Bug#279126: INSTALL REPORT
Package: installation-reports
INSTALL REPORT
Debian-installer-version:
http://people.debian.org/~joeyh/d-i/images/daily/netboot/debian-installer/i386/
download date: oct 30 2004
uname -a: Linux wagner 2.6.8-1-686 #1 Thu Oct 7 03:15:25 EDT 2004 i686
GNU/Linux
Date: oct 31 2004
Method: Network install (PXEboot) with network preseed, install runs
through a local apt-proxy
Machine: Tulip Computers (1998)
Processor: Pentium II (233Mhz)
Memory: 128Mb
Root Device: IDE /dev/hdb
Root Size/partition table: installer default "single partition":
Disk /dev/hda: 6253 cylinders, 16 heads, 63 sectors/track
Warning: The partition table looks like it was made
for C/H/S=*/128/63 (instead of 6253/16/63).
For this listing I'll assume that geometry.
Units = cylinders of 4128768 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0
Device Boot Start End #cyls #blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 0+ 780 781- 3148960+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
end: (c,h,s) expected (780,127,63) found (779,127,63)
/dev/hda2 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/hda3 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/hda4 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
Disk /dev/hdb: 16383 cylinders, 16 heads, 63 sectors/track
Units = cylinders of 516096 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0
Device Boot Start End #cyls #blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 0+ 15643 15644- 7884544+ 83 Linux
/dev/hdb2 15644 16382 739 372456 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hdb3 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/hdb4 0 - 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/hdb5 15644+ 16382 739- 372424+ 82 Linux swap
Output of lspci and lspci -n:
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 440LX/EX - 82443LX/EX Host bridge
(rev 03)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 440LX/EX - 82443LX/EX AGP bridge (rev
03)
0000:00:07.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ISA (rev 01)
0000:00:07.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 IDE (rev 01)
0000:00:07.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 USB (rev 01)
0000:00:07.3 Bridge: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI (rev 01)
0000:00:12.0 Multimedia audio controller: C-Media Electronics Inc CM8738
(rev 10)
0000:00:13.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82544GC Gigabit Ethernet
Controller (Copper) (rev 02)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: S3 Inc. ViRGE/GX2 (rev 04)
0000:00:00.0 0600: 8086:7180 (rev 03)
0000:00:01.0 0604: 8086:7181 (rev 03)
0000:00:07.0 0601: 8086:7110 (rev 01)
0000:00:07.1 0101: 8086:7111 (rev 01)
0000:00:07.2 0c03: 8086:7112 (rev 01)
0000:00:07.3 0680: 8086:7113 (rev 01)
0000:00:12.0 0401: 13f6:0111 (rev 10)
0000:00:13.0 0200: 8086:100c (rev 02)
0000:01:00.0 0300: 5333:8a10 (rev 04)
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Initial boot worked: [ ]
Configure network HW: [X]
Config network: [X]
Detect CD: [ ]
Load installer modules: [X]
Detect hard drives: [X]
Partition hard drives: [X]
Create file systems: [X]
Mount partitions: [X]
Install base system: [X]
Install boot loader: [X]
Reboot: [ ]
Comments/Problems:
The laguagechooser cannot be preseeded because the language questions is
set to level "critical", hence installation always stops here.
I changed the questions level to high and it runs nicely:
--- languagechooser.orig 2004-10-31 22:18:45.000000000 +0100
+++ languagechooser 2004-10-30 23:09:16.000000000 +0200
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
db_set debconf/language C
fi
-db_input critical "languagechooser/language-name" || [ $? -eq 30 ]
+db_input high "languagechooser/language-name" || [ $? -eq 30 ]
if db_go; then
db_get "languagechooser/language-name"
if test "$RET" ; then
There is one obstacle with network preseeding and that is that all
questions before network config cannot be preseeded. I have made an ugly
hack in the installer to apply some defaults to bypass questions.
I have put a script called S25setenv in /lib/debian-installer-startup.d :
if [ -e /etc/preload.cfg ]; then
logger -t S25-setenv "Preload debconf variables."
. /etc/preload.cfg
fi
where /etc/preload.cfg contains:
debconf-set languagechooser/locale "en"
debconf-set languagechooser/language-name "English"
debconf-set debian-installer/locale string "en_US"
debconf-set debian-installer/fallbacklocale "en_US.UTF-8"
debconf-set debian-installer/language "en_US:en_GB:en"
debconf-set debian-installer/country "NL"
debconf-set debian-installer/consoledisplay "kbd=lat0-sun16(iso15)"
Now a fully unattended installation (zero key presses at the client
machine) is possible.
It would be nice to have better documentation of the debconf variables in
general and particulary the partitioning synax: i.e. howto set up raid,
lvm and multiple partitions through preseeding. Reading chapter 4.7 and
appendix C of the installation guide helps but leaves a lot of questions.
After installation instead of reboot the machine switches off. When it is
turned on again instllation continues correctly with base-config.
Again a lot of experimenting finally leaded to a working preseed file for
this part of the installation. Again better documentation could help a
lot.
During installation I still encounter a bug in handling the videocard
(which does not occur on manual installation): shortly after network
configuration the screen gets covered with black vertical lines and hence
unreadable. A switch to the second console and back solves the problem.
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