Bug#375986: Package: installation-reports

["Ruud Baart" <R.J.Baart@Prompt.nl>]

Package: installation-reports

Boot method: network
Image version: testing (netboot.tar.gz date 20060304)
Date: 2006 Jun 29

Machine: Supermicro server
Processor: P4  3GHz
Memory: 1G
Partitions: Software raid
    Personalities : [raid1]
    md4 : active raid1 sda7[0] sdb7[1]      237665472 blocks [2/2] [UU]
    md3 : active raid1 sda6[0] sdb6[1]      4883648 blocks [2/2] [UU]
    md2 : active raid1 sda5[0] sdb5[1]      29294400 blocks [2/2] [UU]
    md1 : active raid1 sda3[0] sdb3[1]      19534976 blocks [2/2] [UU]
    md0 : active raid1 sda1[0] sdb1[1]      192640 blocks [2/2] [UU]

Output of lspci and lspci -n: not relevant

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: [O]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [E]
Create file systems: [E]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [O]
Reboot: [O]

Comments/Problems:
We use two disk. We want to use software RAID (all level 1). Without making any typing errors 
the installation (partioning, creating md devices, etc) works great.
Only when you make a error when creating the md-devices some minor troubles can occur.
1. choosing raid-1: 2 partitions, 0 spare and select only 1 partition to be part of the raid-1 no 
error message will be generated. Seems to me that this is not correct: it is an real error that 
should not be accepted.
2. There is no way of editing the define md-device. The only choice is deleting the md device. 
After deleting the incorrect defined md-device I can choose to make new md-devices. But that 
does not work. I create a new md-device nothing happens: the choosen partitions are still 
available in the picklist. I can't continue. I must write the partial information to disk.
3. After writing the partial information to disk and re-enter the partitioning menu I'm able to 
create succesful the remaining new md-devices.

When I have created the software raid and continue the installation, the md-devices are 
synchronised. No problem whith that but it takes -- depending on the disk -- a (very) long time 
and the base installation that starts after the creation of the md-devices takes a very, very long 
time. I know that it is because of the synchronisation but I can image that some 
systemadministrators think that the installation "hangs" and abort the installation. Would it be 
wise to give a warning to be (very) patient with the base installation when using md-devices?

Regards, Ruud Baart