Updated debian jessie/stretch installation guide

[Carlos Prieto López]

This is a guide, working on 2024, to install debian jessie or stretch on the gnubee. I wrote it because none of the instructions I've found so far on the gnubee site or the forum have worked for me. It takes parts of many comments and guides, tries to be detailed, and mentions some errors that occured to me in the way. It was followed on a debian bullseye system, and the gnubee is a PC1 model.

1. Format a USB as FAT32.

NOTE: I first used a 128GB USB3 thumb drive, and the gnubee didn't recognized it. It worked when I used a 16GB 2USB thumb drive, so take into account that big or too modern thumb drives may not work.

2. Download the following firmware

a) from th gnubee github: https://github.com/gnubee-git/gnubee-git.github.io/raw/master/debian/openwrt-ramips-mt7621-gb-pc1-squashfs-sysupgrade_2017-03-01.bin
b) in case the file dissappears in the future, I made a copy and uploaded it to MEGA: https://mega.nz/file/8iBDWBKC#oiXGGx4QQQ8QEvREZy46J3fjseJQJ87g58g5FJeBbGM

3. Copy the downloaded file to the USB and rename it to gnubee.bin

4. Plug the drive to the gnubee and turn it on. One led will flash, first rapidly, then slowly. When the led stays on (statically):

a) remove the USB drive
b) power off and on the gnubee

5. Connect either an SD card or a hard drive on the gnubee, in which debian will be installed.

NOTE: The partition which you wish to install the system must exist in the card/drive, since the installation script will only format that partition, but will not give you the chance to resize or create it.

6. Connect the black ethernet port to your router, and look for the address assigned to it in the configuration of the router. In my case it was 192.168.1.1

NOTE: This address differed in my case of all the ones mentioned in other guides/posts, and it seems not an issue of my router.

7. Access through SSH to the gnubee.

NOTE: It seems that the firmware comes with outdated encryption algotithms, so you have to connect with some options to succeed. This worked in my case:

ssh -o KexAlgorithms=+diffie-hellman-group1-sha1 ro...@192.168.1.1

NOTE: replace 192.168.1.1 if you found that the gnubee was connected to another address in your router.

   The password will be GnuBee
 
8. Install debian jessie (see step 9 to install stretch instead)

a) download the debian-jessie-install script from

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gnubee-git/GnuBee_Docs/master/GB-PCx/scripts/jessie_3.10.14/debian-jessie-install

NOTE: I uploaded the same file to https://mega.nz/file/tyhWhIKT#-VCiw_5fVuQ-jsI0_NL8vyLU9-q1J5BSzXPbxIOeQb4 in case the file dissappears in the future.

The ideal would be to download the script directly in the gnubee. However, at least in my case, this was not possible because of SSL issues in the gnubee (I guess that it was, again, old libraries in the firmware). You have some options here, downloading the file in your computer and

i) Pasting the contents trhough a ssh terminal in vi.
ii) Saving the script to a USB drive and copying it to the gnubee.

b) make the file executable, if it is not yet:

chmod +x debian-jessie-install

c) run the installer

./debian-jessie-install

the installer will show you the available partitions, and ask you to which you want to install. You should give de /dev/... path. SD card is usually /dev/mmc0pX with X a number.

d) when you are sure about the partition, type CONFIRM when asked.

NOTE: the installation script may fail downloading or processing some file. It may be due to a network error. In my case, the second execution was successfull, so retry if something fails.

9. Only follow this step if you want to install stretch instead of jessie.

a) download the same debian-jessie-install script from step 8
b) edit the file and change "jessie" for "stretch" on line 14 (line beginning with "debootstrap")
c) copy the jessie debootstrap file:

cp /usr/share/debootstrap/scripts/jessie /usr/share/debootstrap/scripts/stretch

d) edit /usr/share/debootstrap/scripts/stretch and change "release" for "main" at the beginning of the file (use the vi editor).
e) follow the rest of steps 8a) through 8d)
f) when the installation is finished, mount the partition to which debian was installed. Edit the file etc/ssh/sshd_config, and add

PermitRootLogin yes

(check also that the same option is not enabled elsewhere in the file).

10. Reboot the system

11. Connect trhough SSH. In my case, the address was, again, 192.168.1.1. The SSH options are no longer needed, and the password is still GnuBee

12. If you need it, edit /etc/network/interfaces to suit to your needs.

13. Change the cable to the blue port. I needed this because the black port was creating a network in my switch and thus not allowing other computers to connect to the internet.