Bug#57095: Still a problem: Bug #55398
[Please retain the CC to the BTS]
>> this doesn't make sense. If you wanted to install it from ta floppy,
>> you should select the 'floppy 0' or floppy 1 options, not install from
>> disk.
>OK, I wanted to *boot* from floppy, but install the kernel and base
>system from my already existing ext2 partition. Besides booting, I
>don't want anything to do with those floppies anymore :-)
Ah... I see!
>So, I want to install the base from a mounted partition and selected
>that.
Well, you could also install kernel and drivers from disk as well.
> How am I supposed to install from a mounted partition if not
>by mounting this additional parititon before?
You use the 'harddisk' option rather than the 'mounted' option when
asked for install media.
>So, I did it like this:
>1) activate swap
>2) select root partition (where I want to install TO)
>3) mount another partition (my SuSE partition, on which the
>install files are located). So, I had to mount it somewhere;
>/usr wouldn't, of course, be a good idea for this.
>I chose /mnt.
>4) When installing kernel/base system, I selected "from already mounted
>partition"; the file selector started as "/debian". This directory
>can never exist; the root is the floppy root, which has no /debian
>subdirectory,
>and all partitions I mounted after the first on (step 2 resp. step 3)
>are mounted under /target (so, it could be /target/debian). The bug here
>is that the browse button does not work since /debian doesn't (and
>can't) exist;
Um, just replace '/debian' with something else, and then
browse..... for instance, you could replace it with '/' and browse
your whole system.
To say it "can't" exist is just wrong. On tty2 you can make and mount
and do whatever you want.
>a wishlist item would be that at least, the installer gives feedback
>like "sorry, the directory you specified doesn't exist, so I can't
>start browsing"
Well, that's not a bad idea at all.
>The mounted partitions (where the necessary files I want to install from
>are located) are, of course, mounted in a subdirectory of the floppy,
>which is the root system at the moment;
Um, you mean, you mounted them in /mnt while you were in the root
filesystem. "Mounted in a subdir of a floppy" isn't right -- it's in
RAMdisk at that point.
> it is called "target/something",
>which is not the root directory of the soon-to-be debian system
>but the already existing FAT/ext2 partition where my base.tgz I want to
>install from is located.
I don't think it's a good idea to set your mountpoint for you install
media (where you are installing *from*) to be your target system
(where you are installing *to*).
I suggest you use the 'harddisk' rather than 'mounted' install media.
>> > Then, I was prompted for "disks-1.44/rescue.bin".
>> > This is strange... I mean, I can only install while keeping
>> > the same directory names as on the ftp server/CD-Rom?
>>
>> Yup.
>So, when testing out unstable releases (where I can't buy CD-ROMs of)
>I am expected to mirror the whole release path when I just need
>rescue.bin, modules.tgz and base2_2.tgz?
Just those, really. Just pick out the files you need, but for god's
sake, retain the dir structure. :)
I don't think you *have* to -- it is supposed to fall back on just the
file name if it can't find the dir/file it's looking for.
Are you reporting that this broke?
>I mean, ok, the "hard-coded" subdirectory came as a surprise to me,
>and I can understand that it's much easier for people installing from
>ftp server/cd-rom, and that's not really a bug per se.
It's not hard-coded. If you were installing from 1.2k disks, it would
be disks-1.20.
>Only problem
>is that I have to make a subdirecory monster
>"debian/dists/frozen/i386../main/disks../blabla"
>from where I downloaded the debian files (/home/mcornils in my case,
>becoming /target/mnt/home/mcornils in the installer)..
It's nice to do that but you shouldn't *have* to, you're right.
Are you sure you tried the 'manual' option (rather than list) and
couldn't get it to work?
>Yes, but no one who uses the "install from disk option" as given in
>the (maybe outdated) documentation would do it this way, and since
>the installer knows we're not doing ftp/http/CD-ROM install,
>it might as well *allow* installation without the complete path
>when someone is installing this way :-)
Yes, it should allow flattened install -- I agree. Just don't ask me
to change the default -- flat should not be the default but just a
convenience accomodation for folks.
.....Adam Di Carlo....adam@onShore.com.....<URL:http://www.onShore.com/>
Reply to: