Let me guess, you have a machine with more than 4 Gb of RAM, but Debian GNU/Linux isn’t detecting all of it, right?

Well, you probably did what most newer Linux users do, and installed the standard i386 version of Debian. My test machine for instance, was installed with the Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.4 “Lenny” Official i386 KDE CD. This installation uses the 2.6.26-2-686 kernel, but is only a 32 Bit OS (Operating System).

A 32 Bit OS will only identify between 3.25 Gb and 3.75 Gb of RAM, even if more is installed. It has been rumored, different hardware, utilizing the same OS, may lead to more or less RAM being identified. However, I’ve never swapped out a motherboard just to try this. It has also been rumored, 2 installed, 2 Gb RAM chips, may only be seen as a total of 2 Gb, on a 32 Bit OS. However, I have tried swapping out various 2 Gb RAM Chips, and have never had this result. My testing always produced over 3 Gb of RAM visible by the 32 Bit OS.

If you have 4 Gb or more RAM installed on your Debian GNU/Linux system, type:

The “highmem” value should be larger than 0 (Zero) k, but will probably not exceed the 4,000,000 k mark. If it does, you have a 64 Bit OS installed, or you may already have the “bigmem” kernel installed.

There are two ways to utilize RAM sizes larger than 4 Gb with Debian GNU/Linux. You can either install a 64 Bit OS or you can install the “bigmem” kernel. The “bigmem” kernel is what this blog article was written for. Though it may be possible to run a 64 Bit OS on 32 Bit hardware, it probably isn’t the best option until you are an Advanced Linux User.

First we want to start off by finding out exactly what Linux Distro and Kernel Version you have installed on your system. To do this, please reference this blog article: “How do I tell which Version of Linux is Running?”

It is probably best to use the same “bigmem” kernel version as the standard kernel version, so we need to search for it. To do so, go to the command line and type:

The numbers following “linux-image-” are for my test system, and the latest Debian GNU/Linux “Lenny” KDE release at the time of this article. The numbers/version you find on your system may not be exactly the same as I have shown. You will want to use the exact number string you find by following the first step, above!

The above command will search for all the possible kernel images matching the version number you typed in. You will probably get about 2 or 4 lines of results. Do not be alarmed if you get more. You will be looking for “linux-image-2.6.26-2-628-bigmem” as one of the results.

To install the bigmem kernel, type:

Again, the numbers following “linux-image-” and before “-bigmem” are for my test system, and the latest Debian GNU/Linux “Lenny” KDE release at the time of this article. The numbers/version you found on your system may not be exactly the same as I have shown. You will want to use the exact number string you find by following the first step, above!

This command requires your PC have access to an internet connection. The “apt-get” part of the command is basically telling the PC to download the file from the internet. The “install” part of the command is instructing the PC to install the package, once it is downloaded. The faster your internet connection, the quicker the entire installation process will complete.

After the installation has finished, you will need to reboot your system. To do so from the command line, simply type:

Otherwise, reboot your system however you are familiar.

When your system reboots, you will see the default kernel selected is the “bigmem” kernel.

Once you have logged back into your Debian GNU/Linux OS, go to the command line and type:

The “highmem” value should now better reflect the total RAM available to your machine. If it still doesn’t look quite right, remember any on-board devices, such as a Video Card, which does not have it’s own RAM, will also use/share the system RAM.

These steps have worked flawlessly for me, on my systems and should produce similar results on your systems. However, if you would prefer a professional does this for you, just use the CONTACT US link in the menu to get in touch with one of our technicians. Most times, we can do this for you remotely, for a nominal fee!

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To see the name and kernel from the command line, you need to type:

To see the name, style, and version from the command line, you need to type:

You can see both from the command line, by typing:

Hope this helps. For more discussions on this topic, click here.

These steps have worked flawlessly for me, on my systems and should produce similar results on your systems. However, if you would prefer a professional does this for you, just use the CONTACT US link in the menu to get in touch with one of our technicians. Most times, we can do this for you remotely, for a nominal fee!

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Installing Adobe Flash Player on a Debian system isn’t as simple as it is when using Windows and Internet Explorer. However, it isn’t that difficult either. You can’t just go to the Adobe web site to download and install it. To accomplish this, you will need to modify the sources.list file I spoke about yesterday.

To view or edit the sources.list file from the command line you need to type:

Then you will need to add the following three lines to the bottom of the sources.list file:

…this allows you to install software packages which were intended for Debian 4.0 (etch) to your Debian 5.0 (lenny) system.

In order to save and quit you will need to press Ctrl-X (to quit), “Y” followed by to save, and then again to overwrite the same “sources.list” file.

Now you will want to run the following command:

Afterwards, you should be able to run the following command:

…and see a software package called flashplugin-nonfree (Adove Flash Player – Browser plugin)

To install this software package run:

…and follow the directions when you are prompted.

Pretty Simple Huh?

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Every Debian distribution is managed by the /etc/apt/sources.list file. This file allows you to specify whether you want your distribution to run as a stable, testing or unstable distribution.

To view or edit this file from the command line you need to type:

After editing the file and saving it, you need to run the following command:

which rebuilds the package database to reflect your newest sources.list

Once this is done, you can upgrade everything on your system to the latest versions by running the following command:

If you want to flip from one distribution to the other, just modify the sources.list file, and run the following commands:

That is all there is to it!

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As a general rule Debian has three (3) distributions: Unstable, Testing & Stable.

• STABLE – This is the latest official release of the Debian GNU/Linux distribution. This is stable and well tested software, which changes only if major security or usability fixes are incorporated.

  This release is recommended for the casual user. It has a strong system for fast reactions to security exploits. It will feature the latest linux kernel as of the package release date (It is usually old by the time you get to look at it!). I’m pretty sure Debian policy stipulates any packages with an “important” bug which is not resolved in 10 days, is not accepted into stable. This policy is taken to the extreme and treated very seriously (There is some talk about a time when Apache was nearly thrown out for not conforming to the strick standards of support required for entry into the stable distribution!).

• TESTING – This area contains packages that are intended to become part of the next stable distribution. There are strict criteria a package in unstable (see below) must obey before it can be added to testing. Note that “testing” does not get the timely security updates from the security team.

  These packages are “in the wings,” waiting to become “STABLE.” It will contain packages without release-critical bugs. Packages will have the same version number across all architectures they are present in, and they will have spent two weeks or longer in “UNSTABLE.”

• UNSTABLE – This area contains the most recent packages in Debian. Once a package has met our criterion for stability and quality of packaging, it will be included in testing. “unstable” is also not supported by the security team.

  Packages in unstable are the least tested and may contain problems severe enough to affect the stability of your system. Only experienced users should consider using this distribution.

  These packages may also be referred to as bleeding edge. This area is where developers are still hard at work. There are probably still debates about feature set should be included and how long it will take to make it work correctly.

Some of the information provided was obtained here.

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In this post you will get an idea of the package management commands and what they do.

The command below searches for all packages which contain the specified string.

The command below fetches the package from the Internet and installs it. If there are any unmet dependencies, it automatically fetches and installs everything required to make the package work.

The command below removes the package.

The command below also removes the config files for the package.

“apt-get” maintains a local database of packages, dependencies, locations of files, and etc. It will behave differently by assigning a different database for each different distribution.

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“Installing Debian 4.0 (etch) on a PC” is an online user’s guide to providing assistance with the basic Installation, Configuration and Setup of a Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 (etch) on a PC.

Before you begin, please understand this guide has to assume you have a fundamental skill set in Computer Use, Linux/Unix Operating Systems, Command Line/Shell Utilities and a basic understanding of the differences between operating systems (I.E. Windows, Apple/Macintosh, DOS, Unix/Linux and others!) and some hardware understanding.

Even if you are well educated in the areas from above, we highly recommended you read this ENTIRE guide before performing any of the steps on your system. As you read through the first time, create a list of questions or concerns you will need to be addressed, before starting work on your own system. Do not start installation or setup on your own system until you have addressed all the questions and/or concerns you have on your list.

Next, you will need to verify the computer you are going to use has hardware which is compatible with Debian GNU/Linux. You can get a better idea of hardware compatibility by reading the “Linux Hardware Compatibility HOW-TO” by Steven Pritchard. The HOW-TO is found at http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/.

There are a couple of things you will want to have available to you during the steps you are about to follow. Your Debian GNU/Linux machine may need an available internet connection. It is best to make sure an “ALWAYS ON” and/or “HIGH-SPEED” internet connection is available and capable of working with the system you are about to modify, before starting. You may also want a second machine with an active internet connection so that you can reference this article or other websites as you got through these steps.

At the time this guide was put together, the steps in our guide were verified multiple times on the “STABLE” release of Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 (etch) w/ KDE 3.5.5 GUI. Current Document Version: 1.0.0.alpha (Document Version) Now, to the grindstone!

1. Download the KDE ISO package to your desktop from http://www.debian.org/distrib/ (This will take some time, so start this when you have other things you can be doing.) I use the KDE image found at http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/5.0.1/i386/iso-cd/debian-501-i386-kde-CD-1.iso for all my Debian GNU/Linux installations with KDE.
2. Burn the Debian KDE ISO to a CD/DVD. (I’m not going to cover the steps to burn an .ISO to a CD/DVD at this time. Realistically, if you don’t know how to do this already, you may want to re-evaluate your computer abilities as it relates to using linux.)
3. Insert the new BOOTABLE Debian KDE installation disk into the system you are going to be converting to a Debian Server.
4. Configure your BIOS to boot from CD (Some newer PCs will give you the option to hit F12 for a boot menu. From here you can choose to boot to IDE/SCSI/USB CD/DVD-ROM.) Once you have successfully booted to the Debian installation Disk, you will start to see onscreen prompts which you will need to follow. The first one says “Press [enter] to boot into Debian Setup” so you will need to start there!
5. Once the Debian Setup has loaded, you will simply select the configuration options as you are asked for them. Select the answers that apply to you. You will be prompted in the following order…
   Configuration:

   Language: English

   Configuration:

   Territory: United States

   Configuration:

   Keymap to use: American English

   Configuration:

   Primary Network Interface: Eth1:BroadcomCorp...

   Make sure you select a Network Interface card which is able to be used on the network. Many times a WiFi card may be selected by default, but can’t be used without some additional configuration. I do not recommend selecting a WiFi card for the initial installation!

   Configuration:

   Hostname: MyDebianPC

   This is what Micro$oft Windoz users would call the computer name.

   Configuration:

   Domain Name: YourOwnDomain.com

   If you are using your system on a domain, you will need to enter the domain name here. If you don’t have a domain, enter a fake one followed by .com/.net/.org or etc.

   Configuration:

   Partitioning Method: Guided-use entire disk

Configuration:

Select Disk to Partition: IDE master (hda) - 80.0 GB hitachi...

Make sure you select the drive you want Debian installed on. The disk you choose will be wiped clean and the data on that disk will be lost.

Configuration:

Partitioning Scheme: All files in one partition

Configuration:

Write Changes to Partition: yes

Configuration:

Finish partitioning and write changes to disk:

Configuration:

Write the changes to disk: yes

Configuration:

Select your timezone: Central

Configuration:

Root Password:

Enter a password for the su (super user) account.

Configuration:

Confirm Root Password:

Re-enter the same password you entered for the su (super user) account.

Configuration:

Full name for new user: Full Name

Enter the name you wish to use on your system.

Configuration:

Username for new user: Username

Enter the username you wish to use on your system.

Configuration:

password for user account:

Enter a password for the new user.

Configuration:

Confirm user password:

Re-enter the same password you entered for the new user.

Configuration:

Use network mirror: yes

Using a network mirror will download all the latest and most up to date software packages. You must have a correctly configured Network Interface for this to work. (You can skip this if it doesn’t work, and do it later!)

Configuration:

Debian archive mirror country: US

It is a good practice to select the country your system will be used in.

Configuration:

Debian archive mirror:

It is a good practice to select a mirror as close to you as possible, although this doesn’t always ensure the fastest connection or download speed.

Configuration:

Proxy:

Most people will leave this blank. Only you will know if you need to use a proxy. If you do, you will enter the proxy settings here.

Configuration:

Participate in package usage survey: yes

I always recommend that you participate in the Debian package usage survey. This survey only sends information related to your computer’s hardware and the packages you download, to the Debian Developer Base, to aid in future development. This helps make Debian better. The survey does not send identifiable personal information to Debian.

After this selection, all the selections you have made to this point will be applied and the software packages will be installed. This may take some time, so don’t be alarmed.

Configuration:

Install the Grub boot loader: yes

If Debian is the only OS (Operating System) you will be using on this machine, at one time, you will select to Install the Grub boot loader. If you are running multiple Operating Systems on this machine, you will have to do some additional configuration here, not supported by this particular user guide.

The installation will now complete. This can take a little while as well. When it is finished you will be prompted to…

Configuration:

un-mount/eject cd

At this time your CD/DVD Drive should open, allowing you to remove the CD. Then you will select the option to reboot your machine.

Congratulations, you have completed the Debian Installation/Setup Process. You can now begin using Debian. Are you ready to use it for the first time?

FIRST TIME LOGGING INTO DEBIAN. At this point, we just need to verify that your system is usable and works correctly. This section will walk you through logging in as the “$USER” you created when installing Debian GNU/Linux to your system.

1. At the Debian/GNU w/ KDE Welcome Screen, (this point forward identified as the “Welcome Screen”) log in to the GUI. To identify the “Welcome” Screen, you should see a screen displayed in shades of blue. In the middle of the screen you should see a box which states “Welcome to $HOSTNAME” with a place to type in the Username and Password. This is what you will be using to access the GUI [Graphical User Interface], similar to logging into Windows with a Username and Password. (You should also see the date displayed in the lower right-hand corner of this screen, along with “Session Type” and a “Menu” in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.)
2. Type in the Username of the personal user you created when setting up your Debian system “$USER”.
3. Type in the Password of the “$USER” and hit the [enter] key.
4. At this point the KPersonalizer will launch. The default settings are ok, so just hit the enter key to advance. (You will hit this key 5 times. Wait on the next screen before you hit the key each additional time.)
5. Once the KPersonalizer has closed you will see the Useful Tips – KTip Screen. Again, just hit the CLOSE button.
6. Hit the “K” menu button in the lower left-hand corner. (Similar to the Windows START Menu, but with a lot of items you will most likely not recognize.)
7. Select the “Run Command” option from the “K” menu. This will launch a command screen, with a box for you to type a Command to be run.
8. In that box type: “konsole” and hit the [enter] key. This will launch a Debian/GNU w/ KDE “Shell – Konsole” session. You should see a curser on command line/text interface waiting at the command prompt ($USER@HOSTNAME:~$ ) for your input.
9. With your mouse, left click once inside that program, to activate that window.
10. Then type: “exit” and hit the [enter] key. This will close the “Shell – Konsole” session.
11. Next, Hit the “K” menu button in the lower left-hand corner.
12. Select the “Log Out” option. You will get a screen titled; End Session for “$USER” and you will select the “End Current Session” option. This will take you back to the Debian/GNU w/ KDE Welcome Screen.
13. THIS STEP IS NOW COMPLETE!

The steps in this guide have been verified to work by many different people, on many different systems and with various hardware. However, neither this document, our websites, Sapphire Solutions, Ltd., I or any other person associated with Sapphire Solutions, assume any responsibility for any misprints, possible omissions, your own mistakes, your inability to follow directions, variations in code/text, variations in newer/older versions of the Operating System/Packages/Software, or accuracy of the document.

This is a “BEST EFFORT” document in that those involved in writing it have done the very best to update and maintain this document for accuracy and ease of use. However, because of all the variations and flavors of Linux/Unix we do not guarantee these steps for anyone or on any system.

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