Bug#281324: installation-reports: i386 Netinst pre-rc2 installation report.
Package: installation-reports
Severity: normal
Package: installation-reports
Debian-installer-version: image is from
http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimage-testing/sid_d-i/i386/pre-rc2/sarge-i386-netinst.iso
uname -a: Linux lexxx 2.6.8-1-386 #1 Mon Sep 13 23:29:55 EDT 2004 i686
GNU/Linux
Date: November 15, 2004
Method: NetInstall over ppp, linux26 at the start.
Machine: Clone
Processor: AMD XP 2200+
Memory: 256 mb
Root Device: ide: /dev/hda 80gb seagate
Root Size/partition table:
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda9 2.6G 1.5G 1.2G 55% /
tmpfs 126M 0 126M 0% /dev/shm
/dev/hda6 66G 38G 28G 59% /home
/dev/hda8 1.4G 793M 635M 56% /var/cache
/dev/hda5 2.0G 1.7G 293M 86% /windows
Output of lspci and lspci -n:
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8377 [KT400/KT600
AGP] Host Bridge
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 PCI Bridge
0000:00:09.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4401 100Base-T
(rev 01)
0000:00:0f.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1
(rev 07)
0000:00:0f.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! MIDI/Game
Port (rev 07)
0000:00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB
1.1 Controller (rev 80)
0000:00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB
1.1 Controller (rev 80)
0000:00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB
1.1 Controller (rev 80)
0000:00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 82)
0000:00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 ISA Bridge
0000:00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc.
VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
0000:00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc.
VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 AQ
[Radeon 9600]
0000:01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 AQ [Radeon
9600] (Secondary)
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't
try it
Initial boot worked: [O]
Configure network HW: [O]
Config network: [E]
Detect CD: [O]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [O]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [O]
Reboot: [O]
Comments/Problems:
I've used the installer since potato and have installed the woody
installer A LARGE NUMBER OF TIMES.
I'm very happy with the install with the following concerns:
1)
When I go to mount a FAT32 partition there are 2 entries with the same
name.
Are they the same thing duplicated or do they give different outcomes?
2)
Entries are created for:
/dev/hdc /media/cdrom0 iso9660 ro,user,noauto 0 0
/dev/hdd /media/cdrom1 iso9660 ro,user,noauto 0 0
but the directories for /media/cdrom[01] aren't created.
3)
This is my 2nd install. The 1st install I installed over ppp and got a
bunch of the packages I needed. The 2nd install I took notes on the
install for this report.
On the 2nd install, instead of downloading all the packages again I
backed up /var/cache/apt/archives and copied it back across.
After the install, everything in this directory is deleted. Luckily I
still had the tarball otherwise I would have been pretty pissed. I'm
pretty sure the old installer asked a Q at the end if you wanted to
delete the downloaded debs. I think this would be a good addition.
4)
keyboard layout Q. I happen to know which of the English layouts I need.
A lot of people wouldn't. Perhaps there should be a note there that the
pre-selected option is the default for your location [I assume this is
what happens?] and that if you don't understand this Q, hit <enter> for
a fairly safe default.
5)
When you go to mount an already existing partition, it should pre-select
the filesystem type [e.g. ReiserFS, ext3, etc] that the partition
currently has. The information is already there in the table.
6)
The above is has been mainly nitpicking [I have used the installer heaps
and just want the best ;)].
But here's my main concern that has had similar problems in past
installers.
I am installing on a machine with dialup ppp access. I don't have any
networking at home. I have an ethernet card onboard of my motherboard
but it IS CONNECTED TO NOTHING!
So in the "configure the network" part of the installer, the dhcp
network autoconfiguration fails. This is fine, there is no network to
configure. I am told that either my network isn't using DHCP or my
hardware is not working.
There definetely should be a note that if you currently not on a network,
or are a ppp user like me, this failure is good and to be expected. To
see that something has failed and that the users hardware may have problems may
freak out some users.
Then I am given 4 options: 2 retry options, a configure the network
manually option or "to not configure the network at this time".
I was unsure if I should choose between manual-configure or
not-configure and I have used previous deb-installers HEAPS. After
looking at manual-option and it asking for an ip address I assume that the
correct thing to do in this case is to not-configure and in fact never
configure except for a pppconfig after you reboot.
So if the dhcp thing fails I should be told something like...
The attempt at autoconfiguring your network has failed. If you are a ppp
dialup user or your computer isn't connected to any networks then <choose
not to configure the network> option and you will have the chance to
configure a connection to your isp after the installation reboots your computer.
[the actual wording of the option AT THIS
TIME could be looked at too, i'm not sure if that was verbatim though]
-- System Information:
Debian Release: 3.1
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.8-1-386
Locale: LANG=en_AU, LC_CTYPE=en_AU
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