Bug#291453: Installation report, Sarge/d-i rc2, 20050120, floppy install, x86
Package: installation-reports
Debian-installer-version: d-i rc2 floppies (root.img + boot.img +
net-drivers.img)
uname -a: Linux pitr 2.4.27-2-586-tsc #1 Thu Dec 30 18:06:49 JST 2004 i586
GNU/Linux
Date: 20050119-20
Method: Floppy boot and network installation
Machine: Fuijutsu desktop PC
Processor: Pentium II/200 MHz
Memory: 80 Mb
Root Device: NEC IDE 1,7Gb
Root Size/partition table (df output):
Filsystem 1K-block Använt Tillgängl Anv% Monterat på
/dev/hda2 685777 391811 257376 61% /
tmpfs 39400 0 39400 0% /dev/shm
/dev/hda1 793680 708548 44816 95% /media/hda1
Output of lspci and lspci -n:
0000:00:00.0 0600: 8086:7030 (rev 02)
0000:00:0c.0 0601: 8086:7000 (rev 01)
0000:00:0c.1 0101: 8086:7010
0000:00:0c.2 0c03: 8086:7020 (rev 01)
0000:00:0d.0 0300: 1002:5654 (rev 40)
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Fel (beskriv utförligt nedan på engelska), [ ] = testade ej
Initial boot worked: [O]
Configure network HW: [O]
Config network: [O]
Detect CD: [E?]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [O]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [O/E]
Reboot: [E]
Comments/Problems:
------------------
First, some observations about the installation manual:
My first problem was finding the correct floppy images. I think either
section 5.1.4 of the manual (Booting the Installer on Intel x86/Booting from
Floppies) or section 4.3 (Creating Floppies from Disk Images) should explain
which images I need or at least link directly to the MANIFEST file. That
link is now in section 4.2.1 where it is not easily found. A link to the ftp
directory containing the floppies and to rawrite/rwwrtwin would also be
handy. Also, I think that the section about floppy reliability should be
moved from 5.3.1 to 4.3. These changes would get all important information
about boot floppies in two places instead of four. OK, I can now see that
section A.2.2 actually does some of what I ask for. Is it really necessary
to spread information to all these places?
In general, I also think that chapters 4 and 5 of the manual should be
reorganized from "Obtaining media" and "Boot" to one chapter covering the
entire process of different types of installations
(Floppy/CD/Netboot/USB/harddrive). Sections A through C should be integrated
with the beginning of the document.
These comments apply to the installation manual at
http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/manual/en.i386/index.html, as of 2005-01-05.
Now to the installation:
I choose Swedish as my language in the first screen, but didn't get swedish
until several screens later. That could have been really confusing if I
hadn't understod english quite well.
On my admittedly very slow computer there are several blank screens that
come up after a choice has been made and they sometimes last for more than a
couple of seconds. This may give the impression that d-i has hung, but is no
big problem.
I tried to get an old ISA network card working, but failed. I would have
liked rmmod to be present on the system though, now I had to reboot
(shifting three floppies) every time I wanted to try another IRQ. I finally
gave up and replaced the network card with one that worked.
Shouldn't the installation floppies give me the choice to insert a CD (the
netinst image for example)? It just downloaded everything from the Debian
mirror. Or should I somehow have used the CD instead of the root floppy? The
downloads went OK anyway, but not completely smooth. The installer tried to
download Packages.gz three times before getting it right.
Partitioning went smoothly, I just reused (reformated) an old ext2 partition
(hda2) where I used to have Hurd installed. I ignored a partition (hda1)
with an old Debian (Linux) installation and reused a swap partition (hda3).
There was a tiny skull indicated by my new root partition, but the installer
happily allowed me to carry on and the manual doesn't mention it. What does
it mean?
After doing the base install, I tried to install GRUB. It all seemed OK (My
old Debian install was even identified correctly), but the reboot failed
with "GRUB hard disk error", so I had to start over from the beginning. I
tried LILO instead, with success. This time though, my other Debian
installation was not detected.
After the reboot I finally got the option to use my CD, but I settled for
HTTP install anyway and it worked out just fine. I choose the web server and
file server tasks, not sure at that point if file server meant NFS, Samba or
FTP.
Conclusions:
------------
I liked the new debian-installer very much, thank you. Even though I didn't
use LVM or RAID this time I really appreciate your work with that. The GRUB
problem is of course unacceptable, especially for people who hasn't got a
clue about what a boot loader is, but I can totally live with the other
glitches.
If you want me to look into details of the GRUB problem, please let me know
what information you need.
Great work! I wish you luck with the final Sarge release!
Summary:
--------
* The manual is not well organised, information is spread out too much.
* The installer doesn't use the selected language right away.
* The installer shows blank screens for too long on a slow computer.
* rmmod on the install system would be handy
* No obvious way to change from floppy boot to CD install before reboot.
* GRUB made the system unbootable.
* LILO installer didn't find old Debian Linux installation, but GRUB
installer did.
/Cheers
Klas Adolfsson
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