aboot install fails

[Steve Feehan <sfeehan@sbb.uvm.edu>]

Hello. I have just tried to install sarge using the pre-rc2
netboot image at:

http://people.debian.org/~vorlon/d-i/images/2004-09-30/netboot/boot.img

The system is a DS10L w/ no cd or screen. I'm using a serial
console.

I've used these netboot images in the past and had problems
with the space at the beginning of the disk not being allocated.
In those cases I would manually partition from the shell and
everything was OK.

This version does seem to setup the partitions correctly:

|            >      #1   1.0 MB   K aboot                   #
|            >      #2  80.0 MB   F ext2       /boot        #
|            >      #3 280.0 MB   F ext3       /            #
|            >      #4   3.5 GB   F ext3       /usr         #
|            >      #5   1.8 GB   F ext3       /var         #
|            >      #6 541.0 MB   F swap       swap         #
|            >      #7 305.0 MB   F ext3       /tmp         #
|            >      #8   3.5 GB   F ext3       /home        #

But near the end of the install the aboot install fails.

I choose 'execute a shell' from the menu and try to install
aboot manually:

/target/sbin/swriteboot /dev/ide/.../part1 /target/boot/bootlx

This fails with an error about a corrupt disk label.

I should also mention that when I execute a shell, the terminal
is screwed up so it's hard to get the full error.

Any idea why the aboot install would fail? Suggestions as to
things I should try?

Unfortunately since the error happens at the very end of the 
install, it takes a lot of time to reproduce. Also, since
I'm using a serial console I can't switch to a virtual console
during the install.

-- 
Steve Feehan