Bug#220990: INSTALL REPORT, mips (SGI Indy)
Package: installation-reports
Debian-installer-version: 2003-11-14, built from that days d-i CVS,
plus some patches for mips
uname -a: Linux littleindy 2.4.22 ..., kernel is from the udeb in unstable
Date: 2003-11-15
Method: via netboot image, bootp/tftp, from a local partial mirror,
using the machine's local console
Machine: SGI Indy
Processor: R4600 V2.0 FPU V2.0
Memory: 32 MiB
Root Device: SCSI 2 GiB as /dev/sda
Root Size/partition table: several attempts, with a goal of
1600 MiB for /
400 MiB for swap
Output of lspci: -
Base System Installation Checklist:
Initial boot worked: [O]
Configure network HW: [O]
Config network: [E]
Detect CD: [ ]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [E]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [ ]
Install boot loader: [ ]
Reboot: [O]
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Comments/Problems:
Things which I _believe_ are mips-specific are tagged [mips].
The comments cover everything I found insufficient, some of those
are probably well known or even fixed in the meanwhile.
I didn't try the "Install base system"/"Install boot loader" steps because
my local partial mirror turned out to be to partial.
"Configure language":
- The four last languages (chars as dark blocks, unreadable) have a too
short trailing line length.
- says "Your choice of language also affects the default locale, location
and keyboard layout." That's confusing for people who e.g. live in
germany but want to use US keyboard layout. It's also confusing in a
serial install. There is apparently no way to escape to a mode with finer
control.
"Detect network hardware":
- [mips] probes for ide,floppy,... modules which are either compiled in
the kernel or do not exist. Why does "Detect network hardware" probe
for non-network things?
"Configure DHCP":
- tries to be smart and uses a /24 netmask for my /8.
"Configure static network":
- breaks because udhcpc overwrites the config.
Workaround: Kill udhcpc and configure static network again.
- shows up after "Load installer components". It should IMHO show up
directly after "Configure DHCP". Otherwise a non-DHCP user gets
tricked into selecting one of the steps shown between, which kicks in
"Configure DHCP".
"Choose a mirror":
- doesn't reject host names when no DNS is available.
"Load installer components":
- shows a retriever selection even if it has only one entry.
- suggests "please try another mirror" for general network failures
(misconfigured network, hostname unresolvable).
"Detect Hardware":
- [mips] probes for non-existing modules.
"Partition a hard drive":
- [mips] just returns with "Failed to partition".
Workaround: use parted manually.
- [mips] parted does not default to label type dvh.
- [mips] parted uses different numbers for dvh partitions than
SGI/fdisk.
- parted lacks good default values.
- parted doesn't show the type of linux-swap.
"Configure and Mount Partitions":
- shows both "abort" and "Go back". What is the difference?
- shows no progress bar while creating filesystems.
"Automatically partition":
- [mips] uses different numbers for dvh partitions than SGI/fdisk.
- [mips] shows NULL assertions.
- [mips] fails to wipe an existing partition table.
- [mips] warns: "Only logical partitions can be a boot file",
"Write sectors 0-7 outside partition", "make filesystem failed".
- creates only one large root partition, no swap.
- This entry should IMHO be immediately below (above if reliable) the
manual config.
"Install the base system":
- Progress bar "Finding package sizes": Why is this so slow?
- says on download failures that the reason can be found in
/target/var/log/debootstrap.{,err}.log, but those are empty files.
- Progress bars of failed download remains in background.
"Change debconf priority":
- <Newbie>: What does "Change debconf priority" mean?
Better description required.
"Run base-config...":
- <Newbie>: What is "Run base-config..." good for?
Better description required.
"Save logfiles ... to floppy":
- [mips] The machine has no floppy.
General:
- Progress bars are blocky: "Retrieving release file" remains at 0%
over both steps (retrieve and check).
- [mips] In a shell, some keys (UP, DOWN, completion-TAB) clear the
screen. Switching the console back and forth brings the content back.
- German translation is sparse.
- Ongoing actions cant' be canceled (should have cancel button in
progess bar).
- There should always be an "(more) expert mode" button (which changes
debconf priority?)
[mips] Datapoint:
- Overall memory usage is ~22 MiB until swap can be used.
(9.8 MiB free on a 32 MiB machine without swap). Low memory
machines will fail to install.
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