Bug#688744: ext2 support for USB removable media in debian-installer

[Brian Potkin <claremont102@gmail.com>]

On Tue 25 Sep 2012 at 20:50:21 +0200, Christian PERRIER wrote:

> Quoting Brian Potkin (claremont102@gmail.com):
> 
> > You can use your ext2 formatted flash drive but you have to be sneaky.
> > Before detecting the network hardware do "Detect disks", followed by
> > 
> >    modprobe ext2
> > 
> > and
> > 
> >    mount -text2 /dev/sdXn /media
> > 
> > Then back to "Detect network hardware".
> > 
> 
> Indeed, mountmedia could easily try to mount an ext2|ext3|ext4 device:
> 
> if ! ( media_mounted && checkcontents $MNT ); then
>         # Special case for an already mounted /hd-media.
>         if [ -d /hd-media ] && checkcontents /hd-media; then
>                 mount --bind /hd-media /media
>                 exit 0
>         fi
> 
>         if ! grep -q ^vfat /proc/modules ; then
>                 log-output -t mountmedia modprobe -q vfat || true
>         fi
> 
> 
> the "modprobe ext2" command could be attempted there. Of course, that
> needs to be sure the ext2 module is already available. It seens this
> is what you "detect disk" trick is about, am I right?

It is, but I hadn't quite realised that until you pointed out above how
mountmedia is involved. Thanks.

The first time detecting network hardware is tried the ext2, ext3 and
ext4 modules get listed in modules.dep. So "Detect disks" isn't at all
necessary before doing a modprobe and a mount.