Bug#640677: installation-reports: Default user "not in the sudoerfs file" after standard install

[Charlie Kelly <dryphi@gmail.com>]

Package: installation-reports
Severity: normal

I had many problems with the install process but the above mentioned is the most critical as it prevents me from doing anything else after install. I can't add a single package, for instance, because the password doesn't work.
I don't know what else to say about the bug. The installer asks for a root password, and I supply one. Next the installer asks for the name of the user, which I type. Then the installer asks for a username, which I provide. Then the installer asks for the password for that user, and I type one. That's it, there's four steps to the whole "adding username" process. Nowhere does it ask whether the user should be able to get root access (he/she should, being the only user!). So, after completing the install and booting into the system, it does not allow you to login as "root", but logging in as the primary user gives you a system that is "semi-usable"; that is, I can use everything, but I can't install, update, I can't even do a simple "sudo dpkg -i". Very frustrating.

Other problems I had with the install process are as follows:
1. Wireless network detection failed. I have a T60 and required the iwl3945 driver. I had this driver on a flashdrive and installed it in a live session terminal with "dpkg -i". Only after doing so could my system access the internet. Then I performed the install.
 However, the installer would not detect a network no matter what. Even the manual method would not work. Maybe this was because I was using the aforementioned driver? I don't know.
 Furthermore, if I tell it to connect to so-and-so network, it asks for a password, but only a WEP-key is supported! What?! Really it's 2011 and the installer doesn't even know that WPA exists? What about WEP password instead of WEP hex key? At any rate, so I had much trouble getting the system to connect. I finally just removed encryption from my wireless router, but still the installer seemed to fail to connect, and on the first boot it didn't appear to connect to DHCP.
2. Within the live terminal or within the system following install, doing a "Restart" results in an endless loop. It does not shut down the system, it simply logs out, then appears to restart the kernel, then presents the login screen again. It does not really restart the computer. Only using "Shutdown" will perform a hard reboot.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 6.0.2
  APT prefers stable-updates
  APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-5-686 (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash