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Re: Bug#400263: installation report: low memory install (kbd-chooser and ext3 creation)



On Sat, 09 Dec 2006 20:58:54 +0100 Frans Pop wrote:
> > 2. ext3 creation on low memory machines.
> > 	- Perhaps only use ext2 in low memory installs?
> > 	  (don't provide the ext3 udeb)
> > 	- Or some note in the manual about this situation?
> 
> Basically lowmem installations are a case where the user needs to find out 
> for himself what works and what does not. The partman-ext3 udeb is not 
> loaded by default, so if loading it makes the install fail, then don't...
> It probably will work on a machine with 48MB, which is also lowmem.
> 
> I agree that a section about lowmem installations for the manual would be 
> a good idea. Volunteers for writing it? ...

A proposal for this. Comments welcome!

(I have overruled my intention to put this in the appendix; there
are no d-i modules descriptions in appendix at the moment, so
maybe that's unsuitable there.)



--- parameters.xml	2006-12-16 13:16:04.000000000 +0100
+++ parameters-new.xml	2006-12-16 12:58:47.000000000 +0100
@@ -137,6 +137,14 @@
 media. On architectures which support it, the graphical installer uses
 the <userinput>gtk</userinput> frontend.
 
+<note><para>
+
+If you have not enough memory installed on your system to use the
+graphical installer (about 128MB), you will automatically fall back to the
+text based installer.
+
+</para></note>
+
 </para></listitem>
 </varlistentry>
 


--- lowmem.xml	2006-12-16 13:16:04.000000000 +0100
+++ lowmem-new.xml	2006-12-16 13:44:01.000000000 +0100
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <!-- $Id: lowmem.xml 16990 2004-06-19 22:09:49Z fjpop-guest $ -->
 
   <sect3 id="lowmem">
-  <title>Check available memory</title>
+  <title>Check available memory / low memory mode</title>
 
 <para>
 
@@ -14,8 +14,49 @@
 </para><para>
 
 During a low memory install, not all components will be available.
-One of the limitations is that you won't be able to choose a
-language for the installation.
+Firstly you won't be able to choose a language for the installation, means
+you have to install with an english interface. The installed system will
+of course be localized.
+
+<!-- Not sure if there are such components or will be in the future.
+</para><para>
+
+The following modules of the installer will also not be available during
+low memory install: abc, xyz.
+-->
+
+</para><para>
+
+It is extremely recommended, that you create a large-scaled swap partition on
+your harddrive if you have a system where memory is rare: swap is used as
+virtual RAM, so you can use more memory as you have physically installed.
+The installer makes use of swap as early as possible and of course swap is
+also useful for your daily work with the installed system, so it's a good
+investigation. If you are not low on disc space, create 100MB swap or even
+more.
+
+</para><para>
+
+Many components aren't automatically loaded when the installer is in low memory
+mode, but you can load them manually (choose <guimenuitem>Load installer
+components from CD</guimenuitem> from the menu).
+In case of problems like the system freezing and/or
+<quote>Out of memory</quote> messages on vt4, there are two ways to go:
+creating a larger swap partition may be useful, if the problem occures after
+swap is activated (this is done during disc partitioning, when you have your
+partitioning scheme ready and write the changes to disc). If this does not
+solve your problem, you should try to leave one or more of that additional
+components out.
+
+</para><para>
+
+Example: it has been reported that creating a big ext3 filesystem fails
+in low memory mode, when swap is too small. If larger swap doesn't help you,
+you can create that filesystem as ext2 (which is a default installer module)
+and complete installation. (ext3 creation is such an additional component and
+it needs rughly more RAM compared to ext2 creation due to journal generation).
+Maybe you will be able to switch that ext2 filesystem to ext3 from the
+installed system later.
 
 </para>
-   </sect3>
\ No newline at end of file.
+   </sect3>



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