Lean installation in VirtualBox

Lean installation in VirtualBox By: useResa Date: March 06, 2007, 04:46:05 PM
Followed your instructions as described in xorg is not Linux to set up a new Debian installation in VirtualBox.

I have used the netinst CD and installed only the basis.

After this I logged in as root and altered the sources.list and added debian-multimedia as described in this thread on the Debian Forums.
Installation of the required key is clearly described in the FAQ at http://www.debian-multimedia.org.
After the modification of the sources.list I performed an

Code:

apt-get update

.

Now I started the installation of the packages I liked to have, so I did

Code:

apt-get install gnome-core xorg powernowd cpufrequtils build-essential module-assistant alsa-base alsa-utils alsa-oss mozplugger mplayer libdvdcss2 ffmpeg iceweasel icedove gcc linux-headers-`uname -r` gconf-editor sudo

NOTE 1: gcc linux-headers-`uname -r` and build-essential are required to install the VirtualBox Additions that improve mouse movement and graphics.
NOTE 2: I prefer IceWeasel to Opera so I chose to install this and the "matching" mail client IceDove.
NOTE 3: gconf-editor I installed because I like a clean desktop and it is an easy way to remove the default icons from the desktop and I like sudo therefor I also added this to the list.

Now I rebooted, logged back in and started x.

I now installed VirtualBox Additions.
Last but not least I have made the desktop more appealing (no screenshot attached due to the limited allowable attachment size [190Kb] Sad

).

However, I do have some questions:

How can I get the startup screen? Opposed to the current situation where I have to login and then type startx
I can only log out and do not have a shutdown "button". How can I get this?

Now I have to decide what other applications I would like to have in addition to the current ones installed Wink

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: machiner Date: March 06, 2007, 04:53:43 PM
Righteous outline, Resa -- thanks. Although -- the debian-multimedia and key info is clearly referenced in a number of places on debiantutorials.org.

Wink

Oh, I'm just being a beatch. Pfft!

Rock On.

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: useResa Date: March 06, 2007, 05:07:27 PM

Quote from: machiner on March 06, 2007, 04:53:43 PM

Righteous outline, Resa -- thanks. Although -- the debian-multimedia and key info is clearly referenced in a number of places on debiantutorials.org.

Sorry about this, should I modify the links in my first post?

Quote from: machiner on March 06, 2007, 04:53:43 PM

Oh, I'm just being a beatch. Pfft!

No worries.

Could you still reply to my questions?

Quote from: useResa on March 06, 2007, 04:46:05 PM

However, I do have some questions:

How can I get the startup screen? Opposed to the current situation where I have to login and then type startx
I can only log out and do not have a shutdown "button". How can I get this?

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: machiner Date: March 06, 2007, 05:17:54 PM
d'oh -- didn't even see the questions. Sorry --

Startup screen in where? Your virtual install or regular Debian install? You will have your startup screen after a reboot. So, in your virtualized Debian install you'll neet to "shut down" Debian, then restart the image. A reboot in a normal Debian install is all that's necessary to get a regular (X)DM login screen.

To shutdown, if so handicapped momentarilary -- become root, and then type halt

You'll be good-to-go. Naah -- don't remove those links that you refered to for marilat info -- hell, no. People use what they use. More power to ya!

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: useResa Date: March 06, 2007, 05:24:03 PM

Quote from: machiner on March 06, 2007, 05:17:54 PM

Startup screen in where? Your virtual install or regular Debian install? You will have your startup screen after a reboot. So, in your virtualized Debian install you'll neet to "shut down" Debian, then restart the image. A reboot in a normal Debian install is all that's necessary to get a regular (X)DM login screen.

Sorry for not being clear, I mean the GNOME(?) startup screen, the one where I can enter my username and password.
Currently I startup in terminal mode, have to log in and type startx.

The only option I now have for shutting down is to "log off", which takes me back to the terminal.
In the terminal I now type sudo shutdown -h now (was not aware of the halt command).
I prefer to have the additional option shutdown in my desktop so I am no longer taken back to the terminal.

Hope that this clarifies my question.

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: machiner Date: March 07, 2007, 11:57:39 AM
the (X)dm is your "gnome startup screen". Gnome's is GDM, KDE's id KDM, X's is XDM. They are the pretty login screen that you see when you goto log into your desktop.

I looked in your apt-get install string and you chose gnome-core (like I do) then you must lso install gdm as well. See you used the wrong install tutorial...LOL.

OK -- I'm done. Sorry. Sheesh.

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: machiner Date: March 07, 2007, 11:59:24 AM
...oh, I forgot, another nit-pick with the install string that you used. If you install build-essential then gcc will be installed as well. It's a dep, gotta be there.

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: useResa Date: March 07, 2007, 12:30:09 PM

Quote from: machiner on March 07, 2007, 11:57:39 AM

the (X)dm is your "gnome startup screen". Gnome's is GDM, KDE's id KDM, X's is XDM. They are the pretty login screen that you see when you goto log into your desktop.

I looked in your apt-get install string and you chose gnome-core (like I do) then you must lso install gdm as well. See you used the wrong install tutorial...LOL.

Thank you installation of gdm did add both the login screen and the shutdown button.
Additionally I also installed (as suggested/recommended) apmd, zenity and gdm-themes.

Quote from: machiner on March 07, 2007, 11:59:24 AM

...oh, I forgot, another nit-pick with the install string that you used. If you install build-essential then gcc will be installed as well. It's a dep, gotta be there.

Didn't know this, thanks for the explanation.

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: useResa Date: March 07, 2007, 03:10:06 PM
Today I noticed a funny thing with the installation of the VirtualBox Additions.
Installation of these Additions modifies your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file.
But I noticed that the display wasn't all that well and furthermore my mouse was not released automatically (one of the main advantage of installing the Additions).
Turned out that the xorg.conf file is backed up (renamed to xorg.conf.bak) but that there was NO new xorg.conf file!

So what did I do:
Copied the xorg.conf.bak file to get an xorg.conf file

Code:

cd /etc/X11
sudo cp xorg.conf.bak xorg.conf

Next I altered the mouse driver and video card driver in the xorg.conf file.
To do this do (assuming your still in the /etc/X11 directory)

Code:

sudo gedit xorg.conf

Find

Quote

Section "InputDevice"
   Identifier   "Configured Mouse"
   Driver      "mouse"
   Option      "CorePointer"
   Option      "Device"      "/dev/input/mice"
   Option      "Protocol"      "ImPS/2"
   Option      "Emulate3Buttons"   "true"
EndSection

and alter the text after Driver from mouse to vboxmouse.
Next find

Quote

Section "Device"
   Identifier   "Generic Video Card"
   Driver      "vesa"
   BusID      "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection

and alter "vesa" into "vboxvideo".

Restart the desktop (you can use VM --> Insert Ctrl-Alt-Backspace) and your done!

Should the text in your browser (I have IceWeasel) still look very poor, you can resolve this by doing:

Code:

sudo apt-get install msttcorefonts

.
Now this looks readable too!

For now I am pleased with my settings.
Should I find out some more, I promise to add this to this thread.

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: machiner Date: March 07, 2007, 04:24:08 PM
So, you're getting pretty savy with that virtualization appy. Thanks for posting your findings and remedies here. Grin

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: useResa Date: March 07, 2007, 04:37:10 PM

Quote from: machiner on March 07, 2007, 04:24:08 PM

So, you're getting pretty savy with that virtualization appy.

I'm finding my way ... slowly
But it was the knowledge of xorg.conf and what alters in there that helped me out the most.
(And boy how do you learn your xorg.conf when you have an Nvidia driver Wink

)

Quote from: machiner on March 07, 2007, 04:24:08 PM

Thanks for posting your findings and remedies here. Grin

Anytime.

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: machiner Date: June 20, 2007, 10:22:06 AM
Virtualbox has repos for us Debian minded folk. And for the Debian based distros:

deb http://www.virtualbox.org/debian feisty non-free
deb http://www.virtualbox.org/debian edgy non-free
deb http://www.virtualbox.org/debian dapper non-free
deb http://www.virtualbox.org/debian etch non-free
deb http://www.virtualbox.org/debian sarge non-free
deb http://www.virtualbox.org/debian xandros4.0-xn non-free

See this page: http://virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Re: Lean installation in VirtualBox By: useResa Date: June 20, 2007, 12:49:07 PM
This is nice! Will certainly simplify the installation.