Bug#246327: installation-reports
Package: installation-reports
Debian-installer-version:
Snapshot from 2004-04-27
http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimage-testing/daily/i386/20040427/sarge-i386-netinst.iso
uname -a: (for now)
Linux nesini 2.4.25-1-386 #2 Wed Apr 14 19:38:08 EST 2004 i686 GNU/Linux
Date: 2004-04-27
Method: CD/net
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:
#1 primary 119.4 Gb ext3 /
#5 logical 509.9 Mb swap swap
[will need to repartition the disk, though]
Output of lspci:
pcilib: Cannot open /sys/bus/pci/devices
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82875P Memory Controller Hub (rev 02)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82875P Processor to AGP Controller (rev
02)
0000:00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #1
(rev 02)
0000:00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #2
(rev 02)
0000:00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #3
(rev 02)
0000:00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB UHCI #4
(rev 02)
0000:00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) USB2 EHCI
Controller (rev 02)
0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BA/CA/DB/EB/ER Hub interface to
PCI Bridge (rev c2)
0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) LPC Bridge (rev
02)
0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) Ultra ATA
100 Storage Controller (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801EB (ICH5) Serial ATA 150
Storage Controller (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corp. 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) SMBus Controller
(rev 02)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV34 [GeForce FX
5200] (rev a1)
0000:02:01.0 Modem: Intel Corp.: Unknown device 1080 (rev 04)
0000:02:02.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs [SB Live! Value]
EMU10k1X
0000:02:02.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs [SB Live! Value] Input
device controller
0000:02:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82562EZ 10/100 Ethernet
Controller (rev 02)
Base System Installation Checklist:
Initial boot worked: [O] [comment]
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!]
Reboot: [O] [comment!]
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Comments/Problems:
* Note on initial boot:
I tried the initial boot with the linux26 option, but quickly ran
into trouble when d-i could not detect my CD-ROM drive.
* Partition hard drives
- d-i claims that 510 MB is the largest swap partition possible,
which is ludicrous. (Even Windows has created a ~2 Gb swapfile
given memory and disk space.)
* Install boot loader
- Background: I have two disks SATA #1 and #2 and want to use the
BIOS to switch between boots. Windows is on #1 and GRUB/Linux
should be on #2.
- During installation of GRUB, d-i incorrectly thought that Debian
was the only OS on the system. (Windows is on SATA #1.) I've
learned that what it really meant is that it was the only OS on
the *hard drive* (SATA #2). This is a big difference, because
eventually it will ask to install GRUB on the MBR of hd0, which
sounds like it wants to clobber SATA #1! After playing with GRUB
edit, I eventually figured out that in this context hd0 apparently
means Linux disk 0 or SATA #2 instead of SATA #1.
- What is really scary about this confusion is that d-i then asks
where to install GRUB using hdn or /dev notation. I chose hd1,
intending SATA #2. For some reason -- and thankfully! -- it
proceeded to install GRUB on SATA #2. But, as I explain below, on
the reboot, GRUB interpreted hd1 as SATA #1!
* Reboot:
- Initially, there was a 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
After liberal use of <TAB> within grub edit, I concluded that GRUB
thought hd1 was SATA #1, which is why it saw a Dell (0xde) and
NTFS (0x7) partition, respectively. When I edited the line to
boot (hd0,0), Debian proceeded to boot normally.
- MAJOR BUG: As explained above, I chose to install GRUB on hd1
(intending SATA #2), but on reboot, GRUB interpreted hd1 as (SATA
#1). While I admit I may be confused -- I don't pretend to be an
expert on boot loaders -- clearly either d-i or GRUB is also
confused. This could have really drastic consequences!
Aptitude was setup for woody/stable. After fixing this to point to
testing, I was able to download some packages. It seems to work very
nicely.
Todo:
- repartition the disk to create a sane swap file
- get a 2.6 kernel for HT and memory support
- fix X; it is dying <sigh>
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