Bug#289083: SPARCstn 5 [2004/12/19 daily]: suceeded w/ difficulty
Package: installation-reports
Debian-installer-version: daily-build (post-RC2) w/2.4, dated Dec. 19 2004
uname -a: Linux neurotica 2.4.27-1-sparc32 #1 Tue Aug 24 01:05:41 PDT 2004 sparc GNU/Linux
Date: Tue Jan 4 2005
Method: Netboot (bootp/tftp on x86 Debian/unstable workstation, no proxy).
Machine: Sun Sparcstation 5
Processor: sun4w (Fujitsu MB86904), 110MHz
Memory: 125595648
Root Device: SCSI /dev/sdc1
Root Size/partition table:
Disk /dev/sdc (Sun disk label): 19 heads, 80 sectors, 2733 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1520 * 512 bytes
Device Flag Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 0 540 410400 2 SunOS root
/dev/sdc2 u 540 884 261440 3 SunOS swap
/dev/sdc3 0 2733 2077080 5 Whole disk
/dev/sdc4 884 2733 1405240 4 SunOS usr
Disk /dev/sda (Sun disk label): 14 heads, 72 sectors, 2036 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 bytes
Device Flag Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 0 1220 614880 8 SunOS home
/dev/sda2 1220 2036 411264 7 SunOS var
/dev/sda3 u 0 2036 1026144 5 Whole disk
Output of lspci and lspci -n: n/a (no PCI bus on machine)
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Initial boot worked: [E]
Configure network HW: [O]
Config network: [O]
Detect CD: [ ]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [E]
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [O]
Reboot: [O]
Comments/Problems:
Note: the Dec 19 "daily" build for Sparc was the most recent I could
find, even though it was nearly three weeks old.
The first problem (which was nearly a showstopper) was not actually a
boot problem. It was simply that the booted installer did not
recognize my model-5 keyboard (even though the kernel detected it just
fine). I actually tried four different boot images (daily2.4,
daily2.6, RC2/2.4, RC2/2.6), and none of them would work. They all
seemed to assume I had a PC keyboard (I'm guessing here). This seems
like a pretty major problem, and I'm surprised more people haven't
reported it! Perhaps there just aren't very many people testing d-i
on Sparc w/ Sun keyboards?
Fortunately, I discovered (quite by accident) that the backslash key
would act as "Enter", so I was able to select the defaults and get to
the keyboard selection dialog, after which the keyboard worked fine.
The next problem was when I tried to partition. I told it to delete
all the partitions on my 2.1GB drive, and it told me that I had 2.1GB
of free space. Then I created a 350MB partition, and it told me that
I had only 400MB of free space left! I tried a couple of variations,
with basically the same result. Finally, I gave up, booted Solaris,
and used that to create my partitions, which worked fine, and I was
able to complete the installation without further problem. However,
halting and booting into Solaris should not be a necessary step in the
installation, IMO. :)
General thoughts: early in the process, it asked me where I wanted to
get the base-install images from, and had me select a server and
(optionally) configure a proxy. Later, after the initial reboot, it
asked me where I wanted apt to get its packages from, and it seemed to
have completely forgotten my earlier choices! Wouldn't it make more
sense to have it at least default to the same settings?
cheers
--
Chris Waters | Pneumonoultra- osis is too long
xtifr@debian.org | microscopicsilico- to fit into a single
or xtifr@speakeasy.net | volcaniconi- standalone haiku
Reply to: