bf 2.2.8 Install Report
I just finished an install of 2.2.8 i386-compact. I basically got a
functioning system at the end, though this was partly from knowing what to
work around. Most packages came from the web site in the last 24 hours.
The high points:
Old problems fixed:
* I was unable to duplicate the ppp bug, so I think it would be OK to close it.
* The time zones are being handled correctly for system clock not set to GMT.
* compact has vfat driver
Old problems continuing:
* Forced into ethernet-based network install
* Proper choice of drivers remains obscure
* apt is way overoptimist on downloads (given the very funky setup I had,
this is not really surprising)
New Problems:
* Install is now starting in B+W. Particularly in B+W, but even in color,
it is hard to tell which button is selected and which is deselected.
* A bunch of package configuration issues.
dselect reports the following complaints:
ppp-pam depends on ppp (=2.3.10-2)
ppp conflicts with ppp-pam
(one of my favorite errors!)
Also, 2 packages depend on something which "does not appear to be
available"
python-base depends on libdb1.85
console-apt depends on libapt-pkg2.6
inn2 (2.2.2.2000.01.31-1)
building history database in /var/lib/news ... hostname does
not resolve or 'domain' in inn.conf is missing.
dpkg task-dialup depends on leafnode | news-transport-system
the 2 packages are not installed
inn2 which provides task-dialup is not configured.
* apt handling of errors is sub-optimal: it refuses to proceed until there
are no errors, and it poses an either/or question without offering a choice
to make.
I also had a hard time getting X and GNOME going, but it's hard to say
whether these were bugs or just user error on my part. And when has the
installation of these things every gone smoothly ? :)
Question:
I know there is some tool that facilitates bug reporting (it provides a
standard form, looks up relevant package versions I think), but can't find
out what it is.
Undigested log:
This documents the installation of linux on wheat (note the machine has a
cdrom and and cdwriter driver)
Started Sat, 3/11/00, using boot-floppies 2.2.8
My initial attempts were to deliberately mix kernel versions, in hopes
of duplicating the errors I got before which prevented ppp from
loading. So, as before, I went with compact for the diskettes, but
used the regular files on the disk.
Under NT, rawrite from compact.
Copied the normal (non-compact) files to c:/debian.
Copied all the files to c:/current.
As I boot, there are 8 identical 2-line messages:
via-rhine.c:v1.01 2/27/99 Written by Donald Becker
http://cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/linux/drivers/via-rhine.html
These continue even in final system.
Boot off of floppy.
Screen now has a very noticeable flicker, and is black and white (and
grey). I later discover that I can switch it to color by switching
virtual consoles and coming back.
The initial screen has a scroll-bar, but no scrolling. It does not
appear there is any missing text below the screen.
A more serious problem is that it is very hard to tell which of 2
buttons is selected--in fact, I got this wrong. The one which is
highlighted (white) is the one NOT selected. The other button does
have a flashing cursor on it. Things are not much clearer in color.
I strongly recommend clarifying this (e.g.,a message that "blue"
buttons are selected--except it might have been red).
Proceeding to the install system section, I say to use hard disk for
files. The selection menu shows /instmnt/ as the start of the path.
This is not intuitive.
I get an error that it can't find path to rescue.bin. Why is it
looking for this when it already has the info in memory from the boot?
I switch to another virtual terminal to copy the necessary files.
As it reads in the files (this is still before the system/driver
configuration) two error messages appear briefly:
IO_CTL_LOOP bad file descriptor
set_loop couldln't create a loop device for [old path to
rescue.bin]
Select categories of modules screen is empty!
Continuing on.. configure network. Still I'm dropped into the
ethernet configuration (Do you want to use DHCP) without a choice.
I cancel and go back to the "Install OS kernel and modules" step.
This time I point to the /current directory, which has all the compact
things in the write path locations. It takes them.
It thinks I'm done with the configuration; I go back to the configure
modules step. This time it shows choice. I load ntfs and ppp. I do
not load serial--I don't know if it's necessary for ppp.
Base system is now OK.
I go back to the configure network step--still ethernet based. I step
through it, accepting defaults or setting things to none.
Reboot. I can't restart off a floppy.
=================== 2nd try ==============================
I rewrite the boot floppy. Reboot.
B+W screen again.
(My notes say there was a problem finding rescue.bin, but I think I
got it pointed at the right place).
I reinitialized all partitions, to erase previous efforts.
Loaded the following devices: ntfs, parport, serial, ppp.
Again, spurious ethernet setup.
End of first setup phase. Initial system boot.
Still in B+W.
For apt I choose to hand configure.
I switch consoles. Until *************** everything is done on one of
the secondary consoles, while the main install routine sits and waits.
I create various directories under /ms as mount points for my existing
Microsoft partitions, along with /cdwrite. Modify fstab. mount.
Note: vi (which is tiny-vi, I guess) is still messed up by long lines;
ae seems OK. I need to use it to modify fstab.
In /etc/apt, sources.list I add the path to my hard drive which has
some old debs, and modify the paths for online fetches to get potato.
(The non-us and security ones don't work and I have to comment them
out. However, I actually copied over the sources.list with one I had
modified from an earlier version of boot-floppies, so I'm not sure
this is a current problem.)
apt.conf -- I add
Dir {
state "/usr/var/apt/";
cache "/usr/var/apt"; # later removed
};
I discovered there needed to be a certain directory structure under
those points, so I removed the state setting and added directories
under /usr/var/apt cache was happy.
I try pon and get a message it's not configured.
pppconfig says no modem is found. I set it to ttyS2 and fill in the
rest of the questions.
pon still fails--no dialing.
setserial /dev/ttyS2 irq 7
pon now works
I try to run apt-cdrom; it fails first because of the missing
directories under /usr/var/apt and then because...
Can't read cd on /hdc1; I correct it to /hdc (and /cdwrite to /hdd)
and all's well.
With these fixes, apt-cdrom add works.
Note: pcmcia-core is still reported as a module by lsmod. It is not
removed until I run through the dselect install/remove and reboot.
apt-cdrom add -d /cdwrite
hdd disable DSC seek overlap.
wrote 310 records with 3965 missing
The first apt-cdrom also shows many missing. There are many missing,
so this is not surprising.
Back to the main install
**********************************
I quit the editor which is up on sources.list (since I saved the file
from other consoles).
apt runs, and reports that it failed to find various things (missing
parts of the archive tree structure on my local drive and the non-US
and security sites).
The screen displays the errors, and says "would you like to revert
sources.list or edit it?" (roughly). Yet the only available response
is to click on a button labelled OK. I do, edit out some of the
problematic parts, and after several tries get it to read in the
packages directories cleanly.
I select the simple task, and add some more selections.
dselect reports the following complaints:
ppp-pam depends on ppp (=2.3.10-2)
ppp conflicts with ppp-pam
(!)
Also, 2 packages depend on something which "does not appear to be
available"
python-base depends on libdb1.85
console-apt depends on libapt-pkg2.6
I go back to the select step and pick many passages, and let it
download overnight.
Sunday, Mar 12, 2000
A few files missed on first time through; I rerun the install step and
it downloads them.
Now moving into the package configuration phase:
genstat (?) kenel image
debconf -- select medium questions
exim -- pick option 2, internet site with smarthose
fill in various options.
Need to run cvs-makerepos (or cvs init) for /var/cvs, which is not
found. I follow the security recommendations and don't use cvs
pserver.
Errors on:
dpkg-dev
apt-move
cvs-buildpackage
wwwoffle
It says to fix them and run install again.
wwwoffle (? might have been a different package) asks same questions
exim just asked (at least there is some duplication).
Oops: I've said smtp.mindspring.com is my outgoing mail, but should be
mail.mindspring.com. (I think I did this for exim too).
Command line xf86setup:
Set video to 412 for SVGA server.
/etc/X11/Xserver picks the server; I write to it.
/etc/X11/XF86Config --inspect it, says the script
/usr/share/doc/xerver-common/README has info.
It tries to start X, but there's a fatal error: could not open default
font fixed.
depmod -- lots of unresolved errors
It says new kernel installed.
Errors installing
xserver-svga
inn2
task-dialup
rdev -v /dev/fd0 -3 (ask re video mode)
inn2 (2.2.2.2000.01.31-1)
building history database in /var/lib/news ... hostname does
not resolve or 'domain' in inn.conf is missing.
dpkg task-dialup defpends on leafnode | news-transport-system
the 2 packages are not installed
inn2 which provides task-dialup is not configured.
I rerun XF86Setup; it needs the vga server (I only have SVGA).
I install it and run xvidtune.
Still can't startx; no session or window manager or other stuff.
I install more X stuff.
Note: I can not run pon successfully as a regular user. Surely this
is wrong. /usr/sbin/ppd --permission denied.
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