Bug#251825: Installing sarge PPC kernel with d-i fails with initrd warning

[John Gilmore <gnu@toad.com>]

Package: debian-installer
Version: sarge 20040523 CD

I booted the install CD in expert mode, and was able to progress
through the installation until picking a kernel.  I picked the
kernel-image-2.6.6-powerpc (I also tried 2.4.25-powerpc-small-pmac and
got the same result).  It failed to install, producing these error
messages:

  You are attempting to install an initrd kernel image (version 2.6.6-powerpc)
  This will not work unless you have configured your boot loader to use
  initrd. (An initrd image is a kernel image that expects to use an INITial
  Ram Disk to mount a minimal root file system into RAM and use that for
  booting).

  I repeat, You need to configure your boot loader -- please read your
  bootloader documentation for details on how to add initrd images.

  If you have already done so, and you wish to get rid of this message,
  please put
    `do_initrd = Yes'
  in /etc/kernel-img.conf. Note that this is optional, but if you do not,
  you'll continue to see this message whenever you install a kernel
  image using initrd.
  Do you want to stop now? [Y/n]OK, Aborting
  dpkg: error processing /derom/pool/main/k/kernel-patch-powerpc-2.6.6/kernel-image/2.6.6-powerpc_2.6.6-2_powerpc.deb (--unpack):
   subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1

I don't know whether the yaboot configuration stuff (which comes later
in debian-installer) know how to handle an initrd 2.6 (or 2.4) kernel.
There was no documentation in the manuals about whether or when it is
appropriate to use 2.6 kernels in debian-installer...

...and no documentation anywhere visible, about which of the dozen+
kernels is even for which hardware!

(I tried rebooting and reinstalling and editing that file, as it
suggested, but before the kernel install, the file doesn't exist; and
the failure happens very soon after you pick the kernel to install.)

	John

PS:  I had tried to do this install in non-expert mode, but you can see
the results of that in bug#248067.  It picked the 2.4.25-powerpc-smp-prep
kernel (I don't know if that works on a PowerBook G4 -- it says it's for a
PrEP computer, which I've never heard of).  But then it didn't install
anyway, with a "(=D) is not a directory" error message.