Preparing Flash Drive as Install Medium for Debian 7

The Arrival of Debian 7.2.0

Debian has been updated to version 7.2 on 12th October 2013. The second point release incorporates miscellaneous bug fixes, security updates and an improved installer. I will be updating the install images on my USB flash drives over the weekend. Since the process tends to be rather tedious, I have decided to document the process to serve as a guide for future reference.

CD 1 Installer

The first image to be updated would be installer on CD 1. Coming at under 700 MB, the iso will fit on any flash drive with a minimum capacity of 1 GB. Download CD 1 from http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.2.0/i386/bt-cd/ and copy the iso into a flash drive with the following command:

dd if=debian-7.2.0-i386-CD-1.iso of=/dev/sdc bs=4M; sync

The image needs to be moved to /home prior to command execution. The flash drive is unmounted and referenced as the third hard disk at /dev/sdc. The block size (bs) option instructs dd to copy in 4 MB chunks. This speeds up the operation as the default block size is a mere 512 bytes.

At the end of the operation, partition the remaining free space with Disk Utility. The filesystem should be 32-bit FAT. Download firmware.zip or firmware.tar.gz from http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/firmware/stable/current/ and extract the files to the 32-bit FAT partition on the flash drive. These non-free firmware packages increase the likelihood of locating drivers necessary for a smooth installation.

Live Image

The live image of Debian is particularly handy when troubleshooting PCs. It can be used to determine when a system is failing is due to bad sectors on a hard disk, or a burnt-out graphics card. Obtain the ISO image from http://live.debian.net/files/stable/images/7.2+nonfree/i386/iso-hybrid/ and execute the command as before:

dd if=debian-live-7.2-i386-gnome-desktop+nonfree.iso of=/dev/sdc bs=4M; sync

The GNOME image is a large 1.3 GB. 2 GB flash drives will be necessary.

Integrity Check

It is always a good idea to determine if the install medium has been imaged properly. Errors during copy can occur if the the dd operation was interrupted or if the memory on the flash drive has worn out. Integrity checks can be performed by booting into the flash drive and loading the installer. Hitting the Esc key subsequently brings up a menu with the option to "Check the CD-ROM(s) integrity". If the check completes with an error message, the entire process needs to be reviewed. Perhaps the downloaded image is corrupted, which can be verified with an MD5 hash. Perhaps the flash drive is failing, which can be determined with Disk Utility. Proceed to install Debian 7 when the check completes with no errors.

Reference

• http://www.debian.org/News/2013/20131012
• http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.2.0/i386/bt-cd/
• http://www.debian.org/CD/faq/
• https://wiki.debian.org/Firmware
• http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/firmware/