Bug#394145: install base system doesn't time out when link dies
Package: installation-reports
Boot method: USB memory stick
Image version: amd64 Etch beta 3, root.img.gz; business-card iso
build-date 2006-08-06
Date: Overnight Wed/Thurs Oct 18/19 2006
Machine: Home Built: Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe (Socket AM2)
Processor: AMD64 Athlon 3800+
Memory: 1024 GB on one stick
Partitions: Two identical Seagate Barracude 7200 80 GB SATA
First partition on each: 64 MB, in raid1 as /boot
Second partition on each: remainder, in raid1 as PV0 to VG0
VLM for /, /home, /usr, /var, swap
USB memory stick is a Kingston 2.0 GB USB 2.0 Data Traveller
however, did 'easy way' of making the stick from boot.img.gz,
so only 256 MB useable. Used the new computer with a RIP linux CD to
make the USB stick.
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] (That is, find the iso on the flash drive)
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [O]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [E]
Install boot loader: [ ]
Reboot: [ ]
Comments/Problems:
Boot option 'expert'
No option given for mounting /tmp as tmpfs.
Installing the base system:
Internet is accessed via eth0 to my 486 that has a modem. I'm
on dialup in the country. When ppp link goes down, I can bring
it back up but the installer doesn't time-out, it just sits
there. In this case, I used watch -n 30 pon internet, on the
486 to keep the ppp link up. When I checked in the morning it
had gone down once but the install was sitting at 6% with no
data transfer happening. There's no 'pause' button to have it
try connecting again.
From the 486 asked advise on the amd65 mailing list. Received
suggestion to kill the wget process. I listed with ps then
killed it with kill xxxxx. Installer hicckuped said an error
had happened and started again with the package it was
downloading.
I would suggest a 'pause' button which kills the wget. I would
also suggest that wget use the -c option so when tries again it
can resume without having to start over with the package.
Other annoyances:
No progress indicator when fetching Release: just sits there
shoing 0% until its completed.
Wanted to make USB stick the whole 2 GB so followed the manual section
4.3.2.
mkdosfs needs the -F16 option. Otherwise makes F12 which
doesn't support long filenames under vfat.
mkdosfs man page says it can't make bootable fs. Used
install-mbr.
It would be good if there was a script made that would mount the
boot.img.gz via loop, and do all this automatically.
Would like a way to interrupt the whole install process incase need to
power-off or if power dies.
Thanks,
Doug.
dtutty@porchlight.ca
Reply to: