Debian 8

[David]

I have loaded Debian 8 on to a 64 bit pc.

Everything went well until I came to configure it, the local screen is
blank, but if I SSH into the box it works. But I can only logon as a
user.

I need to be able to logon as root to make changes. I've tried sudu,
but as the sudo program has not been loaded I cant.

Can any body suggest how to logon as root.

David.

[David Wright]

Log in as a user, then type:

/bin/su -

and type the root password.

Cheers,
David.

[Anssi Saari]

Run

su -

as user and give root password to become root?

[The Wanderer]

On 2022-09-29 at 10:09, David wrote:

> I have loaded Debian 8 on to a 64 bit pc.

Why? The current release is Debian 11, and Debian 8 is old enough that
I'd be surprised if it were getting any support at all. Is there some
specific purpose for which you specifically need to install/run an
outdated version of Debian, with all the associated outdated software?

> Everything went well until I came to configure it, the local screen
> is blank,

That suggests a video-driver problem. If you get display at the GRUB
menu, there are kernel command-line options you might try, but the exact
ones you'd need may vary depending on the video hardware you're using.

> but if I SSH into the box it works. But I can only logon as a user.

That's a security feature; by default (there's a config-file option to
change this), the SSH daemon won't accept remote login attempts for root.

> I need to be able to logon as root to make changes. I've tried sudu,
> but as the sudo program has not been loaded I cant.
>
> Can any body suggest how to logon as root.

At first blush:

Log in as a non-root user.

Run the command 'su -'.

Enter the root password.


If you don't know the root password, then unless you can get into that
hard drive and set the password by another means (attach it to another
computer, boot to another *nix install, become root, chroot into the
hard drive, and run 'passwd'? or do a rescue-environment live-media boot
without moving the drive between computers, and chroot in the same
way?), you're probably SOL and will need to reinstall, making different
choices so that sudo is present and enabled.

--
The Wanderer

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all
progress depends on the unreasonable man. -- George Bernard Shaw

[David]

Thanks everybody, I am now logged in as root.

The reason for Debian 8 is the software I want to run on it.

David.

[Andrew M.A. Cater]

David,

Debian 8 is well beyond Debian support, reaching the end of LTS on 30/6/2020.

Wipe this: install Debian 11. Ideally, use the firmware .iso to install to
help provide necessary firmware - https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/11.5.0+nonfree/amd64/iso-cd/firmware-11.5.0-amd64-netinst.iso

It may help us to help you further if you can outline what machine this is for
and what you intend to use it for.

All the very best,

Andy Cater

[Andy Smith]

Hello,

On Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 03:43:32PM +0100, David wrote:
> The reason for Debian 8 is the software I want to run on it.

This is a really bad idea. The whole thing is lacking security
fixes, so it will only continue to get worse.

If there was no way to make this software work on a non-obsolete
operating system and there was no way to avoid running the software,
I'd be looking into more extreme measures like running just that app
in a chroot or container on an otherwise up to date system.

Cheers,
Andy

--
https://bitfolk.com/ -- No-nonsense VPS hosting

[hede]

Am 29.09.2022 18:02, schrieb Andy Smith:
> Hello,
>
> On Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 03:43:32PM +0100, David wrote:
>> The reason for Debian 8 is the software I want to run on it.
>
> This is a really bad idea. The whole thing is lacking security
> fixes, so it will only continue to get worse.
>
> If there was no way to make this software work on a non-obsolete
> operating system and there was no way to avoid running the software,
> I'd be looking into more extreme measures like running just that app
> in a chroot or container on an otherwise up to date system.

That was also my first thought. I'd also prefer this one in most cases.
But a native system could also have its reasons. For example if an old
(proprietary) machine control system needs old drivers or an old kernel
and full control of hardware (for example for some bit banging
interface).

And a solution with old and unsupported software doesn't have to mean
you cannot operate it in a secure manner. If there's a dedicated or
secured network (DMZ, firewalled, no direct internet access, etc.) or
even for offline systems I see no reason not to do it.

hede

[David]

The software I want to run is provided by Ubiquity as an NVR for their
cameras, I have versions for Debian 7, 8 & 9.

This software also needs the Mongoo data base which is only available
for Debian 8 & 11.

Hence as I see it Debian 8 was my only choice.

My other choice would be to re-flash the cameras and find an NVR to
suit, but I haven't found anything suitable.

Unless anybody can make a suggestion, my son-in-law also has the same
issue.

David.

[to...@tuxteam.de]

On Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 08:13:56PM +0100, David wrote:

[...]

> The software I want to run is provided by Ubiquity as an NVR for their
> cameras, I have versions for Debian 7, 8 & 9.

I think the warnings from both Andys and hede are a bit too one-sided,
if well-meant.

If you need to install an older Debian, that's what the archives are
for, after all (I had to, for a customer's embedded system, and the
archives were invaluable for the system itself as well as for the
chroot cross-compile environment to create specific binaries: said
system had 4 megabytes of RAM and 4 megabytes of flash (yes *mega*,
you read correctly) so no chance a current debian could play there).

You should somewhat know what you are doing: exposing such a system
to the wide internet would be asking for trouble, of course. I wouldn't
use that as my "dayly driver" without a very good reason, either.

Generalizations always suck :-)

Cheers
--
t

[hede]

Am 29.09.2022 21:40, schrieb to...@tuxteam.de:
> On Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 08:13:56PM +0100, David wrote:
>
> [...]
>
>> The software I want to run is provided by Ubiquity as an NVR for their
>> cameras, I have versions for Debian 7, 8 & 9.
>
> I think the warnings from both Andys and hede are a bit too one-sided,
> if well-meant.

Where's my one-sided warning? It's quite the opposite, as I clearly
stated there are good reasons to do so.

> If you need to install an older Debian, that's what the archives are
> for, after all (I had to, for a customer's embedded system, and the
> archives were invaluable for the system itself as well as for the
> chroot cross-compile environment to create specific binaries:

Yes, archive.debian.org is your friend here.

> said
> system had 4 megabytes of RAM and 4 megabytes of flash (yes *mega*,
> you read correctly) so no chance a current debian could play there).

I doubt you are doing anything useful with something like Debian 8 and 4
MB of RAM, I bet it was way older. The smallest system I'd ever use with
a post-2000 Linux had 32 MB of RAM and used Linux 2.4 even after way
newer kernels were released, for reasons.

> You should somewhat know what you are doing: exposing such a system
> to the wide internet would be asking for trouble, of course.

of course; and hopefully David will take this into account.

> I wouldn't
> use that as my "dayly driver" without a very good reason, either.

There is a good reason if the software runs way easier with Debian 8.
Some internal camera network should be possible to operate separated
from the internet. Data transfers and user/admin access can be filtered
and/or VPNed. If the alternative is to buy new cameras and if money does
matter, I'd do so.

So good luck with your working root access now, David :-)

hede

[to...@tuxteam.de]

On Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 11:38:07PM +0200, hede wrote:
> Am 29.09.2022 21:40, schrieb to...@tuxteam.de:
> > On Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 08:13:56PM +0100, David wrote:
> >
> > [...]
> >
> > > The software I want to run is provided by Ubiquity as an NVR for their
> > > cameras, I have versions for Debian 7, 8 & 9.
> >
> > I think the warnings from both Andys and hede are a bit too one-sided,
> > if well-meant.
>
> Where's my one-sided warning? It's quite the opposite, as I clearly stated
> there are good reasons to do so.

I take that back, then :)

(now seriously: sorry for my sloppy reading)

> > If you need to install an older Debian, that's what the archives are

> > for [...]

> Yes, archive.debian.org is your friend here.

> I doubt you are doing anything useful with something like Debian 8 and 4 MB
> of RAM, I bet it was way older. The smallest system I'd ever use with a
> post-2000 Linux had 32 MB of RAM and used Linux 2.4 even after way newer
> kernels were released, for reasons.

It's a while ago, but ISTR it was Wheezy.

> So good luck with your working root access now, David :-)

Absolutely.

Cheers
--
t