1. Requirements

2. VM Creation

  • Start VirtualBox.

  • Select Group > New Machine.

    Name:                   Debian 11 Work Station
Type:                   Linux
Version:                Debian 11 (64 bit)

  • Click Next.

    Memory size:            16384 MB

  • Click Next.

  • Choose Create a virtual hard disk now.

  • Click Create.

  • Choose VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image).

  • Click Next.

  • Choose Dynamically allocated.

  • Click Next.

  • Change the size to 80.00 GB.

    Location:               Debian 11 Work Station
Size:                   204902.00 MB

  • Click Create.

  • Select the Debian 11 Work Station virtual machine.

  • Click Settings.

  • Select the General page.

  • Select the Advanced tab.

  • Select Shared Clipboard > Bidirectional.

  • Select Drag and Drop > Bidirectional.

  • Select the System page.

  • Select the Motherboard tab.

  • Uncheck Boot Order > Floppy.

  • Select the Processor tab.

  • Select Processor(s) > 4.

  • Select the Storage page.

  • Select Controller: SATA > Debian 11 Work Station.vdi.

  • Optional: Check Solid-state Drive.

  • Click OK.

  • Click OK.

  • Close VirtualBox.

3. VM Configuration

4. Guest Installation

  • Start the Debian 11 Work Station virtual machine.

  • Step through the installation with the following choices.

  • Language: English

  • Country, territory or area: other

  • Continent or region: Asia

  • Country, territory or area: Thailand

  • Country to base default locale settings on: United States - en_US.UTF-8

  • Keymap to use: American English

  • Hostname: vbox-debian

  • Domain name: vbox.shoklo-unit.com

  • Root password: level 1 password

  • Re-enter password to verify: level 1 password

  • Full name for the new user: Delta

  • Username for your account: delta

  • Choose a password for the new user: level 2 password

  • Re-enter password to verify: level 2 password

  • Partitioning method: Guided - use entire disk

  • Select disk to partition: Virtual disk 1 (sda) - 107.4 GB Virtio Block Device

  • Partitioning scheme: All files in one partition (recommended for new users)

  • Partition disks: Finish partitioning and write changes to disk

  • Write the changes to disk? Yes

  • Scan extra installation media? No

  • Use a network mirror? No

  • Participate in the package usage survey? No

  • Uncheck Debian desktop environment.

  • Uncheck GNOME.

  • Check SSH server.

    Choose software to install:                     [*] Debian desktop environment
                                                [*] ... GNOME
                                                [ ] ... Xfce
                                                [ ] ... GNOME Flashback
                                                [ ] ... KDE Plasma
                                                [ ] ... Cinnamon
                                                [ ] ... MATE
                                                [ ] ... LXDE
                                                [ ] ... LXQt
                                                [ ] web server
                                                [*] SSH server
                                                [*] standard system utilities

  • Choose software to install: Continue

  • Install the GRUB boot loader to your primary drive? Yes

  • Device for boot loader installation: /dev/sda

  • Select Continue to reboot and press Enter.

5. Guest Configuration

  • Start the Debian 11 Work Station virtual machine.

  • Log in as delta on the vbox-debian vm using PuTTY.

5.1. Basics

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Line with root privileges.

    scp -p delta@10.10.1.2:/media/Windows/Software/_Delta/delta-linux-tools-1.9.1-1-all.deb .
dpkg -i delta-linux-tools-1.9.1-1-all.deb

delta config apt 10.10.1.170:8080       # Configure apt repositories with proxy server.
export http_proxy=http://10.10.1.170:8080
export https_proxy=http://10.10.1.170:8080
delta config bash 10.10.1.170:8080      # Configure bash shell with proxy server for each user.
delta config cron                       # Configure cron jobs.
delta config editor                     # Set default editor to vim.tiny for each user.
delta config kernel net.ifnames=0       # Disable consistent network device names.
delta config locale                     # Configure locale settings.

delta setup inventory                   # Install and configure inventory.
delta setup openssh                     # Install and configure openssh server.
delta setup sudo                        # Install and configure sudo for each user.
delta setup timezone                    # Install and configure time zone.
sudo delta setup vim                    # Install and configure vim editor for each user.

  • Restart the virtual machine.

  • Log in as delta on the vbox-debian vm using PuTTY.

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Line.

    sudo systemctl --type service
ls -al /etc/resolv.conf
cat /etc/resolv.conf
    sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get autoremove
sudo apt-get autoclean

cat /etc/debian_version
df

sudo grep -Ei --color=always "bad |brok|cann|crit|deni|err:|erro|fail|igno|insu|leak|lost|miss|not |such|unab|warn" /var/log/syslog

5.2. Customization

  • Enter the following commands at a Command Line.

    delta config user victor "Victor Chaumeau" <password>   # Add user account.
# Todo: Check it also works for GUI logon.
# Todo: Check new user is in sudo group.

  • Todo: Configure additional French keyboard layout.

  • See https://wiki.debian.org/Keyboard.