requesting extra +firmware. The firmware file name is looked up in the Contents-ARCH.gz +file available in the package repository, and the packages providing +the requested firmware file(s) is installed. I have proposed to do +something similar in debian-installer (BTS report +<a href="http://bugs.debian.org/655507">#655507</a>), to allow PXE +installs of Debian to handle firmware installation better. Run the +script as root from the command line to fetch and install the needed +firmware packages.</p> -<p>The fix I implemented was to add a background process looking at -the level of entropy in the kernel (by checking -/proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail), and if it was too small, the -installer will flush the kernel file buffers and do 'find /' to -generate some disk IO. Disk IO generate entropy in the kernel, and is -one of the few things that can be initated from within the system to -generate entropy.</p> +<p>Debian Edu provide PXE installation of Debian out of the box, and +because some machines need firmware to get their network cards +working, the installation initrd some times need extra firmware +included to be able to install at all. To fill the PXE installation +initrd with extra firmware, the +<tt>/usr/share/debian-edu-config/tools/pxe-addfirmware</tt> script is +provided. Again, just run it as root on the command line to fill the +PXE initrd with firmware packages.</p> -<p>The fix is in -<a href="http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/Documentation/Squeeze/Installation">beta1 -of the Debian Edu/Squeeze</a> version, and we -<a href="http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu">welcome more testers and -developers</a>. We plan to release beta2 this weekend.</p> +<p>Last, some LTSP clients might also need firmware to get their +network cards working. For this, +<tt>/usr/share/debian-edu-config/tools/ltsp-addfirmware</tt> is +provided to update the LTSP initrd with firmware blobs. It is used +the same way as the other firmware related tools.</p> + +<p>At the moment, we do not run any of these during installation. We +do not know if this is acceptable for the local administrator to use +non-free software, and it is their choice.</p> + +<p>We plan to release beta3 this weekend. You might want to give it a +try.</p> - Second beta version of Debian Edu / Skolelinux based on Squeeze - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Second_beta_version_of_Debian_Edu___Skolelinux_based_on_Squeeze.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Second_beta_version_of_Debian_Edu___Skolelinux_based_on_Squeeze.html - Sat, 7 Jan 2012 22:50:00 +0100 - <p>I am happy to announce that today we managed to wrap up and publish -the second beta version of -<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux</a>. If -you want to test a LDAP backed Kerberos server with out of the box PXE -configuration for running diskless machines and installing new -machines, check it out. If you need a software solution for your -school, check it out too. The full announcement is -<a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-edu-announce/2012/01/msg00000.html">available</a> -on the project announcement list.</p> + Skjermbilder fra nordsamisk installasjon av Skolelinux/Squeeze + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Skjermbilder_fra_nordsamisk_installasjon_av_Skolelinux_Squeeze.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Skjermbilder_fra_nordsamisk_installasjon_av_Skolelinux_Squeeze.html + Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0100 + <p>For morro skyld har jeg gjennomført en nordsamisk installasjon for +neste utgave av <a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Skolelinux</a> +(Squeeze) og knipset skjermbilder av resultatet.</p> + +<p>Som en kan se der er det noen oversettelser som mangler. Det hadde +vært hyggelig hvis alle tekstene som vises i Skolelinux-installasjonen +ble oversatt til nordsamisk, men for å få det til må noen som forstår +språket melde seg til dyst. Det er mangel på nordsamiske oversettere +av fri programvare. Hvis noen starter raskt, så bør en rekke å +fullføre Wheezy-utgaven før den gis ut. :)</p> + +<p>Se <a href="http://d-i.debian.org/l10n-stats/">oversetterstatistikk for +debian installer</a> for detaljert status. Jeg har tipset +<a href="https://lister.ping.uio.no/mailman/listinfo/i18n-sme">epostlisten for samiskoversettelser</a>, +men det har vært veldig liten aktivitet der de siste årene.</p> + +<p><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/01-isomenu.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/01-isomenu.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/02-sme-lang.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/02-sme-lang.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/03-sme-place.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/03-sme-place.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/04-sme-keymap.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/04-sme-keymap.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/05-sme-profile.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/05-sme-profile.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/06-sme-autopart.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/06-sme-autopart.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/07-sme-popcon.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/07-sme-popcon.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/08-sme-rootpw1.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/08-sme-rootpw1.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/09-sme-rootpw2.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/09-sme-rootpw2.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/10-sme-firstuser.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/10-sme-firstuser.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/11-sme-firstusername.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/11-sme-firstusername.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/12-sme-firstuserpw1.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/12-sme-firstuserpw1.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/13-sme-firstuserpw2.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/13-sme-firstuserpw2.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/14-sme-part.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/14-sme-part.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/15-sme-debootstrap.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/15-sme-debootstrap.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/16-sme-tasksel.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/16-sme-tasksel.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/17-sme-wordlist.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/17-sme-wordlist.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/18-sme-tasksel.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/18-sme-tasksel.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/19-sme-ltsp.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/19-sme-ltsp.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/20-sme-grub.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/20-sme-grub.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/21-sme-finish-install.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/21-sme-finish-install.png" width="40%"></a> +<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/22-sme-finish-message.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/22-sme-finish-message.png" width="40%"></a></p> - Changing the default Iceweasel start page in Debian Edu/Squeeze - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Changing_the_default_Iceweasel_start_page_in_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Changing_the_default_Iceweasel_start_page_in_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html - Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0100 - <p>In the Squeeze version of -<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux</a> soon -to be released, users of the system will get their default browser -start page set from LDAP, allowing the system administrator to point -all users to the school web page by updating one setting in LDAP. In -addition to setting the default start page when a machine boots, users -are shown the same page as a welcome page when they log in for the -first time.</p> + Setting up a new school with Debian Edu/Squeeze + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Setting_up_a_new_school_with_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Setting_up_a_new_school_with_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html + Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0100 + <p>The next version of <a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu +/ Skolelinux</a> will include a new tool +<tt>sitesummary2ldapdhcp</tt>, which can be used to quickly set up all +the computers in a school without much manual labour. Here is a short +summary on how to use it to set up a new school.</p> -<p>The LDAP object dc=skole,dc=skolelinux,dc=no have an attribute -labeledURI with "http://www/ LDAP for Debian Edu/Skolelinux" as the -default content. By changing this value to another URL, all users get -to see the page behind this new URL.</p> +<p>First, install a combined Main Server and Thin Client Server as the +central server in the network. Next, PXE boot all the client machines +as thin clients and wait 5 minutes after the last client booted to +allow the clients to report their existence to the central server. When +this is done, log on to the central server and run +<tt>sitesummary2ldapdhcp -a</tt> in the <tt>konsole</tt> to use the +collected information to generate system objects in LDAP. The output +will look similar to this:</p> -<p>An easy way to update it is by using the ldapvi tool. It can be -called as "<tt>ldapvi -ZD '(cn=admin)'</tt>' to update LDAP with the -new setting.</p> +<p><blockquote><pre> +% sitesummary2ldapdhcp -a +info: Updating machine tjener.intern [10.0.2.2] id ether-00:01:02:03:04:05. +info: Create GOsa machine for auto-mac-00-01-02-03-04-06 [10.0.16.20] id ether-00:01:02:03:04:06. -<p>We have written the code to adjust the default start page and show -the welcome page, and I wonder if there is an easier way to do this -from within Iceweasel instead.</p> +Enter password if you want to activate these changes, and ^c to abort. + +Connecting to LDAP as cn=admin,ou=ldap-access,dc=skole,dc=skolelinux,dc=no +enter password: ******* +% +</pre></blockquote></p> + +<p>After providing the LDAP administrative password (the same as the +root password set during installation), the LDAP database will be +populated with system objects for each PXE booted machine with +automatically generated names. The final step to set up the school is +then to log into <a href="https://oss.gonicus.de/labs/gosa/">GOsa</a>, +the web based user, group and system administration system to change +system names, add systems to the correct host groups and finally +enable DHCP and DNS for the systems. All clients that should be used +as diskless workstations should be added to the workstation-hosts +group. After this is done, all computers can be booted again via PXE +and get their assigned names and group based configuration +automatically.</p> + +<p>We plan to release beta3 with the updated version of this feature +enabled this weekend. You might want to give it a try.</p> + +<p>Update 2012-01-28: When calling sitesummary2ldapdhcp to add new +hosts, one need to add the option -a. I forgot to mention this in my +original text, and have added it to the text now.</p> @@ -213,159 +284,88 @@ hjemme.</p> - Setting up a new school with Debian Edu/Squeeze - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Setting_up_a_new_school_with_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Setting_up_a_new_school_with_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html - Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0100 - <p>The next version of <a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu -/ Skolelinux</a> will include a new tool -<tt>sitesummary2ldapdhcp</tt>, which can be used to quickly set up all -the computers in a school without much manual labour. Here is a short -summary on how to use it to set up a new school.</p> - -<p>First, install a combined Main Server and Thin Client Server as the -central server in the network. Next, PXE boot all the client machines -as thin clients and wait 5 minutes after the last client booted to -allow the clients to report their existence to the central server. When -this is done, log on to the central server and run -<tt>sitesummary2ldapdhcp -a</tt> in the <tt>konsole</tt> to use the -collected information to generate system objects in LDAP. The output -will look similar to this:</p> - -<p><blockquote><pre> -% sitesummary2ldapdhcp -a -info: Updating machine tjener.intern [10.0.2.2] id ether-00:01:02:03:04:05. -info: Create GOsa machine for auto-mac-00-01-02-03-04-06 [10.0.16.20] id ether-00:01:02:03:04:06. - -Enter password if you want to activate these changes, and ^c to abort. - -Connecting to LDAP as cn=admin,ou=ldap-access,dc=skole,dc=skolelinux,dc=no -enter password: ******* -% -</pre></blockquote></p> + Changing the default Iceweasel start page in Debian Edu/Squeeze + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Changing_the_default_Iceweasel_start_page_in_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Changing_the_default_Iceweasel_start_page_in_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html + Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0100 + <p>In the Squeeze version of +<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux</a> soon +to be released, users of the system will get their default browser +start page set from LDAP, allowing the system administrator to point +all users to the school web page by updating one setting in LDAP. In +addition to setting the default start page when a machine boots, users +are shown the same page as a welcome page when they log in for the +first time.</p> -<p>After providing the LDAP administrative password (the same as the -root password set during installation), the LDAP database will be -populated with system objects for each PXE booted machine with -automatically generated names. The final step to set up the school is -then to log into <a href="https://oss.gonicus.de/labs/gosa/">GOsa</a>, -the web based user, group and system administration system to change -system names, add systems to the correct host groups and finally -enable DHCP and DNS for the systems. All clients that should be used -as diskless workstations should be added to the workstation-hosts -group. After this is done, all computers can be booted again via PXE -and get their assigned names and group based configuration -automatically.</p> +<p>The LDAP object dc=skole,dc=skolelinux,dc=no have an attribute +labeledURI with "http://www/ LDAP for Debian Edu/Skolelinux" as the +default content. By changing this value to another URL, all users get +to see the page behind this new URL.</p> -<p>We plan to release beta3 with the updated version of this feature -enabled this weekend. You might want to give it a try.</p> +<p>An easy way to update it is by using the ldapvi tool. It can be +called as "<tt>ldapvi -ZD '(cn=admin)'</tt>' to update LDAP with the +new setting.</p> -<p>Update 2012-01-28: When calling sitesummary2ldapdhcp to add new -hosts, one need to add the option -a. I forgot to mention this in my -original text, and have added it to the text now.</p> +<p>We have written the code to adjust the default start page and show +the welcome page, and I wonder if there is an easier way to do this +from within Iceweasel instead.</p> - Skjermbilder fra nordsamisk installasjon av Skolelinux/Squeeze - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Skjermbilder_fra_nordsamisk_installasjon_av_Skolelinux_Squeeze.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Skjermbilder_fra_nordsamisk_installasjon_av_Skolelinux_Squeeze.html - Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0100 - <p>For morro skyld har jeg gjennomført en nordsamisk installasjon for -neste utgave av <a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Skolelinux</a> -(Squeeze) og knipset skjermbilder av resultatet.</p> - -<p>Som en kan se der er det noen oversettelser som mangler. Det hadde -vært hyggelig hvis alle tekstene som vises i Skolelinux-installasjonen -ble oversatt til nordsamisk, men for å få det til må noen som forstår -språket melde seg til dyst. Det er mangel på nordsamiske oversettere -av fri programvare. Hvis noen starter raskt, så bør en rekke å -fullføre Wheezy-utgaven før den gis ut. :)</p> - -<p>Se <a href="http://d-i.debian.org/l10n-stats/">oversetterstatistikk for -debian installer</a> for detaljert status. Jeg har tipset -<a href="https://lister.ping.uio.no/mailman/listinfo/i18n-sme">epostlisten for samiskoversettelser</a>, -men det har vært veldig liten aktivitet der de siste årene.</p> - -<p><a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/01-isomenu.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/01-isomenu.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/02-sme-lang.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/02-sme-lang.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/03-sme-place.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/03-sme-place.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/04-sme-keymap.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/04-sme-keymap.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/05-sme-profile.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/05-sme-profile.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/06-sme-autopart.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/06-sme-autopart.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/07-sme-popcon.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/07-sme-popcon.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/08-sme-rootpw1.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/08-sme-rootpw1.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/09-sme-rootpw2.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/09-sme-rootpw2.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/10-sme-firstuser.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/10-sme-firstuser.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/11-sme-firstusername.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/11-sme-firstusername.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/12-sme-firstuserpw1.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/12-sme-firstuserpw1.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/13-sme-firstuserpw2.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/13-sme-firstuserpw2.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/14-sme-part.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/14-sme-part.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/15-sme-debootstrap.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/15-sme-debootstrap.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/16-sme-tasksel.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/16-sme-tasksel.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/17-sme-wordlist.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/17-sme-wordlist.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/18-sme-tasksel.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/18-sme-tasksel.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/19-sme-ltsp.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/19-sme-ltsp.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/20-sme-grub.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/20-sme-grub.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/21-sme-finish-install.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/21-sme-finish-install.png" width="40%"></a> -<a href="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/22-sme-finish-message.png"><img src="http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/images/2012-01-26-skolelinux-sme/22-sme-finish-message.png" width="40%"></a></p> + Second beta version of Debian Edu / Skolelinux based on Squeeze + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Second_beta_version_of_Debian_Edu___Skolelinux_based_on_Squeeze.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Second_beta_version_of_Debian_Edu___Skolelinux_based_on_Squeeze.html + Sat, 7 Jan 2012 22:50:00 +0100 + <p>I am happy to announce that today we managed to wrap up and publish +the second beta version of +<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux</a>. If +you want to test a LDAP backed Kerberos server with out of the box PXE +configuration for running diskless machines and installing new +machines, check it out. If you need a software solution for your +school, check it out too. The full announcement is +<a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-edu-announce/2012/01/msg00000.html">available</a> +on the project announcement list.</p> - Handling non-free firmware in Debian Edu/Squeeze - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Handling_non_free_firmware_in_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html - http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Handling_non_free_firmware_in_Debian_Edu_Squeeze.html - Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:30:00 +0100 - <p>With some computer hardware, one need non-free firmware blobs. -This is the sad fact of todays computers. In the next version of -<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux</a> based -on Squeeze, we provide several scripts and modifications to make -firmware blobs easier to handle. The common use case I run into is a -laptop with a wireless network card requiring non-free firmware to -work, but there are other use cases as well.</p> - -<p>First and foremost, Debian Edu provide ISO images for DVD and CD -with all firmware packages in the Debian sections main and non-free -included, to ensure debian-installer find and can install all of them -during installation. This take care firmware for network devices used -by the installer when installing from from local media. But for -example multimedia devices are not activated in the installer and are -not taken care of by this.</p> - -<p>For non-network devices, we provide the script -<tt>/usr/share/debian-edu-config/tools/auto-addfirmware</tt> which -search through the <tt>dmesg</tt> output for drivers requesting extra -firmware. The firmware file name is looked up in the Contents-ARCH.gz -file available in the package repository, and the packages providing -the requested firmware file(s) is installed. I have proposed to do -something similar in debian-installer (BTS report -<a href="http://bugs.debian.org/655507">#655507</a>), to allow PXE -installs of Debian to handle firmware installation better. Run the -script as root from the command line to fetch and install the needed -firmware packages.</p> + Fixing an hanging debian installer for Debian Edu + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Fixing_an_hanging_debian_installer_for_Debian_Edu.html + http://people.skolelinux.org/pere/blog/Fixing_an_hanging_debian_installer_for_Debian_Edu.html + Tue, 3 Jan 2012 11:25:00 +0100 + <p>During christmas, I have been working getting the next version of +<a href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Debian Edu / Skolelinux</a> ready +for release. The initial problem I looked at was particularly +interesting.</p> -<p>Debian Edu provide PXE installation of Debian out of the box, and -because some machines need firmware to get their network cards -working, the installation initrd some times need extra firmware -included to be able to install at all. To fill the PXE installation -initrd with extra firmware, the -<tt>/usr/share/debian-edu-config/tools/pxe-addfirmware</tt> script is -provided. Again, just run it as root on the command line to fill the -PXE initrd with firmware packages.</p> +<P>The installer would hang at the end when it was doing it +post-installation configuration, and whatevery I did to try to find +the cause and fix it always worked while I tested it, but never when I +integrated it into the installer and ran the installation from +scratch. I would try to restart processes, close file descriptors, +remove or create files, and the installer would always unblock and +wrap up its tasks.</p> -<p>Last, some LTSP clients might also need firmware to get their -network cards working. For this, -<tt>/usr/share/debian-edu-config/tools/ltsp-addfirmware</tt> is -provided to update the LTSP initrd with firmware blobs. It is used -the same way as the other firmware related tools.</p> +<p>Eventually the cause was found. The kernel was simply running out +of entropy, causing the Kerberos setup to hang waiting for more. +Pressing keys was adding entropy to the kernel, and thus all my tries +to fix the problem worked not because what I was typing to fix it, but +because I was typing.</P> -<p>At the moment, we do not run any of these during installation. We -do not know if this is acceptable for the local administrator to use -non-free software, and it is their choice.</p> +<p>The fix I implemented was to add a background process looking at +the level of entropy in the kernel (by checking +/proc/sys/kernel/random/entropy_avail), and if it was too small, the +installer will flush the kernel file buffers and do 'find /' to +generate some disk IO. Disk IO generate entropy in the kernel, and is +one of the few things that can be initated from within the system to +generate entropy.</p> -<p>We plan to release beta3 this weekend. You might want to give it a -try.</p> +<p>The fix is in +<a href="http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu/Documentation/Squeeze/Installation">beta1 +of the Debian Edu/Squeeze</a> version, and we +<a href="http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEdu">welcome more testers and +developers</a>. We plan to release beta2 this weekend.</p>