Bug#240744: Successful Sarge install via Beta-3 installer
Package: installation-reports
INSTALL REPORT
Debian-installer-version: sarge-i386-netinst.iso (beta 3) from Debian.org
uname -a: Linux tiodm 2.4.25-1-386 #1 Tue Feb 24 08:11:13 EST 2004 i686 GNU/Linux
Date: March 28, 2004 at 1pm PST
Method: Installed from IDE Sony DVD-ROM to IDE drive 0, partition 5.
Machine: Whitebox, Soltek SL-75DRV5 motherboard
Processor: AMD Athlon XP 1700+
Memory: 256Mb Kingston PC2100 DDR
Root Device: IDE, /dev/hda, Western Digital 30Gb
Root Size/partition table:
Disk /dev/hda: 30.0 GB, 30020272128 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 58168 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 6096 3072352+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda2 6097 48177 21208824 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 6097 12192 3072352+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 12193 12213 10552+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda7 12214 12734 262552+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda8 12735 21877 4608040+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda9 21878 28187 3180208+ 8e Linux LVM
/dev/hda10 28188 34284 3072856+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda11 34285 41395 3583912+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda12 41396 48177 3418096+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda5 on / type ext3 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
Output of lspci:
00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333]
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333 AGP]
00:09.0 Ethernet controller: Lite-On Communications Inc LNE100TX (rev 20)
00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233A ISA Bridge
00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT8233/A/C/VT8235 PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
00:11.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 23)
00:11.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 23)
00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 40)
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: [E?]
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: [ ] (used preexisting loader)
Reboot: [O]
Comments/Problems:
I did an expert install in order to keep other installed OSs intact during the partitioning step, and also to manually
specify network information. I did the install without referring to any of the install documentation and the install
succeeded w/o my needing to go to my other computer and do any online lookup.
I didn't check to see if partitioning and network setup could be manually configured in any other mode except
"expert". I'd suggest this; many people will be installing Debian onto a disk with an existing OS install, and will
want the Debian install to not clobber the existing OS. I'd also like to be able to do manual network setup regardless
of expert/non-expert mode; many home systems don't have a DHCP server and will need to do such setup even
though the installer person isn't an 'expert'.
Hardware detection was good. The network driver didn't load in the initial detection phase; it was loaded later on in
the network configuration step. During that first detection phase, there was a message that the tulip driver couldn't
be loaded. No options to correct for it, either. I soldiered on and it loaded during the later netconfig phase. A bit
misleading, though I'm not sure I can call it an error given the later success. Manual network config went well, the
Netgear FA-310TX worked fine.
Every one of the installer modules presented a screen asking for optional arguments. Not good; how would I know
what arguments to give it? I simply pressed return each time and all was well, but I would have preferred not to have
seen these screens at all given the lack of method for me to know what to do about such arguments. I'm thinking of
the confusion a new-to-Debian/Linux user would have at this point, and I'm sighing.
Disk partitioning again uses the highly arcane devfs syntax for partitions. Can't this be simplified back to
/dev/hda | /dev/sda? I don't understand why this is used unless it's just an experiment on the installer developers'
part. If so, enough already.
I was reinstalling over the previous Sarge Beta2 install, so I used the existing bootloader on /dev/hda. I was glad to
see the explicit option to not install either grub or lilo.
Software installed without trouble except for OpenOffice.org; it failed due to a dependency on OpenOffice.org.bin, I
had to do an "apt-get upgrade" to cause the package installs to finish cleanly.
Overall, I'm left with a very good feeling about this installer, and thanks again to all the installer developers for their
hard work - the effort is showing in a greatly-increasing quality installer.
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