I tested the latest boot disks
hi
preface: I am a debian developer; I was needing an extra X box
(=small PC running X for connecting to another host),
and I had an old pentium with a 200Mb hard disk spare
I have a small testing mirror here;
so I downloaded the latest boot disks for woody,
and tried to install using just the rescue and root disk, and my mirror
...and here is the captain's log ...
-------- SHORT VERSION
--boot disks
yes: it really does install from the network using just two floppies;
but, the mirror must contain a Release file, and my mirror does not
(this is bug #100623 for apt-move) so I have used an official mirror.
BTW I have created a CD using debian-cd and the CD does not contain
the file Release either... I wonder if I could use it to install
a Debian system from scratch!
then I reboot into my new system and go on with:
--base config
when I chose 'edit the sources list'...
(I wanted to add my personal small debian mirror)
I found myself in 'vi' . THIS IS EVIL. why cant I use 'nano'?
So here is a nice suggestion: first time the user needs to edit something,
the menu configuration should ask
'what do you want to use as a simple editor for text files?
vi (for long time hackers)?
nano(for normal people)?'
and then remember the answer (maybe setting a dpkg-alternative)
I also found I could not install kernel-image-2.4.14-586 since it needs
initrd which needs cpio which conflicts (?!?!) with tar
I am now writing this e-mail using my new X box;
there is another small glitch:
for some strange reason, the backspace key is acting as a delete
key; but I hope I will fix it soon
--------LONG VERSION
----- me and dbootstrap, that is, me using the boot disks
I write the rescue and root disks from images-1.44/compact,
and I test them with 'dd if=/dev/fd0 | cmp - file'
I succesfully boot the kernel (the penguin logo is cool but
I would suggest not to use it: the vga framebuffer mode has problems
on some PCs!)
I cannot load the root disk: I reformat it and rewrite it
(I hate floppies); I think that 'floppy disks are not reliable' should
be written in size 48 in the documentation.
I reboot the recue disk
this time the root disk is ok
I initialize the swap on /dev/hda1 and the root on /dev/hda2
I initialize the network using dhcp, and it works (COOOL!)
I load the drivers.tgz file using 'network' and my http mirror (COOOOL!)
dbootstrap suggests that I should maybe configure my drivers.
For me this is, was, and ever will be a pain in the a**
of the Debian installing. I never truly understood what I should do
at this point. I know that my ethernet card is a "3Com 3c590"
and the compact linux kernel has autodetected it...
so, do I need to do anything? will it be autodetected again at reboot?
heaven knows. I step forward
I install the base system:
I choose 'network':
I see a message asking to testers to install 'testing':
the next screen asks for the release to install
(actually this other screen suggests to use 'stable' but then stable is not
even in the list :-) so) I indeed choose 'testing'
I enter the right URL to my mirror
my mirror does not contain the 'Release' file;
this is bug #100623 for apt-move; so I try to download it;
but no it does not work this way, the 'Release' file contains md5sums
of the Packages files. So I point dbootstrap to an official mirror
the base package is correctly installed, so I install lilo and reboot
--- me and the base configuration
ok the base configuration is a breeze: local time, shadow passwords,
I know all of them
then it asks me the Debian mirror to use: I choose the nearest
one by using the menus (COOL!)
then I want to add my personal small debian mirror,
(for speed sake: it sits right here) so I choose 'edit the sources list'...
and I find myself in 'vi' . THIS IS EVIL. I hate vi and have big problems
using it. Why is vi the default at this step? why cant I use 'nano' or
'aee'?
So here is a nice suggestion: first time the user needs to edit something,
the menu configuration should ask
'what do you want to use as a simple editor for text files?
vi (for long time hackers)?
nano(for normal people)?'
and then remember the answer (maybe setting a dpkg-alternative)
then I run tasksel but there is no task for 'very simple X server'
so I run dselect; for some reasons, the default is to install
also the whole gcc and gcc3-0 family, so I tell to dinstall
'forget it' (yes, I do talk to programs sometime)
I install a few programs; I wonder if gpm may have a better
interface for configuring it (it is not very user friendly):
maybe using mdetect?
I find I cannot install kernel-image-2.4.14-586 since it needs
initrd which needs cpio which conflicts (?!?!) with tar
I install the xserver-xfree86 but it does not support my S3 card
I install xserver-s3 (thanks B.R. for having that in testing)
some usual problems with resolutions and mouse
I am now writing this e-mail using my new X box;
for some strange reason, the backspace key is acting as a delete
key, but I hope I will fix it soon
bye
a.
--
A Mennucc
"È un mondo difficile. Che vita intensa!" (Renato Carotone)
Reply to: