Fossman Media | Post Install

Check For Available Updates

Use the following command to check the repositories for available updates. If running this command for the first time there will most likely be a fair amount of updates. These will include all of the updates and patches that have followed since the distribution was released. Running this command only checks for these updates, but does not install them.

Check for available updates

Update & Upgrade System

If you would like to install these updates, use the following command. Using the dist option will also remove any packages that where replaced and no longer needed, along with older kernel versions. Use the second command if you would like to keep these files on the system. This can be useful if you need to revert back to an older kernel in the future.

Install updates

Reboot the system
Due to the size of the initial update and upgrade it is suggested to restart the machine when it is complete. Proceeding updates typically do not require a system reboot unless the kernel or other pertinent software has been upgraded.

.bashrc

Use the following command to backup your .bashrc file. This file is run each time the terminal is open. It can be used to configure the prompt, includes system variables, aliases and various functions which aid in the operation of the system. Use the following command to backup this file.

Backup .bashrc
Duplicate the file adding the .bak extension.

.profile

Customization for the shell is included here. This file is executed each time a user logs in and starts the shell session. this file will also be loaded if the is unable to find the .bash_profile file. Any scripts you would like to run on system boot can also be placed here. Run the following command to back it up.

Backup .profile
Duplicate the file adding the .bak extension.

sources.list

This is a file which contains a list of repositories that directs the system on where to find it's packages. Making a mistake configuring this file can disable the systems ablitity to update it's packages. To back it up, use the following command

Backup sources.list
Duplicate the file adding the .bak extension.

Firewall Status

Check to see if the system has a firewall pre-installed. This command will also show any rules that have been applied. Use the following command to check it's status.

Show status of firewall
Use the verbose option to return more information.

Install UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall)

If the system was unable to find it, it's not installed. Use the following commands to do so.

Install the UFW firewall
The first command will update the repository list before installing the application.

Enable UFW

After it has been installed, enable it on startup

Enable on startup
Use the second command to confirm.

Add / Remove Rules

By default, no rules will be applied. If you would like to add any, the following commands can be used. In this example a rule for ssh will be added to the firewall which will allow all connections from this protocol

Allow SSH
Use the second command to confirm

Remove the rule
To remove a rule, use the following commands

Software Manager

To open the Software Manager, press the super key and type in software. Then, click on the Software icon. After opening the application, it should look similar to the screen-shot below. As you can see, it's also possible to update your system and to see what is already installed.

Software Manager

Search and select the package you would like to install. If you are looking for something specific, use the search option on the top right, or select a category to browser around.

Software Manager

After you have found what your looking for, click on Install

Software Manager

To launch the application, click on Launch

Or if you have changed you mind and would like to remove it, click on Remove

Terminal (single package)

Verify name and check availability

Verify the package is in the repository
This can be done using the search command

Package information
Show information about the package

Install the package
Use the first command to update the repository list and the second to install the package

Terminal (multiple packages)

Multiple packages can be installed in a single command. Each one seporated by a space, or read from a text file

Install multiple packages with dependencies

Install multiple packages specified by a text file

Installing .deb Packages

Installing .deb packgages can be done with the following commands. Installing multiple packages can be done by seporating each one by a space, or specified from given directory. If there are any dependency errors, they can be resolved by following the instructions in the next step (2).

Install a single .dep package
Use the following commands to install a .deb package located in the current working directory

Install multiple .dep packages
Use the following commands to install multiple .deb packages located in the current working directory

Install all deb packages located in a given directory
The command below will install all .deb packages located in the Downloads directory.

Resolve Dependency Errors

The following commands will verify which dependencies are missing on the system.

Resolve dependency errors
If any missing dependencies were found you will be asked if you would like to install them.

Verify dependencies were resolved
If nothing is returned, no erorrs were found

Naviage To Github

Open your browser and search for the package you are looking for followed by the word github. Then, click on the github link.

Naviage to the Github link

Copy Repository Link

click on Code and copy the https link to your clipboard

Copy the link to your clipboard

Install Git

open up a terminal and install git if not already on the system with the following commands

Install Git
After installing git, you will then be able to clone repositories from the Github website

Clone Repository

Clone the repository. This will download the contents of the link copied from the github website to the system. In this example kalitorify will be used. Type git clone followed by a space, then paste in the link that was just copied from the Github website.

Clone the repository
After executing the following command, the clone will be located in the current working directory

Methods for installing these cloned repositories can differ from application to application. It is best to refer to the included documentation provided on the github page directly from the developer of the application, to install the package the way it was intended.

You can also look for a README file within the downloaded clone directory.

Adding Directories & Files

Adding files and directories to the system can be done through a file mananger or by commands through the terminal. Using a file manager, this process can be done by adding the backup drive to the system and using copy and paste. If you would like to use the terminal, the following commands can be used.

Copy directories using a terminal command
The following command can be used to copy the entire contents of a backup drive called BACKUP to the new home directory. This method can be very useful in a post-install script that can be used to automate the process of configuring the system after it has been installed. Instructions for doing this are included in following steps, located in the AUTOMATION section near the bottom of this page.

Confirm the copied directories
Use the following command to show the conents of the Home directory

Cleanup

To remove old unused packages and left over kernels, use the following command. Use caution when executing the command below as it will remove unused kernels from the system eliminating the ability to revert back to them, if the current one is broken. After using this command you will be shown a list of packages that will be removed. Make sure to review this list before allowing it to continue. This system will prompt you to do so.

Clean up the system
Read over which packages will be removed when prompted and select 'No' if anything is listed you don't wish to remove from the system.

Reboot

After the system has been configured, it is typically good practice to reboot. Doing this will reload the kernel and apply any changes that may have occured during the customization.

Reboot the system
The system can be rebooted through the GUI interface or through the terminal. The following command will reboot the system using the terminal

Install & Launch Timeshift

Timeshift can be installed throught the GUI interface or through the terminal using the following commands

Install Timeshift

To open Timeshift... hit your super key and search for Timeshift. Then click on the icon

Snapshot Type

Select the type of snapshot to use. RSYNC is tried and true and BTRFS Is typically used on newer systems that use a more advanced type of file management. If your not sure which one to use, go with RSYNC. Then click [Next]

Snapshot Location

Select a location on your system to store your snapshots. If you partitioned your dive manually, make sure to choose your recovery partition here. If not, a separate hard drive would be preferred, but anywhere else will do. Then click [Next]

Configure Automatic Snapshots

If you would like to automatically schedule your snapshots, you can specify when here. If you prefer to handle your snapshots manually, leave all radio boxes blank. Then click [Next]

Choose What To Include

By default, your root and home directories will be excluded. This will ensure only the resources required to get the system up and running will be included in the snapshot. This is a great option if you normally back up your files to a separate drive as they do not need to be included in the snapshot. But if you would like to include them, select the include option. Then click [Next]

Finalize The Setup

Click on [Finish] to complete the setup. After doing so, the program will launch

Take A Snapshot

Now with all of the heavy lifting out of the way, all that needs to be done, is to click on [Create]. The snapshot will take from 5 to 10 minutes depending on the system and take up at least 10GB of disk space. The following snapshots will be much smaller in size and complete much faster, as it will only have to add what has been changed since the previous snapshot.

Label The Snapshot

With the install snapshot complete, give it a name. For example "base-config". This can be a useful step if your planning on taking many snapshots as you will easily be able to differentiate them.

Create Script Files

The following files will need to be created. In this example... the files will be created and run from a USB drive called POST-INSTL

post-install.sh: main script
bloat.list: list of packages to be removed
apt.list: list of packages to be added
bashrc_extras.txt: content to appended to the .bashrc file

Create directories and files

Make A Task List

Create a list of task to be automated by the script.

• Get path of backup drive
• Backup important system files
• Remove system bloat
• Add home directories and dot-files
• Install repository packages
• Install local packages (.deb's)
• Configure .bashrc
• Configure installed packages
• Clean up the system

Translate Tasks Into Commands

The following list of commands are common to all GNU/Linux based operating systems. If your distribution is Debian based, the commands can be used exactly as they are. If it's not, you will need to substitute 'apt' for your package manager.

Write The Script

This script includes all of the commands listed above with inputs for the user so they can provide a path to their backup drive and an option to continue after each step. Which will allow them to confirm each step was completed successfully before continuing with the next.

#!/usr/bin/bash

# welcome
echo ""
echo "welcome to post-install.sh"
echo ""
sleep 2

# 0. get the backup path
echo "Enter the backup path below [/media/$USER/BACKUP/home/]"
read BACKUP
sleep 2
echo ""
echo "backup path provided: $BACKUP"
sleep 1
read -p "<enter> to continue"
clear
echo ""

# 1. backup '.bashrc', .'profile', 'sources.list'
echo "backing up important dot-files..."
sleep 2
sudo cp ~/.bashrc ~/.bashrc.bak
sudo cp ~/.profile ~/.profile.bak
sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.bak
echo ""
echo "done."
read -p "<enter> to continue"
clear
echo ""

# 2. remove system bloat
echo "removing system bloat..."
sleep 2
sudo apt purge -y $(cat /media/$USER/POST-INSTL/lists/bloat.list)
echo ""
echo "done."
read -p "<enter> to continue"
clear
echo ""

# 3. add home directories and dot files
echo "adding home directories..."
sleep 2
cp -r /media/$USER/BACKUP/. /home/$USER/
echo ""
echo "done."
read -p "<enter> to continue"
clear
echo ""

# 4. install repository packages
echo "adding repository packages..."
sleep 2
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y $(cat /media/$USER/POST-INSTL/lists/apt.list)
echo ""
echo "done."
read -p "<enter> to continue"
clear
echo ""

# 5. install local packages
echo "adding local packages..."
sleep 2
sudo dpkg -i ~/.packages/*.deb
sleep 2
echo ""
echo "adding missing dependencies"
echo ""
sudo apt install -f
echo ""
echo "done."
read -p "<enter> to continue"
clear
echo ""

# 6. configure '.bashrc'
echo "adding .bashrc configurations"
sleep 2
cat /media/$USER/POST-INSTL/docs/system/bashrc_extras.txt >> ~/.bashrc
echo ""
echo "done."
read -p "<enter> to continue"
clear
echo ""

# 7. configure installed packages
echo "configure installed packages..."
sleep 2
ls /media/$USER/POST-INSTL/docs/packages/
echo ""
echo "refer to documentation provided above"
read -p "<enter> to continue"
clear
echo ""

# 8. cleanup the system
echo "cleaning up the system..."
sleep 2
sudo apt autoremove
echo ""
echo "done."
read -p "<enter> to continue"
clear
echo ""

# exit
echo "system configuration complete!"
echo ""
read -p "<enter> to exit"
sleep 2
echo "goodbye"
sleep 2
exit

Instructional Video

Click on the video below if you would like to see a tutorial of this process from start to finish.