How to use the command mmdebstrap (with examples)

The mmdebstrap command is a tool used to create Debian chroots. It is an alternative to the debootstrap command and provides additional features and functionality. This article will illustrate the use of mmdebstrap in three different scenarios.

Use case 1: Create a Debian Stable directory chroot

Code:

sudo mmdebstrap stable path/to/debian-root/

Motivation: Creating a Debian Stable directory chroot can be helpful in scenarios where you want to isolate a specific version of Debian for testing or development purposes. This allows you to have a dedicated environment to work with without affecting your main system.

Explanation:

• sudo: This command is prefixed with sudo to ensure the mmdebstrap command runs with root privileges. This may be necessary to create the chroot in certain directories.
• mmdebstrap: The mmdebstrap command itself, used to create the Debian chroot.
• stable: Specifies the Debian release to use. In this case, we are using the Stable release.
• path/to/debian-root/: Specifies the path where the Debian Stable chroot should be created. Replace path/to/debian-root/ with the desired location on your system.

Example output: The mmdebstrap command will create a Debian Stable directory chroot at the specified path. You can then access and work with this chroot as needed.

Use case 2: Create a Debian Bookworm tarball chroot using a mirror

Code:

mmdebstrap bookworm path/to/debian-bookworm.tar http://mirror.example.org/debian

Motivation: Creating a Debian Bookworm tarball chroot that utilizes a mirror allows you to have a portable chroot environment that can be easily distributed or used on different systems. This can be useful for sharing a specific Debian configuration or for offline development and testing.

Explanation:

• mmdebstrap: The mmdebstrap command used to create the Debian chroot.
• bookworm: Specifies the Debian release to use. In this case, we are using the Bookworm release.
• path/to/debian-bookworm.tar: Specifies the path and filename of the tarball that will contain the chroot. Replace path/to/debian-bookworm.tar with the desired location and filename on your system.
• http://mirror.example.org/debian: Specifies the mirror URL from which packages should be fetched during the chroot creation process. Replace http://mirror.example.org/debian with the desired mirror URL.

Example output: The mmdebstrap command will create a Debian Bookworm tarball chroot and save it as a tarball file at the specified path. This tarball can then be used to create the chroot on other systems.

Use case 3: Create a Debian Sid tarball chroot with additional packages

Code:

mmdebstrap sid path/to/debian-sid.tar --include=pkg1,pkg2

Motivation: Creating a Debian Sid tarball chroot with additional packages allows you to customize the chroot environment to include specific packages that are not included by default. This gives you the flexibility to create a chroot that meets your specific requirements.

Explanation:

• mmdebstrap: The mmdebstrap command used to create the Debian chroot.
• sid: Specifies the Debian release to use. In this case, we are using the Sid release.
• path/to/debian-sid.tar: Specifies the path and filename of the tarball that will contain the chroot. Replace path/to/debian-sid.tar with the desired location and filename on your system.
• --include=pkg1,pkg2: Specifies additional packages to be included in the chroot. Replace pkg1,pkg2 with the names of the desired packages to be included, separated by commas.

Example output: The mmdebstrap command will create a Debian Sid tarball chroot and save it as a tarball file at the specified path. This chroot will include the additional packages specified in the command.