Bug#240664: Package: installation-reports
Package: installation-reports
INSTALL REPORT
Debian-installer-version:
2004-03-15 16:04 sarge-i386-netinst.iso
http://gluck.debian.org/cdimage/testing/sarge_d-i/i386/beta3/sarge-i386-netinst.iso
About This CD
============= This CD-ROM is labeled
Debian GNU/Linux testing "Sarge" - Official NetInst Snapshot i386
Binary-1
uname -a: Linux debian 2.4.25-1-386 #1 Tue Feb 24 08:11:13 EST 2004
i686 GNU/Linux
Date: 2004 March 26
Method: CDROM booted with sarge-i386-netinst.iso
http://debian.yorku.ca/debian/
no proxy
Machine: Motherboard: Shuttle AV18; HDD's: hda hdc; CDROM: hdd
Processor: One Intel Pentium III (Coppermine) 1125MHz processor
Memory: 256 MB
Root Device: IDE hdc: FUJITSU MPD3043AT, ATA DISK drive
Root Size/partition table:
Disk /dev/hdc: 4325 MB, 4325529600 bytes
15 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8940 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 945 * 512 = 483840 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdc1 * 1 2716 1283278+ 83 Linux
/dev/hdc2 2717 8940 2940840 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hdc5 2717 3090 176683+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hdc6 3091 8940 2764093+ 83 Linux
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hdc5 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/hdc1 / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/hdc6 /home ext3 defaults 0
Output of lspci:
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C693A/694x [Apollo
PRO133x] (rev c4)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C598/694x [Apollo
MVP3/Pro133x AGP]
00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South]
(rev 40)
00:07.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc.
VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT8233/A/C/VT8235 PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
00:07.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 16)
00:07.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 16)
00:07.4 Bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev
40)
00:07.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686
AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50)
00:0c.0 Network controller: Harris Semiconductor Prism 2.5 Wavelan
chipset (rev 01)
00:0f.0 Multimedia audio controller: Ensoniq 5880 AudioPCI (rev 02)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV5M64 [RIVA TNT2
Model 64/Model 64 Pro] (rev 15)
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Initial boot worked: [O]
Configure network HW: [O]
Config network: [O]
Detect CD: [O]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [O]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [O] ...... N.B. boot loader experiments
noted below.
Reboot: [O]
Comments/Problems:
This debian-installer was very easy to use. A default installation on
a dedicated drive always resulted in a working system. (I also tested
the floppies and business card methods obtaining the same results.)
Non-expert mode was used. Defaults or simple alternatives were
accepted. The process is impressively streamlined.
Nevertheless, I think the process feedback might be a little too
abridged.
While I appreciate the philosophy regarding hiding unnecessary messages,
I would have welcomed more explicit messages regarding the success
of operations as well as failures. Merely having moved to the next
step seems meant to indicate that the previous step was successful,
as being returned to a previous step is meant to indicate a failure.
The output on tty3 via Alt-F3 ameliorated this deficiency somewhat.
I suffered some anxiety about selecting "Finish partitioning and
write changes to disk". While I did finally notice the various little
faces in "Partition Table Overview", their meanings were not explicit.
My previously installed Debian GNU/Linux partitions on /dev/hda were
included in the overview. I found I was looking for a clearer
indication
of what partitions were going to be changed without selecting every
partition to check its status. The table is clear enough for those with
those familiar with GNU/Linux but "Partition Table Overview" might not
inspire confidence for even the experienced without some more obvious
indicator of what exactly will be changed regarding the partitions
on the
whole system. The next step after "Finish partitioning and write
changes
to disk" displays, "WARNING: This will destroy all data on
partitions you
have assigned filesystems to." The default or highlighted box is "no".
Somewhat unwarranted faith was required to select "yes" while lacking
assurance about what was going to be changed. At that point a list of
partitions to be changed would have been very welcome. This paragraph
should probably be filed in the wish-list category. Perhaps I missed
something in the installation instructions.
Arranging for dual-boot systems is not available in the new installer
itself. I don't know if this facility is planned for later or even
completely desirable. The lack bugged me for awhile before I figured
that this would be OK if the debian-installer documentation would
clearly
declare that access to previously intalled systems can be implemented
after the debian-installer was completed and would offer directions for
providing multi-boot systems by editing boot loader configuration files.
I think I was at first concerned as, in the absence of configuration
options
for dual-boot capabilities, instead there seemed to be only dire
warnings
about the potential for losing the other systems already installed.
Perhaps this paragraph should also be filed in the wish-list category.
Maybe I overlooked something in the installation instructions.
* Notes and Experiments with "Install * boot loader"
Defaults and simple options in subsequent debian-installer trials were
also accepted with the exception for experiments with arguments in
"Install * boot loader" sections.
Default Grub installation was successful -- ignoring, of course, that
the previously installed Debina GNU/Linux system using LILO on /dev/hda
was unavailable from the Grub menu. Editing the Grub menu.lst after
completing debian-installer to include /dev/hda fixed that problem.
Grub also installed sucessfully when amended with _either_ (hd1,0)
or /dev/hdc. "/sbin/grub-install --help" or "man grub-install" notes,
"INSTALL_DEVICE can be a GRUB device name or system device filename."
This is NOT declared in the "Install boot loader" screen. (Appending an
"other=/dev/hdc" stanza in the lilo.conf for LILO on /dev/hda brought up
the Grub menu for (hd1,0) and booted as expected when selected from the
LILO menu.)
Grub installation failed ("...fatal") when amended with (hd2,0), as
success was simply thwarted by the somewhat logical assumption that
/dev/hdc would be considered a third drive on i386 PCI bus; however,
since there was no hdb drive on this system, Grub device-naming-logic
assigns hdc to be the second INSTALL_DEVICE, (hd1).
"Install Grub boot loader..." would not re-install Grub after this
"fatal"
installation failure as it repeatedly used the previously amended,
faulty
(hd2,0) argument with no opportunity to change it.
Default debian-installer LILO installation did not work. (The primary
Debian unstable system with Linux 2.6.4 on /dev/hda uses LILO to boot.)
While the device-naming presented in the LILO argument was not familiar
to this operator, it was easy enough to provide logical substitute
arguments based on the default device-naming scheme, e.g., .../bus1 -->
.../bus0 and .../disc --> part1. (I even tried /dev/hdc and /dev/hda.)
NO combination worked to install LILO after many debian-installer
iterations where LILO was selected as the boot loader.
That is, many debian-installer iterations, because re-selecting
"Install LILO boot loader..." after one attempt subsequently always
returned one to the highlighted "Install Grub boot loader..." with no
message that LILO failed and no opportunity to change the argument for
re-configuring LILO after re-selecting "Install LILO boot loader...".
A Grub installation was possible at that point.
Anyhow, LILO did not work at all from the debian-installer on this
system.
(Nevertheless, I was able, post debian-installer, to manually install
LILO on /dev/hdc with something like "mount /dev/hdc1...; cp a simple
lilo.conf(with initrd); chroot...lilo; etc." I forgot to try
liloconfig.
Then appending an "other=/dev/hdc" stanza in the lilo.conf for LILO on
/dev/hda provided the menu opton that booted the new system provided by
debian-installer.)
Unfortunately, the log files are not available since I deleted the
partitions before I knew they would be requested here and their utility
was also likely compromised by the multiple installations.
I will also try to test the next version of the debian-installer.
Thanks to everyone involved in this great new debian-installer.
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