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[Debian 7.0] fresh install with poor man install method

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melodie:
I wanted to update Scorpio RC4, (formerly installed to a Dell tower, Pentium IV with 1 GB ram) which I did, then realized I had half of the update using Jessie/SID. How did I achieve this? I guess I have been too fast reconfiguring the sources.list.

Anyhow unsure of how to do things next I erased the install and reinstalled anew from a Lxde ISO image taken from here:
http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.1.0/i386/iso-cd/

( this iso debian-7.1.0-i386-lxde-CD-1.iso)

I wanted to start from USB with my usual mount to loop method, but it appeared the ISO is not fit for this method, so after several tries I ended up downloading vmlinuz and initrd.gz from here:
http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/installer-i386/current/images/hd-media

and installed with the poor man install method as presented here:
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch04s04.html.fr

and prepared a boot from Grub2 almost as presented here:
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch05s01.html.fr#boot-initrd

just I didn't edit /boot/grub/grub.cfg but the file /etc/grub.d/40_custom which is meant for custom entries, and once done I invoked as root "update-grub2".

It appeared that I should have added the option desktop=lxde somewhere in the boot stanza:

--- Code: ---menuentry 'New Install' {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
linux /boot/newinstall/vmlinuz
initrd /boot/newinstall/initrd.gz
}
--- Fin du code ---

because instead of ending with LXDE I ended with… Gnome3 ! Which I didn't like, so I had to work some more time after the install to correct this.

I wonder if the grub2 text block allows adding options to the linux command line?

The said option can be found in the ISO image under isolinux, in the txt.cfg file:

--- Code: ---default install
label install
menu label ^Install
menu default
kernel /install.386/vmlinuz
append desktop=lxde vga=788 initrd=/install.386/initrd.gz -- quiet


--- Fin du code ---

The post install steps have been, installing Lxde because I wanted to escape Gnome 3 as fast as possible, (just Lxde core, because "task lxde" or such installs a world of programs I wouldn't need) then login to Lxde, remove all possible Gnome components and trying not to break the system while doing so, then install the additional packages and configuration which I keep at http://meets.free.fr/Downloads, in directories which are now more and more structured to find easily all the setups and changes done previously in the different Ubuntu Openbox spins. (It's a work in progress).

After that I just had to logout, change the session to "Openbox", and also reconfigure .xinitrc because I had 3 dbus-daemon started and 4 sessions! ^^

The LXDE main components are gone, the icons are Faenza with Faenza Mint on the top, providing a nice green set of icons.

There is one issue left: the fonts are ugly, and this will be some work to make them look smooth as they usually are in a Lubuntu, a Xubuntu (and I would suppose in the official Ubuntu as well, which I very seldom boot so I don't quite remember).

Fonts! How to make them look consistent with the right thickness and smoothing? I started working on it, and I plan to read again the archlinux wiki howto on this one, for it has helped before. My fear is I think the components needed might not be available in the Debian current repositories.

To be followed…

patrick013:

--- Citation de: mélodie le 19 août 2013 à 14:27:29 ---
Fonts! How to make them look consistent with the right thickness and smoothing? I started working on it, and I plan to read again the archlinux wiki howto on this one, for it has helped before. My fear is I think the components needed might not be available in the Debian current repositories.


--- Fin de citation ---


--- Code: ---
gtk-theme-name="StoneWashed"
gtk-icon-theme-name="gnome"
gtk-font-name="trebuchet MS bold 12" 
gtk-cursor-theme-name =whiteglass
gtk-cursor-theme-size=0
gtk-toolbar-style=GTK_TOOLBAR_BOTH
gtk-toolbar-icon-size=GTK_ICON_SIZE_LARGE_TOOLBAR
gtk-button-images=1
gtk-menu-images=1
gtk-enable-event-sounds=0
gtk-enable-input-feedback-sounds=0
gtk-xft-antialias=1
gtk-xft-hinting=1
gtk-xft-hintstyle=hintfull
gtk-xft-rgba=rgb
gtk-auto-mnemonics=1

--- Fin du code ---


I have the above in /etc/gtk-2.0/gtkrc

Basically, it sets the gtk-2 theme and font rendering
system wide, if, nothing interferes with them later.
I like Droid Sans Bold 12 also.

djohnston:

--- Citation de: mélodie le 19 août 2013 à 14:27:29 ---Anyhow unsure of how to do things next I erased the install and reinstalled anew from a Lxde ISO image taken from here:
http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.1.0/i386/iso-cd/

( this iso debian-7.1.0-i386-lxde-CD-1.iso)

--- Fin de citation ---
If you just wanted a bare minimum LXDE desktop Debian 7 installation, you could have saved some time and aggravation by using this one. You can copy the iso to a USB and boot from it. I suspect the poor man method will work just as well. The sources are already Debian stable. You'd just need to run updates after installation.

My two cents.

melodie:
Patrick13,

I didn't know about the option 'gtk-auto-mnemonics=1'. I am not sure yet to know what is it's use.

djohnston, I need to start from an official install to work on learning how to create packages. At same time I am re discovering methods I used before but didn't quite remember. Else, I would like to solve the mystery around the font issues. It seems that Gnome environments avoid the problem thanks to the gnome-settings-daemon package, but I don't know what it does. In Archlinux, I have been able to reduce greatly the issue by installing the Ubuntu patched packages provided with the AUR system.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Font_Configuration

and finally following the links I might give a try there tomorrow: http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=88545



melodie:
Hi,

Here is a screenshot of the Debian desktop after reconfiguring and seeking for solutions:



Here is how it went.

I have read a wiki at debian-facile.org, but the LMDE packages suggested were not available anymore, so I went to the LDMD chan and got help from someone who directed me straight to the Ubuntu packages. After trials and errors I ended installing 2 packages from the Raring repository, after I checked the versions of the depends could match.

These are libcairo2 and libpixman1-0

http://packages.ubuntu.com/raring/libcairo2

http://packages.ubuntu.com/raring/libpixman-1-0

Then what is also needed is a ~/.fonts.conf


--- Code: ---<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
<fontconfig>
<match target="font">
  <edit name="antialias" mode="assign">
    <bool>true</bool>
  </edit>
</match>
<match target="font">
  <edit name="hinting" mode="assign">
    <bool>true</bool>
  </edit>
</match>
<match target="font">
  <edit name="hintstyle" mode="assign">
    <const>hintmedium</const>
  </edit>
</match>
  <match target="font">
    <edit name="rgba" mode="assign">
      <const>rgb</const>
    </edit>
  </match>
  <match target="font">
    <edit mode="assign" name="lcdfilter">
      <const>lcddefault</const>
    </edit>
  </match>
</fontconfig>
--- Fin du code ---

some of the options can be improved (according to what your monitor is), with the help of the Archlinux wiki:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Font_Configuration

My ~/.gtkrc-2.0 in Debian:

--- Code: ---# DO NOT EDIT! This file will be overwritten by LXAppearance.
# Any customization should be done in ~/.gtkrc-2.0.mine instead.

gtk-theme-name="Clearlooks-Phenix"
gtk-icon-theme-name="Faenza-Mint"
gtk-font-name="Droid Sans 11"
gtk-cursor-theme-size=0
gtk-toolbar-style=GTK_TOOLBAR_ICONS
gtk-toolbar-icon-size=GTK_ICON_SIZE_SMALL_TOOLBAR
gtk-button-images=1
gtk-menu-images=1
gtk-enable-event-sounds=1
gtk-enable-input-feedback-sounds=1
gtk-xft-antialias=1
gtk-xft-hinting=1
gtk-xft-hintstyle="hintmedium"
gtk-xft-rgba="none"
include "/home/my_login/.gtkrc-2.0.mine"

--- Fin du code ---

and also ~/.config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini


--- Code: ---[Settings]
gtk-theme-name=Clearlooks-Phenix
gtk-icon-theme-name=Faenza-Mint
gtk-font-name=Sans 10
gtk-cursor-theme-size=0
gtk-toolbar-style=GTK_TOOLBAR_ICONS
gtk-toolbar-icon-size=GTK_ICON_SIZE_SMALL_TOOLBAR
gtk-button-images=1
gtk-menu-images=1
gtk-enable-event-sounds=1
gtk-enable-input-feedback-sounds=1
gtk-xft-antialias=1
gtk-xft-hinting=1
gtk-xft-hintstyle=hintmedium
gtk-xft-rgba=rgb

--- Fin du code ---

(I did a chattr +i as root on it, because Lxappearance changes it each time I want to reconfigure only the gtkrc-2.0).

and the .Xresources

--- Code: ---Xft.lcdfilter:  lcddefault
Xft.dpi: 96.0

--- Fin du code ---

(depending on the monitor, and following the Arch wiki, as preceding and not repeating all the configuration already included in the ~/.fonts.conf file).

I am quite satisfied about the result, and will work with it with enough comfort and hopefully pleasure. Some might object that installing some packages from Ubuntu is not good, so I am not sure it could fit in a tips and tricks. What do you think?



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