Bug#245411: Debian installation-reports
Package: installation-reports
Debian-installer-version:
Snapshot from 2004-04-21
http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimage-testing/daily/i386/20040421/sarge-i386-netinst.iso
uname -a: <The result of running uname -a on a shell prompt>
***
Date: 2004-04-22
Method: CD
Machine: Dell Dimension 8300 Series
Processor: Pentium 4 3.0 GHz w/ HT
Memory: 2 Gb DDR
Root Device: SATA disk #2
Root Size/partition table:
/ 119.4 Gb ext3 primary
swap 510 Mb swap logical
Output of lspci:
***
Base System Installation Checklist:
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] [comment]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [O] [comment] (on SATA #2)
Reboot: [E]
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Comments/Problems:
* Partition hard drives
- Is 510 MB really the largest swap partition possible!? I was
expecting to create a swap partition of about 2-4 Gb!
* Install boot loader
- During installation of GRUB, d-i incorrectly thought that
Debian was the only OS on the system. Windows is on SATA #1.
I use want to use the BIOS to switch between boots and don't
want GRUB on the first disk.
- d-i then said "that I needed to install GRUB somewhere and could
use hdn or /dev notation. I suggest listing a couple of examples,
since no Linux newbie would know what this means. E.g.
disk 1 = hd0
disk 2 = hd1
* Reboot: Major problem. Here's the error message:
root (hd1,0)
Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0xde
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.xxx root=/dev/hde1 ro
Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition
A google search found fdisk/part.c, revealing that
0xDE, "Dell Maint ", "Dell maintenance partition"
As I do have a Dell [see above], this makes some sense.
However, I let d-i partition the drive for me... I don't know
why the 0xde is showing up.
* For good measure I tried the installation more than once... The
first time, I was presented with an option for choosing between
kernel 2.6.3 and 2.4.25, and I picked the former. Second and third
times d-i chose 2.4.25 by default, without presenting the option.
Why would this be? What is d-i doing? (I want 2.6!)
* I have heard good things about Debian and am anxious to begin trying it!
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