Bug#281667: Debian-Installer report
Package: installation-reports
Debian-installer-version:
http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimage-testing/daily/i386/20041115/sarge-i386-netinst.iso
uname -a: Linux gw 2.6.8-1-386 #1 Thu Nov 11 12:18:43 EST 2004 i586
GNU/Linux
Date: 16-Nov-2004
Method: Installation from boot cd-rom, booting from Lit-on LTN-202 (IDE)
Machine: Homebred; Mainboard Asus P55T2P4 Rev. 3.10
Processor: Pentium MMX (BIOS around 1997)
Memory: 94.760k total
Root Device: IDE; IBM/Hitachi 80 GB
Root Size/partition table:
/dev/hda1 /boot ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/hda2 / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/hda3 none swap sw 0 0
Output of lspci and lspci -n:
gw:~# lspci
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 430HX - 82439HX TXC [Triton II]
(rev 03)
0000:00:07.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82371SB PIIX3 ISA [Natoma/Triton
II] (rev 01)
0000:00:07.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82371SB PIIX3 IDE [Natoma/Triton II]
0000:00:07.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82371SB PIIX3 USB
[Natoma/Triton II] (rev 01)
0000:00:09.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905B 100BaseTX
[Cyclone] (rev 30)
0000:00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905C-TX/TX-M
[Tornado] (rev 74)
0000:00:0b.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212
802.11abg NIC (rev 01)
0000:00:0c.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Graphics, Inc. MGA 1064SG
[Mystique] (rev 03)
gw:~# lspci -n
0000:00:00.0 0600: 8086:1250 (rev 03)
0000:00:07.0 0601: 8086:7000 (rev 01)
0000:00:07.1 0101: 8086:7010
0000:00:07.2 0c03: 8086:7020 (rev 01)
0000:00:09.0 0200: 10b7:9055 (rev 30)
0000:00:0a.0 0200: 10b7:9200 (rev 74)
0000:00:0b.0 0200: 168c:0013 (rev 01)
0000:00:0c.0 0300: 102b:051a (rev 03)
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Initial boot worked: [E]
Configure network HW: [O/E]
Config network: [O/E]
Detect CD: [O]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [E]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [O]
Reboot: [O]
Comments/Problems:
First installation: partitioned using setting for beginners (everything
on one partition), booting unsuccessful (GRUB error 18); in second
attempt (mode: "expert26"), partitioned manually as mentioned above with
small boot partition /boot, booting now fine.
There are currently three NICs in the PC (2x Ethernet, 1x WLAN; didn't
know if active ISDN cards like AVM B1 are supported so didn't try it).
D-i recognizes both Ethernet NICs as "3Com 3c905B", even if one is "3Com
3c905C"; might be the same driver but is irritating. eth0 is working as
expected.
WLAN NIC Netgear WG311 (Atheros chipset) is not "installed" or handled
by d-i in any way, but lspci recognizes the PCI card. Might work with
MADwifi drivers which seem not to be part of sarge at all. Getting it to
work with Debian could take some time, most users won't know how to do
it. It is supposed to work in Fedora Core 2 and Mandrake 9.1.
Other thoughts during installation:
- The messages at several stages of the install, that some drivers are
not available at the moment, are irritating; thought first something
went wrong.
- Missed an option for a basic firewall configuration.
- d-i told me several times during installation that the computer might
support PCMCIA; kind of highly irritating because it's a desktop system
wighout any PC-Card slots. Might be caused by the Netgear WLAN card or
just a strange error.
- The partitioning tool ist quite nice; however, it should not suggest
partitionings which don't work (1024 limit).
- The setting of the timezone could be easier; it's painless, if you
have a Windows PC where you can look it up, but most users don't care
too much about their timezone relative to GMT; so maybe a simple list
("your hardware clock is... GMT time is... if you are in..." or
something like this).
- The text mode interface for d-i is fine for me, there's IMHO no need
for a graphical installer.
- d-i could offer some advice for configuring the computer for certain
tasks (router, file server, desktop workstation etc.) or at least point
to the task system. But a user which doesn't finds out quickly about it
will surely fail with Debian anyway.
Greetings, -asb
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