[SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

Eon · 2017-12-10 12:17:34

Hi,

I am going to install Debian stretch on one of my other spare laptops tonight, but I am so damn addicted to BunsenLabs openbox environment that I want to feel the same way in Debian stretch to the bone. HoaS once mentioned a post-install script which could accomplish it, but I can't remember it now, not able to find it as well.

So, is there any official guide from BL team on how do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Last edited by Eon (2017-12-10 17:18:45)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-12-10 12:32:31

Eon wrote:

is there any official guide from BL team on how do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

Yes indeed, here is one I prepared earlier:

https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?id=3800

You can skip the "Installing stretch" section if the Debian ISO image installer works for you, go straight to the "Applying the netinstall script" bit

Although our guide recommends running the netinstall script from a console (TTY) login we have had reports of success from people who have ran it from a graphical desktop that was pre-installed.

Steve · 2017-12-10 12:33:20

There is the helium dev script here: https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic.php?id=3800

I like bunsenlabs themes and icons from helium so i always carry around the theme and icon files and install them for that visual look of bunsenlabs when im distro hopping.

Edit: Hoas beat me to it.....

Edit 2: The way i did the netinstall scrip was to install stretch without any graphical desktop just standard utils, so just base install to console then call the script as is noted in Hoas thread.

Last edited by Steve (2017-12-10 12:40:27)

Eon · 2017-12-10 17:19:39

thank you both.

johnraff · 2017-12-11 06:35:10

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Although our guide recommends running the netinstall script from a console (TTY) login we have had reports of success from people who have ran it from a graphical desktop that was pre-installed.

This is untested (by me) but might work, though I would recommend leaving X and running the install from a tty. But it depends on just what that "graphical desktop" had already installed, and whether it could coexist with BL.

The script tests for the existence of 'startx' and checks with the user:

# is X already installed? FIXME Is this the best way to check if there is a desktop system installed already?
hash startx > /dev/null 2>&1 && { warnlog "Command 'startx' is available. Desktop system already installed?"
    confirm "You seem to have some kind of desktop environment already installed.
If you continue with this installation you may have problems,
or even end up with an unusable system.
Would you like to continue anyway?" 1; }

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-12-11 07:06:25

johnraff wrote:

This is untested (by me)

Coward!

I have tested it (successfully) a few times and I didn't bother to switch to the TTY for any of the attempts

Your test worked every time btw, the matronly warning was printed. And duly ignored ]:D

Eon · 2017-12-12 06:08:28

I also did it from the GUI and it worked.

I chose Debian stretch, because it comes with python3.5.x by default which I needed very direly for my project. Btw, when will Bunsenlabs stable start using Debian stretch os-release? Is there any planned update?

johnraff · 2017-12-12 06:38:28

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

I have tested it (successfully) a few times and I didn't bother to switch to the TTY for any of the attempts
Your test worked every time btw, the matronly warning was printed. And duly ignored ]:D

Although it might usually go OK, this still applies:

johnraff wrote:

it depends on just what that "graphical desktop" had already installed, and whether it could coexist with BL.

Startup files, environment variables, who know what mess a user might get in? Maybe über-geeks like your good self could sort it out...
EDIT: HoaS, to be honest, considering your concern for users damaging their systems via root GUIs for example, I'm a bit surprised you take this so lightly.

Eon wrote:

when will Bunsenlabs stable start using Debian stretch os-release? Is there any planned update?

We're working hard to get BunsenLabs Helium out of the door, but I'm afraid I can't give you a firm release date. That said, the system you'll get by running the above-linked netinstall script on a CLI Stretch install is already pretty close to what the final product will be.

Last edited by johnraff (2017-12-12 07:00:09)

Eon · 2017-12-12 10:16:52

johnraff wrote:

We're working hard to get BunsenLabs Helium out of the door, but I'm afraid I can't give you a firm release date. That said, the system you'll get by running the above-linked netinstall script on a CLI Stretch install is already pretty close to what the final product will be.

Thank you. I completely understand that.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-12-12 21:34:46

johnraff wrote:

HoaS, to be honest, considering your concern for users damaging their systems via root GUIs for example, I'm a bit surprised you take this so lightly.

I don't think a few startup files & environmental variables are anything to worry about, certainly not from the perspective of a user who wants to have another desktop preinstalled before running the script — such a case would be exactly analogous to installing a different desktop in a stock BunsenLabs system, should we be issuing a blanket warning against that?

tknomanzr · 2017-12-12 23:25:27

johnraff wrote:

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
Although our guide recommends running the netinstall script from a console (TTY) login we have had reports of success from people who have run it from a graphical desktop that was pre-installed.
This is untested (by me) but might work, though I would recommend leaving X and running the install from a tty. But it depends on just what that "graphical desktop" had already installed, and whether it could coexist with BL.
The script tests for the existence of 'startx' and checks with the user:
# is X already installed? FIXME Is this the best way to check if there is a desktop system installed already?
hash startx > /dev/null 2>&1 && { warnlog "Command 'startx' is available. Desktop system already installed?"
    confirm "You seem to have some kind of desktop environment already installed.
If you continue with this installation you may have problems,
or even end up with an unusable system.
Would you like to continue anyway?" 1; }

bunsen-meta-all should handle this, correct? When I get a few spare minutes, I will see if pulling that in from a minimal Debian install will work. A dist-upgrade from the Bunsenlabs Deuterium iso mostly works but a couple of packages seem to get missed, most notably bunsen-themes. That is something I noticed the last time I installed it in a virtual machine, at any rate.

johnraff · 2017-12-13 03:20:15

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

I don't think a few startup files & environmental variables are anything to worry about...installing a different desktop in a stock BunsenLabs system, should we be issuing a blanket warning against that?

Not a blanket warning, but I don't think beginners, for example, should be encouraged to install two different desktop environments on the same machine. Try to imagine what would result from installing BL over Gnome? Surely quite a mess? For a start, what Display Manager gets used? What .desktop files will be in /etc/xdg/autostart? Even with the X session management, I think both Gnome and BL would quite likely be broken.

Installing BL over a basic X install with a few apps, OTOH, should be no problem.

tknomanzr wrote:

bunsen-meta-all should handle this, correct?

Pretty much. To be honest, these days the netinstall script doesn't have all that much to do beyond installing the package list. A few small tweaks, tests, error handling, backups, logs... When it was first written it was a more complicated task.

A dist-upgrade from the Bunsenlabs Deuterium iso mostly works but a couple of packages seem to get missed, most notably bunsen-themes.

Don't forget, you have to change the repos to helium-dev and dist-upgrade again. Bunsen-themes in Hydrogen won't work in Debian Stretch - there's a new Helium version. Many of the other packages have seen extensive changes too.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-12-13 07:07:52

johnraff wrote:

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
I don't think a few startup files & environmental variables are anything to worry about...installing a different desktop in a stock BunsenLabs system, should we be issuing a blanket warning against that?
Not a blanket warning, but I don't think beginners, for example, should be encouraged to install two different desktop environments on the same machine.

No, probably not, good point.

johnraff wrote:

Try to imagine what would result from installing BL over Gnome? Surely quite a mess? For a start, what Display Manager gets used? What .desktop files will be in /etc/xdg/autostart? Even with the X session management, I think both Gnome and BL would quite likely be broken.

I have tried that and APT always seems to assume that the most recently-installed display manager is the desired default and sets that to x-session-manager so I rebooted into our LightDM greeter screen (and GRUB theme as well, interestingly).

I didn't notice any problem with startup programs or variables (most GNOME .desktop files are specified to only work in GNOME) but I didn't use the system much.

Things would probably get a bit more messy if LXDE or (particularly) XFCE was pre-installed but no more so than installing the XFCE desktop in a "pure" BunsenLabs system.

johnraff · 2017-12-13 08:15:22

...we also might try and ease our support work for new installers, by keeping the unknowns to a minimum.

#1 2017-12-10 12:17:34

[SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#2 2017-12-10 12:32:31

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#3 2017-12-10 12:33:20

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#4 2017-12-10 17:19:39

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#5 2017-12-11 06:35:10

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#6 2017-12-11 07:06:25

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#7 2017-12-12 06:08:28

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#8 2017-12-12 06:38:28

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#9 2017-12-12 10:16:52

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#10 2017-12-12 21:34:46

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#11 2017-12-12 23:25:27

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#12 2017-12-13 03:20:15

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#13 2017-12-13 07:07:52

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

#14 2017-12-13 08:15:22

Re: [SOLVED] How do I bunsenify Debian stretch post install?

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