OK, I booted from the CD with "install DEBIAN_FRONTEND=newt" switched to the F2 console when the "choose language" screen came up. Then I did:
~# echo "disable-module=radeon" >>/etc/directfbrc ~# echo "no-hardware" >>/etc/directfbrc ~# export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=gtk ~# debian-installer
It crashed when it tried to initialize the graphical installer messages read in part (manually typed in -- I don't have any way to cut-and-paste from the crashed machine...)
(process:1074): INFO kbd-mode: setting console mode to Unicode (UTF-8)
(*) DirectFB/Config: Parsing file '/etc/directfbrc'
----------------- DirectFB v0.9.25 -------------
... [ stuff snipped to save typing -- let me know if it's important - Rick]
(*) Direct/Thread: Running 'VT Switcher' (CRITICAL, 1101) (*) Direct/Thread: Running 'Linux Input' (INPUT, 1102)(!!!!) *** UNIMPLEMENTED [fusion_reactor_set_lock] *** [../../../ lib/fusion/reactor.c:853]
... [more stuff snipped -Rick]
(*) Direct/Modules: supress module 'radeon'(*) DirectFB/Graphics: Generic Software Rasterizer 0.6 (convergence integrated media GmBH) (!) DirectFB/FBDev: No supported modes found in /etc/fb.modes and current mode not supported! (!) DirectFB/FBDev: Current mode's pixelformat: rgba 8/0, 8/0, 8/0, 0/0 (8bit)(!) DirectFB/Core/layers: Failed to initialize layer 0! --> Initialization error! (!) DirectFB/Core: Could not initialize 'layers' core! --> Initialization error!(#) DirectFBError [gdk_display_open: DirectFBCreate]: Initialization error!(debconf:1097): Gtk-Warning **: cannot open display: