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Bug#723966: Debian Re-install Deletes /root Directory



Package: installation-reports

Boot method: Debian 7.1.0 Binary DVD 1 with WLAN mirror connection
Image version: debian-7.1.0-amd64-DVD-1 (in a DVD drive) plus the WLAN driver in firmware-nonfree_0.36+wheezy.1.tar.gz (on a USB stick)
Date: 13 September 2013

Machine: Notebook by GBT (Taiwan), Model SP3100-380
Processor: Intel Core i3 CPU U 380 @ 1.33 GHz × 4
Memory: 2 GB
Partitions: Unavailable (drive no longer being used on this system)

Output of lspci -knn (or lspci -nn):
(Note: this is from a different disk but the same computer and same installation media)
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor DRAM Controller [8086:0044] (rev 18)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:5000]
	Kernel driver in use: agpgart-intel
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller [8086:0046] (rev 18)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:d000]
	Kernel driver in use: i915
00:16.0 Communication controller [0780]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset HECI Controller [8086:3b64] (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:0000]
00:1a.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller [8086:3b3c] (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:5004]
	Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio [8086:3b56] (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:a950]
	Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1 [8086:3b42] (rev 06)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1c.4 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 5 [8086:3b4a] (rev 06)
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport
00:1d.0 USB controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller [8086:3b34] (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:5004]
	Kernel driver in use: ehci_hcd
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev a6)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation Mobile 5 Series Chipset LPC Interface Controller [8086:3b09] (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:5001]
00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 4 port SATA AHCI Controller [8086:3b29] (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:b002]
	Kernel driver in use: ahci
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller [8086:3b30] (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:5001]
00:1f.6 Signal processing controller [1180]: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset Thermal Subsystem [8086:3b32] (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology Device [1458:0000]
	Kernel driver in use: intel ips
01:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Atheros Communications Inc. AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) [168c:002b] (rev 01)
	Subsystem: AzureWave AW-NE785 / AW-NE785H 802.11bgn Wireless Full or Half-size Mini PCIe Card [1a3b:1089]
	Kernel driver in use: ath9k
02:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168B PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet controller [10ec:8168] (rev 06)
	Subsystem: Giga-byte Technology GA-EP45-DS5/GA-EG45M-DS2H Motherboard [1458:e000]
	Kernel driver in use: r8169
ff:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture Generic Non-core Registers [8086:2c62] (rev 05)
	Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:00.1 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture System Address Decoder [8086:2d01] (rev 05)
	Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:02.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Link 0 [8086:2d10] (rev 05)
	Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:02.1 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Physical 0 [8086:2d11] (rev 05)
	Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:02.2 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor Reserved [8086:2d12] (rev 05)
	Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
ff:02.3 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Core Processor Reserved [8086:2d13] (rev 05)
	Subsystem: Intel Corporation Device [8086:8086]
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it

Initial boot:           [O]
Detect network card:    [O]
Configure network:      [O]
Detect CD:              [O]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives:     [O]
Partition hard drives:  [ ]
Install base system:    [O]
Clock/timezone setup:   [O]
User/password setup:    [E]
Install tasks:          [O]
Install boot loader:    [O]
Overall install:        [E]

Comments/Problems:

My system experienced a Linux kernel panic while compiling a source package, after which the system would not re-boot.  I re-installed Debian using Debian's graphical installation tool.  I indicated to the installer that I wanted to leave existing files in place.  Following this, I saw that files in /home and some other directories were left untouched (as desired), but the /root directory was completely wiped out and replaced.  The /root directory is a user directory too, albeit for a special (super!) user.  When someone indicates that they want to preserve existing files, I think the /root files should remain intact if the /root directory already exists on a drive, or at least move it to /root-old or /root-bak or something like that if the installer must create a brand new /root.

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