Re: Installation failed - again - why am I not surprised
On Fri 01 Mar 2013 at 13:39:19 -0500, Mark Filipak wrote:
> What I did:
> 1 - Booted Windows.
> 1.1 - Copied the Debian-Gnome Live ISO to an 8-GB USB.
> 1.2 - Shut down Windows.
> 2 - Booted Debian-Gnome from 8-GB USB - success!
> 2.1 - Shut down Debian-Gnome.
> 3 - Booted Windows.
> 3.1 - Copied the Debian-LXDE Live ISO to a 1-GB USB.
> 3.2 - Shut down Windows.
> 4 - Booted Debian-LXDE from 1-GB USB - success!
This is good news. You are on your way. For completeness sake would you
please say how you copied the two ISOs to the USB sticks? Not
necessarily a blow-by-blow account but knowing the software used would
useful.
> 4.1 - Shut down Debian-LXDE.
> - Objective: Install Debian-LXDE to 8-GB USB -
This is doable.
> 5 - Removed hard disk (just to be safe).
And why not?
> 6 - Booted Debian-LXDE on 1-GB USB.
> 6.1 - Attempted install to 8-GB USB (overwrite Debian-Gnome already on it).
> 6.2 - Install failed!
How far into the install did you get? At what point did it fail? Were
there any messages which came up on the screen?
> 6.3 - My Guess: The 8-GB USB is being automounted.
Very unlikely to be the reason.
> 6.9 - Shut down Debian-LXDE.
> 7 - Reinserted hard disk.
> 8 - Booted Windows
> 8.1 - Wiped out existing 8-GB USB partition.
> 8.2 - Shut down Windows.
> 9 - Removed hard disk.
> 10 - Booted Debian-LXDE on 1-GB USB.
> 10.1 - Attempted install to 8-GB USB (should have no existing partitions).
If what I think is happening is happening a repartition is of no
consequence.
> 10.2 - Install failed!
> 10.3 - Confirmed: Debian-LXDE automounted the existing 8-GB USB - NO PARTITION! WTF!
> 10.4 - Unmounted the 8-GB USB.
> 10.5 - Attempted install to the 8-GB USB.
> 10.6 - Install failed!
> 10.7 - Tried to mount 8-GB USB (test).
> 10.8 - "Error mounting: mount: wrongfs type, bad option, bad
> Superblock on /dev/sdb2. Missing codepage or helper program, or other
> error. In some cases useful info is found in syslog - try dmesg | tail
> or so." - WTF!i
This has nothing to do with the basic problem. The mount command is not
being used correctly.
> 10.9 - Shut down Debian-LXDE.
> 11 - Reinserted my hard disk.
> 12 - Booted Windows
> 12.1 - Created a single, FAT-32 partition on 8-GB USB.
> 12.2 - Shut down Windows.
> 13 - Removed hard disk.
> 14 - Booted Debian-LXDE on 1-GB USB.
> 14.1 - Created 2.5-GB /, 0.5-GB swap, and 5.0-GB /windows (FAT-32).
> 14.2 - Attempted install to the 8-GB USB (newly partitioned).
> 14.3 - Install succeeded!
> 14.4 - Automatic GRUB install failed!
Some work for you. This iGRUB failure should be repeatable. When it
happens switch to console 4 with ALT-F4 and let us know what the last
syslog message is. It might mention "ISO9660 file system".
> 14.5 - Attempted to install LILO.
> 14.6 - LILO install failed!
Desperation has set in at this point. :)
> Okay, what went wrong:
You may have hit a particular bug in your install *to a USB target*. It
can be overcome. Changing the install ISO will not help. But, at this
stage, I'm not going to do more guessing. Knowing what syslog says is
essential.
> Automounting got in the way.
> Installer did not unmount the filesystems on the target drive.
> Automounting got fooled by erased partition.
> Mount error message too cryptic - too generic (does not tell what actually happened).
> GRUB & LILO install failures unexplained - no help.
ALT-F4. It is in the manual.
> Any/all help appreciated except from Lisi Reisz.
Many people, including me, will not like this. I'd suggest you review
what you wrote in the light of the cut and thrust which can sometimes
take place on a mailing list.
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