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Debian - the universal operating system - runs on small embedded devices, on desktops and in environments composed of dozens or hundreds of machines with centralized administration. Whereas the installation and configuration of a single, individual desktop has been made easy by the [[DebianInstaller|Debian-Installer]], the deployment of a whole system environment is more involved. This is where the Debian Local Area Project comes in.
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== Resources == == Infrastructure ==

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Debian Local Area Network

Debian - the universal operating system - runs on small embedded devices, on desktops and in environments composed of dozens or hundreds of machines with centralized administration. Whereas the installation and configuration of a single, individual desktop has been made easy by the Debian-Installer, the deployment of a whole system environment is more involved. This is where the Debian Local Area Project comes in.

Goal of the Project

The goal of the "Debian Local Area Network"-project is to make setting up a local network with centralized user and machine management, intranet, etc. as easy as possible in Debian.

To do that, the project aims to provide anything needed for such systems: Documentation, Code, whatever. Currently, the best way to do that seems the FAI framework (but the project is in no way limited to FAI). A set of FAI classes and the corresponding config space has been prepared to implement a basic Debian-LAN:

  • A mainserver with Kerberos KDC and LDAP including a FAI-server to install cients.
  • Clients installed over the network from the mainserver, automounting their kerberized home directories.

In a next step, a system comparable to the debian-edu network is planned, being usefull for small enterprises, associations or university work groups. (Pure Debian Blends can use that system and add their metapackages).

Infrastructure

Before you start, it's recommended to get some familiarity with FAI:

How it works

Overview

The deployment of a Debian-LAN system needs the following steps:

  1. Install the FAI-server of the system to be deployed. This can be done by preparing a (temporary) "seed" machine or an install DVD. It is the hardest bit in the setup.
  2. As soon as the FAI-server of the system is set up, all following installations will be accomplished by that server over the network.
  3. Depending on the environment and use case, add a FAI class which contains additional package selections.

Provided Setups

  • Setup_A: Basic setup containing a mainserver with Kerberos KDC and LDAP acting as a gateway to the internet. The clients have minimalistic LXDE and Gnome Desktop environments installed.