[GTALUG] Advice -- Building Debian 8 PC To Replace Win XP PC;

[o1bigtenor]

On Mon, Aug 1, 2016 at 9:52 AM, Steve Petrie, P.Eng. via talk
<talk at gtalug.org> wrote:
> Hello Dee,
>
> Thanks for your message.
>
> My comments are inline below.
>
> Steve
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "o1bigtenor" <o1bigtenor at gmail.com>
> To: "Steve Petrie, P.Eng." <apetrie at aspetrie.net>; "GTALUG Talk"
> <talk at gtalug.org>
> Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2016 8:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [GTALUG] Advice -- Building Debian 8 PC To Replace Win XP PC;
>
>
>> On Sat, Jul 30, 2016 at 12:24 AM, Steve Petrie, P.Eng. via talk
>> <talk at gtalug.org> wrote:
>> snip
>
>
> <snip>
>
>> I cannot speak to whether or not it is actually supported but I can tell
>> you
>> that you can install Linux (Debian in my case) on a system with both
>> secure boot and UEFI.
>>
>
> You are correct -- according to the debian 8 docs, there is (improved) UEFI
> support in debian 8. It is the secure boot that is not supported.
>
>> (My system was in for warranty repair and when I got it back the main
>> system disc had been replaced. As well the windows boot manager had
>> been enabled (and used), all this even though I had had Debian (testing)
>> installed previously.
>
>
> (Shudder.)
>
> So, is it a correct presumption that, when you got the system back from
> warranty repair, the new main system disk had been configured with a PC
> seller's "standard" Microsoft Windows installation, setup to secure boot
> only windows, through the windows boot manager?

No - - - but as I have 4 hdd and 1 sdd and 1 optical drive (blue ray for
backups and cdroms and dvds) they 'added' that as that would be normal
practice.
>
> I am hoping that it will be feasible for me to specify to the PC system
> builder, both: 1. HDD partitioning configuration (there's only one HDD), and
> 2. multi-boot setup (ready for a drop-in debian 8 installation). So the
> debian installation I will do myself, requires minimal messing with the boot
> setup.

What I would suggest is that you have win??? installed but ask for it to be
in a 80 GB directory.

I do not have win system running on base metal. I have win7pro running on
a VM that isn't allowed outside access (in an electronic jail as it were!).
>
>> This were not straightforward but I was able to get
>> things to where I wanted them. Had to disable the windows boot manager
>> and use the UEFI disc configuration (gpart/gparted is your friend here!)
>> and then determine how to work through the secure boot malaise.
>> What I did I don't remember
>
>
> Too bad you don't remember.
>
> But, do you now have your PC configured with multi-boot, so you can boot on
> bare metal, either: 1. Microsoft Windows or 2. debian Linux?
>
> If you do have such a multi-boot setup operational, may I come back and pick
> your brain on your multi-boot setup? (After I have updated my proposed PC
> hardware configuration per GTALUG advice, and also established revised
> benchmark pricing through PCPartPicker.)

I would be willing to field questions with the provisio that I am no expert
just a persevering kind of idiot!
Multi-boot isn't hard to effect. I just so mistrust M$ that I won't
run a system
on the web.
>
>> just remember that it was quite an odessey and
>> more than somewhat frustrating but I was successful - - - and I'm not
>> at all competent as a programmer nor any kind of 'under the hood' person
>> when it comes to computers. I'm just a tool user when it comes to
>> computers at this point and wishing I could keep it there!)
>>
>
> The "odessey" part I can relate to. I like to refer to those kinds of
> struggles as "character building".
>
> I'm a computer-tool user also, but I do have programming skills, and a
> certain comfort level getting under the hood. However, I would like to
> minimize the dirty hands, by researching ahead and developing an
> understanding of the multi-boot setup (windows + debian).
>
> My preferred scenario has the PC system builder delivering the new PC, with
> Microsoft Windows 7 (OEM) installed to boot onto bare metal, but with a
> pre-agreed HDD partitioning and multi-boot setup, so it's a straightforward
> drop-in installation task, for me to add a debian 8 Linux, that also boots
> onto bare metal. The idea is to avoid wiping the windows installation and
> boot setup, as delivered by the PC system builder, so as to keep the system
> builder committed to my mental health :)

I dealt with a company in western Canada called Memory Express and found that
the sales person I dealt with worked as hard for me as she did for her firm and
I have worked with her since on issues so there are people out there that will
work with you.

Would suggest that you just ask them to place Win7Pro in a directory of xx GB
in size and then things will be much easier for you. It is possible to
shrink the
partition from complete disc to something reasonable but that's a pain.

The other option is to let them build the system as they normally do.
Buy your oem win7pro disc.
Get system home use system repair disc to boot system and use gparted
to shrink the win requirements. There are some things to remember doing
that - - those I think I can help with.
Then install Debian (I went with testing cause I don't like being way behind
the curve).
Make sure Debian is working.
Then reinstall win7 on the partition(s) you have for it.
Make sure both win and debian systems are working.
Get working.

This is more of a PITA but it saves a lot of headache at the build shop.
>
> Once the new Linux PC is settled in and working, as a windows + debian
> multi-boot system, I'd be happy to document in detail, the whole partition
> configuration and multi-boot setup.

I thought of doing that but it was a long enough and painful enough a process
that I didn't note EVERYTHING and that's why I have nothing concrete to
give you at this time.
>
> To add complication, I would like, once the new PC is booting debian Linux
> from the HDD onto bare metal, to imrove performance by providing for debian
> to boot (mostly) from a "shadow" copy on the HDD, and then do all subsequent
> dynamic loading of debian components, from the SSD.

Would love to be able to do that myself

TTYL

Dee