1Debugging Initial Setup can be tricky if what you need to work on relies on the
2system booting for the very first time, and can't be reproduced easily (or at
3all) from a regular session once the “real” initial setup has happened and the
4first user has been created.
5
6Examples of things you might want to do that can be especially tricky if you
7need to do them before creating the very first user:
8
9- Changing the default configuration of the system
10- Installing/updating packages to try something out
11- Getting logs from the journal
12- Getting a backtrace to debug a crash happening
13
14Here are some strategies that may be useful.
15
16## Force GDM to launch Initial Setup
17
18GDM is responsible for launching Initial Setup in a cut-down desktop session
19when no users exist on the system. Since GDM 3.26.1, you can force it to launch
20it even if users already exist by adding ` gnome.initial-setup=1` to the kernel
21command line. The exact method depends on your distribution, but in general terms:
22
23- Restart the computer
24- Force GRUB to display a boot menu (distro-dependent; try hitting `Escape` or
25  holding `Shift` during boot)
26- Hit `e` to edit the default menu entry
27- Use the arrow keys to select the line beginning with `linux` or `linuxefi`
28- Hit `End`
29- Type ` gnome.initial-setup=1`
30- Hit `F10` to boot
31
32## Get a root shell before Initial Setup is complete
33
34Follow the steps above, but add ` systemd.debug_shell` to the end of the kernel
35command line. Hit `Ctrl + Alt + F9` to switch to VT9, where you should find a
36root shell awaiting you.
37