Linux Minimal Debian to boot Chrome

This how-to describes the setupup for a lightweight Debian Installation that boots directly into a Chrome Session. This is a single-user scenario, so no login manager, no passwords are used.

Installing Debian

Get the Debian Testing Netinstall Image
Install Languages, etc.
Create a normal user chrome with a password of your choice.
Choose to only install “basic packages”

Choose default boot volume

Normally, the new Debian Installation sets itself as the default at boot up. However, since we dont want to waste a whole laptop to this experiment, it is only a secondary OS. So, make the first one (in my case a version of ubuntu) default again.

sudo nano /etc/default/grub and change the GRUB_DEFAULT (starts counting at 0) to the according entry. sudo update-grub writes the new settings to the boot sector.

Install Xserver and window manager

apt-get install xserver-xorg beep bsdgames
apt-get install openbox openbox-themes obconf obmenu
apt-get install xinit
apt-get install apt-file

Install Google Chrome Beta

curl -C - -O http://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-beta_current_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-beta_current_i386.deb

Beim Sudo Install evtl. Abhängigkeiten auflösen:

apt-get install libasound2
apt-get -f
sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-beta_current_i386.deb

Run Chrome directly at startup

apt-get install rungetty
nano /etc/inittab

change 1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1 to 1:2345:respawn:/sbin/rungetty --autologin chrome tty1

Make X the standard session

nano .bash_profile

if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ] && [ $(tty) == /dev/tty1 ]; then
  startx;
fi 

Run Google Chrome directly

nano ~/.config/openbox/autostart.sh and insert google-chrome &

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