Post install checklist:
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[[File:Debian-logo.svg|100px|right]][http://www.debian.org/intro/about Debian] is a free operating system
(OS) for your computer. An operating system is
the
set of basic programs and utilities that make your computer run. Debian uses the Linux
[http://www.kernel.org kernel]
(the core of an operating system)
, but most of the basic OS tools come from the [http://www.gnu.org GNU project]; hence the name GNU/Linux.
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[[File:Debian-logo.svg|100px|right]][http://www.debian.org/intro/about Debian] is a free operating system
using
the [http://www.kernel.org
Linux
kernel], but most of the basic OS tools come from the [http://www.gnu.org GNU project]; hence the name GNU/Linux. At Organic Design we install Debian on our [[server]]s using the [[install a new server]] [[procedure]], and have been using it for over ten years.
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At Organic Design we install Debian on our [[server]]s using the [[install a new server]] [[procedure]], and have been using it for over ten years.
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As of June 2013 we decided to change from [[Ubuntu]] to Debian for our workstations as well since Ubuntu is increasingly becoming the "microsoft of the free software world" with pay software and services at every corner and [http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/ubuntu-spyware-what-to-do compulsory spyware] riddled throughout system.
As of June 2013 we decided to change from [[Ubuntu]] to Debian for our workstations as well since Ubuntu is increasingly becoming the "microsoft of the free software world" with pay software and services at every corner and [http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/ubuntu-spyware-what-to-do compulsory spyware] riddled throughout system.
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== Post install checklist ==
== Post install checklist ==
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=== APT ===
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*Advanced settings (then add all buttons to windows from shell menu, also fonts, see below)
*subversion
*subversion
*git
*git
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*p7zip-full
*python-qt4
*python-qt4
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=== Software center ===
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*Advanced settings (then add all buttons to windows from shell menu)
*Geany
*Geany
*VLC
*VLC
*Pidgin (with OTR and plugin pack and copy backed up .purple after install)
*Pidgin (with OTR and plugin pack and copy backed up .purple after install)
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*
Thunderbird
(install enigmail
and import keys or close, copy and chown backed up .gnupg dir and reboot - and don
'
t forget to [
[:
File:Enigmail_send_key_setting
.
jpg|set this
]
])
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*
Icedove
(
Thunderbird - '''apt-get
install
icedove
enigmail'
'')
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*Skype
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*Skype - details on installation from the i386 .deb with MultiArch
[
http
:
//wiki
.
debian.org/skype#Debian_7.0_.22Wheezy.22 here
]
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*Gimp
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*World clock
(zones in ''~/.tzlist'', use custom format ''%H:%M (%A)'')
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*World clock
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=== Other ===
=== Other ===
*[[Bitmessage]] (needs python-qt4 and install the local email client support)
*[[Bitmessage]] (needs python-qt4 and install the local email client support)
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*Fonts - all the fonts looked a bit ugly, in advanced settings I changed them to plain sans, reduced the 11pt size to 10pt and changed the hinting to "slight".
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*Icons (gnome-brave-icon-theme, then set in advanced settings/theme)
== SSD optimisation ==
== SSD optimisation ==
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I've had one too many mechanical disk failures and have finally decided to move over to SSD. They still have a long way to go as a technology since they still suffer from the major problem of flash technology in general which is that each memory bit can only be written to a thousand times (3 thousand on the most recent technology). So I'm just going to get a small cheap one initially and hopefully in six months or so they'll be longer lasting and more practical sizes. I'll be most likely going for a 120GB Samgsung 840 series, and [http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-laptop-ssd-for-most-is-the-samsung-840/ here's why].
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I've had one too many mechanical disk failures and have finally decided to move over to SSD. They still have a long way to go as a technology since they still suffer from the major problem of flash technology in general which is that each memory bit can only be written to a thousand times (3 thousand on the most recent technology). So I'm just going to get a small cheap one initially and hopefully in six months or so they'll be longer lasting and more practical sizes. I'll be most likely going for a 120GB Samgsung 840 series, and [http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-laptop-ssd-for-most-is-the-samsung-840/ here's why].
Most of the following is taken from
[http://wiki.debian.org/SSDOptimization?action=show&redirect=SSDoptimization SSD optimisation]
in
the Debian wiki
, and another good artile [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Solid_State_Drives here] in the Arch Linux wiki.
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*
[http://wiki.debian.org/SSDOptimization?action=show&redirect=SSDoptimization SSD optimisation]
''-
the Debian wiki
page''
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You can move /var/run and /var/lock to a RAM filing system simply by editing /etc/default/rcS and changing the following two lines for ''RAMRUN'' and ''RAMLOCK'' from ''no'' to ''yes''.
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=== Swap ===
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Most systems these days have enough RAM that they rarely ever use the swap file at all unless there's a bug that chews up memory. If you have 4GB or more you may as well disable the swap partition completely from ''/etc/fstab'' or by installing your OS with no swap in the first place.
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=== Mount options ===
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There are some important mount options that should be enabled in ''/etc/fstab'' for the filesystem on SSD paritions. The filesystem should be ''ext4'' not ''ext3'' to work well with an SSD.
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*'''discard:''' SSD's use the [[w:TRIM|ATA TRIM command]] for sustained long-term performance and wear-leveling, but it needs to be activated by adding the ''discard'' mount option.
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*'''noatime:''' Use this option to prevent logging of read accesses to the file system via an update to the ''atime'' information associated with the file.
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*'''commit=N:''' Set this to the number of seconds to wait before committing changes to the physical storage. By waiting longer before performing a journal commit multiple writes are often performed in one go. This option is often ised on laptops when running on battery to reduce the number of spinups for the drive saving power.
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=== Using RAM disk ===
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You can move
''
/var/run
''
and
''
/var/lock
''
to a RAM filing system simply by editing
''
/etc/default/rcS
''
and changing the following two lines for ''RAMRUN'' and ''RAMLOCK'' from ''no'' to ''yes''
. Note, check ''mount'' first some OS's such as [[Ubuntu]] already mount these into ''tmpfs'' by default.
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To mount ''/tmp'' and ''/var/log'' in RAM. Add these lines to the end of ''/etc/fstab'' to mount them in ''tmpfs'' (temporary file system):
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{{code|
}}
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Save, then ''sudo mount -a'' and reboot for the changes to take effect. Running ''df'', you should see a new line with ''/tmp'', and ''/var/log'' mounted on ''tmpfs''.
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My current ''/etc/fstab'' file looks like this:
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{{code|
}}
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== Iceweasel (Firefox) ==
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Mozilla's conditions for use of their trademarked names require that distro's using their products clear any patches with them first, but in Debians view this compromised their own strict seurity measures so rather than this they opted to hange the branding of the products. Debian's fork of Firefox is [http://wiki.debian.org/Iceweasel Iceweasel].
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First install ''Video Download Helper'' and ''Firebug'' addons
.
Firefox downloads webpages from links it thinks you may click. This may make the experience seem faster but really it just bogs down Firefox and your netbook. Type ''about:config'' in the address bar, then set ''network.prefetch-next'' to ''false''.
Firefox downloads webpages from links it thinks you may click. This may make the experience seem faster but really it just bogs down Firefox and your netbook. Type ''about:config'' in the address bar, then set ''network.prefetch-next'' to ''false''.
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== Centrino Wireless-N 1030 ==
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This was not included by default in the first installation DVD of Debian 7 so I had to do the following after installation:
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{{code|
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echo "deb http://http.debian.net/debian/ wheezy main contrib non-free" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
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apt-get update
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apt-get install firmware-iwlwifi
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modprobe -r iwlwifi ; modprobe iwlwifi
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}}
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== Bluetooth ==
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I found that I couldn't get any of my bluetooth devices to pair in the default install of Debian 7. The devices would show up in the detected list and the pairing process would initiate properly, but would then fail to complete. Using the ''bluez'' tools from the terminal worked though with the following procedure I found [http://www.ctheroux.com/2012/08/a-step-by-step-guide-to-setup-a-bluetooth-keyboard-and-mouse-on-the-raspberry-pi/ here].
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{{code|
hcitool scan
}}
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This process gives you the MAC address of your device which you can then begin the pairing process with as follows. This will ask you for the pin which you type in to your device etc or use ''0000'' if it's a device like a mouse or headset.
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{{code|
bluez-simple-agent hci0 12:34:56:78:9A:BC
}}
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You then make the device trusted so that it can automatically connect in future:
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{{code|
bluez-test-device trusted 12:34:56:78:9A:BC yes
}}
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And then finally, connect to the device:
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{{code|
bluez-test-input connect 12:34:56:78:9A:BC
}}
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It should now be shown as normal in the bluetooth menus and settings window and should connect automatically when the session starts.
== See also ==
== See also ==