Install Linux On PCs & Laptops – Chromebook Method

This comment has 2 parts, read the 2nd comment for the rest of the instructions.

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LINUX INSTALL OVERVIEW
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Whatever system you do have will NOT be affected during this install process. In other words, you will always have a working system during this whole procedure.

1. Download live ISO image
2. Create Debian Live USB Stick with the ISO file and a USB stick
3. Change boot order to boot from USB 1st
4. Use Debian Live USB Stick to install Debian on an SD card
5. Fixes and configurations

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Hardware Required:

– USB stick (minimum of 8 GB)
– SD or microSD card (I recommend 128 GB, but it can be smaller or larger)
– USB to SD or USB to microSD card adapter

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Linux can be run from an SD card indefinitely, and you never have to run Linux on a hard drive/SSD if you don't want to. Installing Linux onto an SD card first is a good practice because it allows us to try/test Debian Linux before committing to it, work out any fixes, and also ensures that you always have a working system during the whole install process. This also makes installing Linux on a hard drive/SSD easier. Later on I will also show how to use the Debian Live USB Stick as a portable, backup/recovery system!

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1. DOWNLOAD ISO IMAGE
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If you want to use the Chromebook Recovery Utility Method (a Chrome browser extension) to create the Debian Live USB Stick (https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/chromebook-recovery-utili/pocpnlppkickgojjlmhdmidojbmbodfm ):
Download the ISO Image using the Chrome browser on the ChromeOS side.
If you want to use the Generic Method to create the Debian Live USB Stick:
Download the ISO image from the Linux side.
If you're not familiar with Linux on a Chromebook, then watch my Linux On A Chromebook Without Rooting! Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuCbba_UxUz6_2D5fWnDzLgxfW3Q6J3yJ

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Current Debian Live ISO (if current version fails to install Linux, try a previous version. Ex. debian-live-12.2.0-amd64-lxde.iso):

Scroll down to the list of live images and click the debian-live file ending in lxde.iso (the download is about 3 GB). Other desktops are available from this list. My videos will focus on the LXDE desktop:
https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current-live/amd64/iso-hybrid/

The live ISO allows us to try Debian Linux before installing, and it also gives us a more streamlined install procedure.

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Version Debian 12.2.0:
https://cdimage.debian.org/mirror/cdimage/archive/12.2.0-live/amd64/iso-hybrid/
Scroll down to the list of live images and click debian-live-12.2.0-amd64-lxde.iso (the download is about 3 GB).

Background:

The version Debian 12.6.0 (debian-live-12.6.0-amd64-lxde.iso), will fail to install Linux.
The error message is: "Command <i>/usr/sbin/bootloader-config</i> failed to finish in 600 seconds. There was no output from the command."
Bug report (Same issue, different desktop, different day):
https://lists.debian.org/debian-boot/2023/06/msg00074.html
How does this make it through Debian/Calamares quality assurance and into publication? Only Debian knows for sure.

Good news! Debian uses a best practice of archiving earlier versions which are readily available from their website:
https://cdimage.debian.org/mirror/cdimage/archive/

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2. CREATE DEBIAN LIVE USB STICK
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Chromebook Recovery Utility Method:

From the Chrome browser, in the Chrome Web Store, add the Chromebook Recovery Utility browser extension:
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/chromebook-recovery-utili/pocpnlppkickgojjlmhdmidojbmbodfm
Click the Extensions button (puzzle piece icon at the top right of the Chrome browser).
Select Chromebook Recovery Utility.
Click the gear icon at the top right of the window > select Use local image
Select the .iso file (if .iso file isn't visible, zip it, and try selecting it again) > Click Open button
Plug the USB stick into the Chromebook.
Click the Select pull-down and select the USB Stick.
Click the Continue button from the bottom right > click the Create now button
Click the Done button when finished.
Open the Files app:
If the USB stick is mounted, click the eject button.
Unplug the USB stick from the Chromebook.

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Generic Method:

Plug the USB stick into the Chromebook.
Format USB Stick as FAT32:
Open Files app from Chrome side > right click USB stick > select Format device
Name the USB Drive (can be anything) and select FAT32 for the Format.
Click Erase and Format button.
From Linux, open a terminal and extract the files from the .iso file and place them in the home directory, inside a folder called hold. Then copy the splash images so they are in the correct folder (Watch Linux On A Chromebook Without Rooting! Playlist if you are unfamiliar with Linux on a Chromebook: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuCbba_UxUz6_2D5fWnDzLgxfW3Q6J3yJ ):
7z x <.iso file name> -o$HOME/hold
cp ~/hold/isolinux/splash* ~/hold/boot/grub
Open Files app from the ChromeOS side:
Linux files > hold
Click 3 dot menu button from top right > select Show hidden files
Ctrl+A to select all files, Ctrl+C to copy all files.
Select the USB Stick > Ctrl+V to paste everything
When everything is copied, click the eject button next to the USB stick.

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3. CHANGE BOOT ORDER
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When booting, "Boot Menu" allows us to temporarily change the boot order for the current boot, to boot from USB first. "Setup" allows us to permanently change the boot order to boot from USB first (I STRONGLY recommend taking a picture with a phone before permanently changing the boot order). To choose what to boot from or access the boot order, key(s) need to be pressed before the computer completely starts up. The key(s) and screens for choosing what to boot from and changing the boot order will vary for every system. Common places the key(s) can be found are:
– Screen that pops up before the computer completely boots up
– Written somewhere on the computer
– Search online for "<manufacture> <model> boot order"

At the GRUB menu, press Enter to start Debian Linux, the first item should already be selected (Live system (amd64)). Live versions will not start as fast, be patient.

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4. INSTALL DEBIAN ONTO AN SD CARD
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Disable Screensaver (prevents install interference):
Menu > Preferences > XScreenSaver Settings
Mode pull-down > select Disable Screen Saver

Plug in the SD Card, click OK button for any window that pops up and close any file manager windows.

Install Linux onto the SD card:

Double click Install Debian icon on the Desktop.
Select language > click Next button
Location:
Select Region & Zone > click Next button
Keyboard:
Select Keyboard layout > click Next button
Partitions:
Click the Select storage device pull-down and select the SD card.
Make sure the SD card is selected or else the install will wipe out your main system!
Select Manual partitioning > click Next button
Click New Partition Table button > select GUID Partition Table (GPT) > click OK button
Select Free Space > click Create button > set the following:
Size: 500 MiB
File System: fat32
Mount Point: /boot/efi
FS Label: boot
Flags: check the boot flag
Click the OK button.
Select Free Space > click Create button > set the following:
Size: No change (leave the rest of the space to this partition)
File System: ext4
Mount Point: /
FS Label: main
Flags: don't check any flags
Click the OK button
Click the Next button.
Users:
Set desired names and password.
Check the box to Log in automatically without asking for the password.
Click the Next button.
Summary:
Last chance to check that Linux is being installed on the SD card and NOT the main system.
When ready, click the Install button.

When the install is done, uncheck the Restart now box and click the Done button.

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5. FIXES & CONFIGURATIONS
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Prevent SD card wear and tear:
– No swap partition (already done during install setup)
– Send tmp & log files to RAM
– Disable journaling

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Send tmp and log files to RAM (prevents SD card wear and tear):

Unplug the SD card from the computer.
Plug the SD card back into the computer.
Click the OK button for the window that pops up and close any file manager windows.
Menu > select Run > execute sudo pcmanfm to open the file manager with root.
From the file manager window, go to /media/user/main/etc
Right click fstab file and open it with Mousepad.
File menu > select Save As > save the copy as fstab.bak
Close Mousepad.
Open original fstab file with Mousepad again, and add the following lines:

tmpfs /var/log tmpfs defaults,noatime 0 0
tmpfs /var/tmp tmpfs defaults,noatime 0 0
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs defaults,noatime 0 0

File menu > select Save > close Mousepad

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Further instructions are in the 2nd comment.

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