install_debian_on_your_slice [Slicehost]

Slicehoster Marko compiled a HowTo for installing Debian on your Slice via Ubuntu:

Alternate method by eltorete ( find me at gmail.com ) : Debootstrap a full fledged 64bit etch over a clean ubuntu dapper install

Disclaimer : This instructions are provided AS IS , without any warranty nor liability. Use them under your own criteria and responsibility, in other words, under your own risk.

This steps have worked for me, but your mileage may vary. Beware that this will unrecoverably erase all data in your slice.

1. Log into slicehost web admin page and rebuild your slice using Ubuntu Dapper

2. If you already used your slice, you will need to remove old ssh key from your local machine

 localmachine:~$ vi ~/.ssh/known_hosts

3. ssh into your slice using new provided credentials

 localmachine:~$ ssh root@myslice

4. Change your password

 root@myslice:~$ passwd

5. Disable your swap partition

 root@myslice:~$ swapoff -a

6. Make a new filesystem

 root@myslice:~$ mkfs.xfs -f /dev/sda2

7. Mount it

 root@myslice:~$ mount /dev/sda2 /mnt

8. Update package list

 root@myslice:~$ aptitude update

9. Install debootstrap

 root@myslice:~$ aptitude install debootstrap

10. debootstrap a new etch system

 root@myslice:~$ debootstrap --verbose --arch amd64 etch /mnt ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian

11. Copy basic host and net config files

 root@myslice:~$ cp -ap /etc/hostname /etc/hosts /etc/resolv.conf /etc/fstab /mnt/etc
 root@myslice:~$ cp -ap /etc/network/interfaces /etc/fstab /mnt/etc/network/
 root@myslice:~$ cp -rap /lib/modules/2.6.16* /mnt/lib/modules/

12. Backup the rest of config data (”just in case”)

 root@myslice:~$ tar -cvjf /mnt/root/orig-etc.tar.bz2 /etc/

13. Mount virtual filesystems to get a full featured chroot

 root@myslice:~$ mount -t proc none /mnt/proc/
 root@myslice:~$ mount -t sysfs none /mnt/sys

14. Copy runing device nodes inorder to be able to do a cleean reboot from inside the chroot

 root@myslice:~$ cp -rap /dev/*  /mnt/dev/
 root@myslice:~$ mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev

15. Bind old root filesystem to mnt inside new system to later be able to overwrite it with new debian install

 root@myslice:~$ mount --bind / /mnt/mnt/

16. Chroot into your new debian system

 root@myslice:~$ chroot /mnt/ /bin/bash

17. Change your password (otherwise it will be empty)

 root@myslice:~$ passwd

18. Modify package repositories to point to official debian ones

 root@myslice:~$ echo "deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian etch main contrib non-free" > /etc/apt/sources.list
 root@myslice:~$ aptitude update

19. install openssh server ( or you will get locked out after reboot)

 root@myslice:~$ aptitude install openssh-client openssh-server locales

20. Reconfigure locales (if needed)

 root@myslice:~$ dpkg-reconfigure locales

21. Erase old ubuntu system

 root@myslice:~$ cd /mnt/ 
 root@myslice:~$ rm -fR bin/ boot/ etc/ home/ initrd/ lib/ media/ opt/ root/ sbin/ srv/ tmp/ usr/ var/

21. Copy back all debian system files from curren partition (original swap) to the main one (the one that xen will boot as root)

 root@myslice:~$ cd /
 root@myslice:~$ cp -rap bin/ boot/ etc/ home/ initrd/ lib/ media/ opt/ root/ sbin/ srv/ tmp/ usr/ var/ /mnt/

22. Reboot your slice and you’re done

 root@myslice:~$ reboot

23. Finally to be able to log again into your slice you will need to erase one more time the old ssh server key because the old one got overwritten by the new debian ssh server one.

 localmachine:~$ vi ~/.ssh/known_hosts

24. Log into your new Debian Etch 64 slicehost

 localmachine:~$ ssh root@myslice