Bug#340750: Installation report
Package: installation-reports
INSTALL REPORT
Debian-installer-version: Sarge netinst boot CD from a colleague
uname -a:
Date: <14 Nov from 0900 to 2100 utc (mostly problem sorting)>
Method: Booted from netinst CD using ox.ac.uk via local proxy - no download problems. Completely wiped the two IDE disks, partitioned /, swap, /usr on the first, /home on the second.
Machine:
Processor:AMD or Intel - not sure.
Memory:256Mb or more - again not sure... free... see below!
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 516360 463936 52424 0 82520 213964
-/+ buffers/cache: 167452 348908
Swap: 9767512 0 9767512
Root Device:
Root Size/partition table: Feel free to paste the full partition
table, with notes on which partitions are mounted where.
Output of df?
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda1 24027628 1867152 20939940 9% /
tmpfs 258180 0 258180 0% /dev/shm
/dev/hdb1 158309288 32872 150234684 1% /home
/dev/hda3 85088412 32860 80733264 1% /srv
Output of lspci
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS 645xx (rev 51)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS]: Unknown device 0003
0000:00:02.0 ISA bridge: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] SiS85C503/5513 (LPC Bridge) (rev 25)
0000:00:02.5 IDE interface: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] 5513 [IDE]
0000:00:02.7 Multimedia audio controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] Sound Controller (rev a0)
0000:00:03.0 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.0 Controller (rev 0f)
0000:00:03.1 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 1.0 Controller (rev 0f)
0000:00:03.3 USB Controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] USB 2.0 Controller
0000:00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ (rev 10)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV34 [GeForce FX 5200] (rev a1)
and lspci -n:
0000:00:00.0 0600: 1039:0648 (rev 51)
0000:00:01.0 0604: 1039:0003
0000:00:02.0 0601: 1039:0008 (rev 25)
0000:00:02.5 0101: 1039:5513
0000:00:02.7 0401: 1039:7012 (rev a0)
0000:00:03.0 0c03: 1039:7001 (rev 0f)
0000:00:03.1 0c03: 1039:7001 (rev 0f)
0000:00:03.3 0c03: 1039:7002
0000:00:0a.0 0200: 10ec:8139 (rev 10)
0000:01:00.0 0300: 10de:0322 (rev a1)
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: [O]
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: [E]
Comments/Problems:
Partitioning - the box was already partitioned. It was a Mandrake server, withdrawn from service, being used as a test bed for migration to Debian. I didn't need to change any partitions but I did need a 'clean' install without any regression type problems. I was nervous of the 'Advanced' options so chose the Noddy route. My first choice wasn't the best, then took me to somewhere I had never been. For a newbie, it is better for to go right back to somewhere familiar, than to some intermediate point on the scenic/advanced route that might be new territory.
base-config problems:
Newbies tend to assume uk is the iso code for "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". The code is gb. I put uk in the first time, but remembered afterwards (see below). I still have a US character set so something set first time isn't being updated. *** bug alert? *** I still have a US keyboard.
The list of video drivers would be much more useful if it was clear what each was for. I didn't know what video card I had, so I got in serious trouble. Then when I found out, I had to guess that nv was for NVidia. After many unsuccessful parameter adjustments I eventually found a sufficient set of adjustments to make it work - I have no idea whether the adjustments I am now living with were all necessary! The significant (to me)defaults I was offered were vesa driver (accepted) and 1280x768 resolution (my flat panel is 1280x1024 which I used first time through)
Reboot: Black screen. Not very helpful!
I have been around the block a few times, so I knew to record the advice to re-run base-config getting the capitalisation and punctuation correct. (As a newbie I couldn't remember what it was once the stress of a failed installation kicked in!) So confronted with a black screen on reboot I was not totally lost. I used the alternative boot, which is pretty newbie-hostile.
I re-ran base-config using the default resolution, and heaven only knows what else, rebooting to test each change. Pretty early on I inspected inittab to find the default run level then renamed S99gdm to K01gdm, so that I could rerun base-config then try startx without the reboot (in case the recovery boot was incompatible with startx - I don't know such things). I then stated using dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86 (What a problem it is for a newbie finding out the command name and the package name. Documenting my earlier trips round this block on previous installs was a major step forward out of newbieness). Then I couldn't try startx without rebooting because the broken one was still there. Ctrl-Alt-F2 then what on earth is the command to list the PIDs of running processes so I can kill it... Another web search - does Google need the key word tasks or processesh... Another (undocumented) trip around the block - next time (and there will be one) I must remember to write it down.
I caught a momentary glimpse of G-force in one of my boot-up cycles and got from there to Nvidia, thence courtesy of Google to Nvidia on Linux, nv and disabling the top entry on the list of X- bits to install. (Incidentally again, the advice to install all of the bits if in doubt was sort of contradicted by the fact that the last one was not checked by default. I checked it in one of my early attempts.) Eventually I have a screen with a sensible set of resolution options, andit works. Whew.
Installation feedback form:
You should probably ask for language and country. One my keyboard problem was specific to UK British users.
Newbies like me try to copy and paste from the console without success - a) Ctrl-C doesn't copy(.. multiple lines?). b) text editor only shows one document at a time. We need telling simple things like 'Open with ....... kedit and use commands like df >> Desktop/log.txt to get the answers out. How about a script to collect everything else after getting the user's input? (but please leave the line-by-line instructions 'use df, use free, use lspci' as well because they dig people out of newbieness)
Incidentally, 'open with kedit' opens with gedit! Little things matter to frustrated newbies desperately loking for clues as to what's wrong...
PLEASE include a third boot option into a 'help for beginners' with simple options. I suggest you brainstorm the UI details, starting with:
Demand the root password (no options) and go into a top level script with choices.
Top choice is 'Black or rubbish screen on reboot'. This does lspci (which I discovered only when filling in this form) and helps the user to identify the video card! Can you also interrogate the screen? What else can you find to help. With nicely annotated video drivers (eg 'nv - an Open Source driver for NVidia cards' instead of just 'nv') the user will have a much warmer feeling, less panic, more intelligent behaviour and more success when you put him into dpgk-reconfigure xserver-xfree86. And he can always find it again in the 'help for beginners' boot option. Tell him whether or not he needs to reboot before startx if he is starting xserver manually, and for heavens sake help him to kill a faulty running x-server before trying his next set of options.
But in spite of that rich learning experience, I'm impressed with Sarge. Thanks for all your good work.
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