--- Begin Message ---
Package: installation-reports
Boot method: CD (using image created on March 18, 2007)
Image version: http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/weekly-builds/amd64/iso-cd/debian-testing-amd64-CD-1.iso
Date: March 23, 2007
Machine: self built from parts
Processor: amd64 X2 3800+ EE (Energy Efficient)
Memory: 2 Gb
Partitions:
sata1 disk (this is the first time I'm trying a system w/o separate /usr, /var, /tmp, etc.):
/dev/sda1 ~ 12 Gb mounted on /windows
/dev/sda2 ~ 200 Gb mounted on /
/dev/sda5 ~ 12 Gb mounted on /home
/dev/sda6 ~ 12 Gb used as luks encrypted home dir mounted at login on /home/<my username>
/dev/sda7 ~ 12 Gb used as luks encrypted home dir mounted at login on /home/<my wife's username>
/dev/sda8 ~ 4 Gb encrypted swap (/dev/mapper/cswap)
1Gb tmpfs mounted on /tmp
hdb: (hda is dvd writer)
harddrive from old system with separate /, /home, /usr, /var, /var/tmp, etc. for data migration
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
Initial boot: [E]
Detect network card: [E]
Configure network: [O]
Detect CD: [E]
Load installer modules: [E]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [E]
Install base system: [O]
Clock/timezone setup: [E]
User/password setup: [O]
Install tasks: [O]
Install boot loader: [E]
Overall install: [E]
Comments/Problems:
0. The zeroth problem was booting. Somewhere in the help where you find it right away it says
to use noacpi if the system hangs. I tried that and it didn't work. In another spot more buried
(I think in the special parameter section) it says use acpi=off. Well, only the acpi=off worked.
1. The first problem to crop up was with the language and timezone. I live in Germany, but am a native
english speaker and wish to install in English. As soon as you've selected the English language, you
can only choose timezones from the USA and it's territories. Luckily I was still *allowed* to choose
a german keyboard! Please try thinking less for the user and allow hir to choose whichever timezone s/he
desires...I'm sure most people know which timezone they live in!
2. The second problem wasn't too much of a problem, just irritating: when detecting disks, the cd, and
the network card, it *kept* asking me whether I wanted to install the floppy module. I would deselect it and
and continue, and in the next step it would again ask me about the floppy module. Other than that, the
detection of cd and network card worked ok.
3. The third problem was with partitioning the harddrive. You can tell it that you want to use a partition
as an encrypted partition, but afterwards it doesn't do anything with it and you can't tell it where you want
it mounted. I don't see what this option really does, since you have to luksFormat it, etc. by hand afterwards
anyway. It would be nice if the installer would support encrypted partitions where you could select options and
a mount point and have the installer set everything up. Especially encrypted swap is easy, it just needs an entry
in /etc/crypttab and an appropriate entry in /etc/fstab, so "encrypted swap" should be an option too!
4. The fourth and worst problem came when I tried to reboot my "new system"...didn't work at all,
no grub screen, nothin. Had no idea why.
Tried using the install cd as rescue cd, but it wasn't much of a rescue, it just wanted to re-install.
I re-installed twice and fiddled with the bios. Luckily, at some point I accidentally booted with my sata1
hd disconnected and it started grub (!) but couldn't find a bootable image. Then I understood: grub had been installing itself
to /dev/hdb, even though I hadn't installed any of the system there (hdb was my old hd from my old system
which I had attached to transfer data from). There was never any question in the install about where grub
should install itself other than "to the master boot record" but didn't mention which drive, and it didn't
occur to me that it would install itself preferentially to hdb instead of to sata1 when I wasn't installing the
system there and had configured no mount points from hdb! Big Bummer and big waste of time! The other errors
were no big deal, but this really caused me some grief!
-j
--
"Feel free" - 10 GB Mailbox, 100 FreeSMS/Monat ...
Jetzt GMX TopMail testen: http://www.gmx.net/de/go/topmail
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
(Please use a bit more sensible line length for your messages; around 74
is generally considered good.)
On Friday 06 April 2007 15:32, Josh Buhl wrote:
> Comments/Problems:
> 0. The zeroth problem was booting. Somewhere in the help where you find
> it right away it says to use noacpi if the system hangs. I tried that
> and it didn't work. In another spot more buried (I think in the special
> parameter section) it says use acpi=off. Well, only the acpi=off
> worked.
That is basically a kernel problem and nothing we can solve in the
installer itself. In general those problems will get solved in time (at
least, if someone who sees the problem contacts the upstream kernel
maintainers about it).
Or it could be that a BIOS update is needed.
> 1. The first problem to crop up was with the language and timezone. I
> live in Germany, but am a native english speaker and wish to install in
> English. As soon as you've selected the English language, you can only
> choose timezones from the USA and it's territories. Luckily I was still
> *allowed* to choose a german keyboard! Please try thinking less for the
> user and allow hir to choose whichever timezone s/he desires...I'm sure
> most people know which timezone they live in!
Already answered. You should have selected English/Germany.
> 2. The second problem wasn't too much of a problem, just irritating:
> when detecting disks, the cd, and the network card, it *kept* asking me
> whether I wanted to install the floppy module. I would deselect it and
> and continue, and in the next step it would again ask me about the
> floppy module. Other than that, the detection of cd and network card
> worked ok.
Known, but very minor issue. Hopefully it will get fixed some time, but
another solution is not to use expert mode unless really needed.
> 3. The third problem was with partitioning the harddrive. You can tell
> it that you want to use a partition as an encrypted partition, but
> afterwards it doesn't do anything with it and you can't tell it where
> you want it mounted.
Suggest you read the installation guide.
> 4. The fourth and worst problem came when I tried to reboot my "new
> system"...didn't work at all, no grub screen, nothin. Had no idea why.
> Tried using the install cd as rescue cd, but it wasn't much of a
> rescue, it just wanted to re-install. I re-installed twice and fiddled
> with the bios. Luckily, at some point I accidentally booted with my
> sata1 hd disconnected and it started grub (!) but couldn't find a
> bootable image. Then I understood: grub had been installing itself to
> /dev/hdb, even though I hadn't installed any of the system there (hdb
> was my old hd from my old system which I had attached to transfer data
> from). There was never any question in the install about where grub
> should install itself other than "to the master boot record" but didn't
> mention which drive, and it didn't occur to me that it would install
> itself preferentially to hdb instead of to sata1 when I wasn't
> installing the system there and had configured no mount points from
> hdb! Big Bummer and big waste of time! The other errors were no big
> deal, but this really caused me some grief!
grub tries its best to determine which drive is the first for the BIOS. It
seems that failed in your case. The dialog actually says "the MBR of the
_first_ harddisk".
We are planning to implement a bit more user interaction if more than one
disk controller is detected in future versions.
Closing your report as there were no real new issues. Thank you very much
for submitting it.
Cheers,
FJP
--- End Message ---