Bug#245632: Installation report, Poweredge 750 with Adaptec AACRAID
Package: installation-reports
Debian-installer-version: Beta3 netinst (20040405)
uname -a: installer kernel 2.4.25, installed 2.4.25-686
Date: 20040423
Method:
Boot off of the netinst CD, using a local FTP mirror.
Machine: Dell Poweredge 750 rackmount 1U, with Adaptec AACRAID (Dell
CERC)
Processor: Pentium IV 2.8 GHz
Memory: 512 MB
Root Device: SCSI, /dev/sda (Adaptec AACRAID)
Root Size/partition table:
Not relevant. 120 GB on hardware RAID1.
Output of lspci:
Relevant elements :
Adaptec AACRAID PCI ID : 0285
Intel E1000 dual port PCI ID : 1075
Base System Installation Checklist:
Initial boot worked: [O]
Configure network HW: [E]
Config network: [E,O]
Detect CD: [O]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [E,O]
Partition hard drives: [O]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [O]
Reboot: [O]
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Comments/Problems:
The installer booted flawlessly, but couldn't detect the ethernet
card. It is a dual Intel E1000 card, supported by the stock e1000
driver. Loading the driver by hand leads to a working network setup,
the installer then detects the ethernet interfaces without any
problem.
The network configuration is a real pain. We have a DHCP server on the
network used to netboot thin clients and initiate network
backups/restore, which can't be used for anything else.
As the installer automatically issues DHCP requests without asking if
it should do so, we had to pull the plug, then redo the network
configuration. Wasted time.
The installer couldn't detect the Adaptec AACRAID card (RAID card with
6 SATA ports). Loading the driver by hand, together with sd_mod, leads
to a working setup, the installer then finds the RAID array as
/dev/sda, which is just fine.
The regular PATA controller was detected just fine, although the 2
onboard (non-RAID) SATA ports weren't detected. I've no details on the
SATA controller, I'll get back to you with those details when I'll
have access to the machine again.
Partitioning with partman is a *PAIN*. This thing is horrible. It is
counter-productive and, at best, counter-intuitive. I thought the
installer would ask me to create a swap partition, but I found out
that I was left alone to create it with partman, and the whole thing
is non-obvious. Please, give me back my beloved cfdisk !
Then it complained because I wanted my /boot partition to be an XFS
partition, and that wouldn't work with grub. There's a patch for grub
on the linux-xfs mailing list, please get it applied to our grub
package and remove that warning. I want to get rid of ext{2,3} :P
choose-mirror is buggy. When going back, it will eventually present a
list of mirrors for the country you are supposed to be in, and the
"enter information manually" item isn't there. Annoying.
Also, it can't tell whether the mirror is unavailable due to network
problems or whether it's not usable for another reason. It'd be useful
to make the distinction between these 2 cases.
Although the installer didn't detect the AACRAID card, the reboot went
just fine. The network driver wasn't loaded, but that was no surprise.
Base-config presented its main menu, and didn't guide me through the
steps automatically. I don't know if it's intended, but I find it
disturbing.
We installed this machine in just 20 minutes. That was my fastest
Debian installation ever. Thanks guys, you're doing a really good job.
If you need more details on the machine, just ask, and I'll provide
them as soon as I'll have the hardware handy.
JB.
--
Julien BLACHE <jblache@debian.org> | Debian, because code matters more
Debian & GNU/Linux Developer | <http://www.debian.org>
Public key available on <http://www.jblache.org> - KeyID: F5D6 5169
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