Bug#285710: Debian-Installer is working
Package: installation-reports
Debian-installer-version:
http://people.debian.org/~joeyh/d-i/images/daily/floppy/
http://ftp.egr.msu.edu/debian/dists/testing/main/installer-i386/current/images/floppy/
both downloaded 2004-12-09
uname -a: Linux compaqdebian 2.4.27-1-686 #1 Fri Sep 3 06:28:00 UTC 2004
i686 GNU/Linux
Date: 2004-12-09; ~10 am CST for boot floppies; 2004-12-12 for network install
Method:
Booted off floppies, then did network install from "debian.midco.net".
Cable modem, No proxy.
Machine: "Compaq ProSignia 200" is on the nameplate.
Processor: PII/233
Memory: 64 MB RAM
Root Device: 2 GB SCSI hard drive /dev/sda
Root Size/partition table:
sda1 41 MB Compaq diagnostics
sda2 1.9 GB ext3 [/]
sda5 123 MB swap
Output of lspci and lspci -n:
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 440FX - 82441FX PMC [Natoma] (rev 02)
0000:00:0b.0 VGA compatible controller: Cirrus Logic GD 5446
0000:00:0c.0 SCSI storage controller: LSI Logic / Symbios Logic 53c875 (rev 04)
0000:00:0d.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905 100BaseTX [Boomerang]
0000:00:10.0 Network controller: Compaq Computer Corporation Integrated
NetFlex-3/P (rev 10)
0000:00:14.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82371SB PIIX3 ISA [Natoma/Triton II]
(rev 01)
0000:00:14.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82371SB PIIX3 IDE [Natoma/Triton II]
0000:00:00.0 0600: 8086:1237 (rev 02)
0000:00:0b.0 0300: 1013:00b8
0000:00:0c.0 0100: 1000:000f (rev 04)
0000:00:0d.0 0200: 10b7:9050
0000:00:10.0 0280: 0e11:ae35 (rev 10)
0000:00:14.0 0601: 8086:7000 (rev 01)
0000:00:14.1 0101: 8086:7010
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Initial boot worked: [O]
Configure network HW: [O]
Config network: [O]
Detect CD: [ ]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [E]
Partition hard drives: [O]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [O]
Reboot: [O]
Comments/Problems:
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/report-template
---- can't find hard drive:
Page
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ports-status
says the latest floppy installer is:
i386 floppy Working
http://people.debian.org/~joeyh/d-i/images/daily/floppy/
The "i386 floppy Working" *seems* to work for a while, but then
I get the scary red error message:
Detecting disks and all other hardware
[?] Detect hardware
Error while running 'modprobe -v tlan'
...
Error while running 'modprobe -v generic'
...
Error while running 'modprobe -v ide-disk'
...
and a bunch of other pieces of hardware, finally ending with
No partitionable media were found.
.
Work-around:
I return to
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ports-status
and use
i386 floppy rc2
http://ftp.egr.msu.edu/debian/dists/testing/main/installer-i386/current/images/floppy/
This "i386 floppy rc2" works great -- it found my SCSI drive without any
errors.
---- little documentation nit-picks:
The chapters seemed slightly out of order for people who do net-install:
first I do
Chapter 5 - Booting the Installation System
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch-rescue-boot.en.html
, then I skip ahead to
Chapter 7 - Installing the Kernel and Base Operating System
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch-install-system.en.html#s-install-os-netfetch
(which has the odd phrase
"...this sentence isn't finished...".
), then I return to
Chapter 6 - Partitioning for Debian
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch-partitioning.en.html
---- wish installer were smarter
When I tell apt configuration to use
ftp debian.midco.net
I get the error message:
Failed to fetch
ftp://debian.midco.net/debian/dists/testing/main/binary-i386/Packages.gz
Could not connect to debian.midco.net:21 (24.220.0.37).
- connect (111 Connection refused) Failed to fetch
But when I tell it to use
http debian.midco.net
it works just fine.
I wish the installer was smart enough to
automatically try both http and ftp, and use whichever one worked best.
---- want more educational menus
When I get to the menu
Debian Software Selection:
Choose software to install:
[ ] Desktop
[ ] Web server
[ ] Print server
[ ] DNS server
[ ] File server
[ ] Mail server
[ ] SQL database
[ ] manual package selection.
I wish it told me how to get back to this menu.
(Later I find out: run the "base-config" or "tasksel" program).
Yes, it's in the manual, but it would be nice on-screen as well.
---- a bit of confusion on how much space is needed
When I choose
* Desktop environment
It churns for a long time "Selecting" and "Unpacking" stuff.
Then it says:
...: No space left on device.
Yes,
df
tells me
/dev/sda2
1K-blocks: 1769034
Use%: 100%
Yes, no space left.
The manual
"3.5 Meeting Minimum Hardware Requirements"
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/ch-preparing.en.html#s-mmhr
claims that I only need 1 GB for "Minimum System ... With Desktop".
I have about 1.7 GB here, which I thought would be adequate.
(Actually, I thought I had 1.9 GB on the "/" partition ...
Does ext3 really use over 10% of the drive for "overhead", leaving less
than 90% for data blocks ?).
I assumed that what the manual calls
"Minimum System ... With Desktop"
was the *same* as the
* Desktop environment
option inside "tasksel".
I guess I should be happy that you have added a bunch of stuff to the
"Desktop environment" since the manual was written. But the manual needs to
be updated to reflect that.
--
David Cary
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