Bug#932772:

[Steve McIntyre <steve@einval.com>]

Hi, and thanks for providing feedback about your problems...

On Mon, Jul 22, 2019 at 05:56:14PM -0400, The Real Plato wrote:
>Package: installation-reports
>
>Boot method: unetbootin usb
>Image version: https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/
>cd-including-firmware/10.0.0+nonfree/amd64/bt-cd/
>firmware-10.0.0-amd64-netinst.iso.torrent
>Date: 2019-07-22-19:00:00Z
>
>Machine: Lenovo Thinkpad T440p
>Processor: unknown
>Memory: unknown
>Partitions: unknown
>
>Output of lspci -knn (or lspci -nn): N/A
>
>Base System Installation Checklist:
>[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
>
>Initial boot:           [O]
>Detect network card:    [E]
>Configure network:      [ ]
>Detect CD:              [ ]
>Load installer modules: [ ]
>Detect hard drives:     [ ]
>Partition hard drives:  [ ]
>Install base system:    [ ]
>Clock/timezone setup:   [ ]
>User/password setup:    [ ]
>Install tasks:          [ ]
>Install boot loader:    [ ]
>Overall install:        [E]
>
>Comments/Problems:
>
>Heard of Debian as a no-BS upstream of ubuntu and mint. Decided to try to
>resurrect my Thinkpad with it.
>Started by spending about half an hour trying to find the appropriate image for
>a USB install.

Curious why the problem - I guess you missed the link on the front
page of the website?

>Followed links from homepage and started downloading a 3-DVD set before
>realizing I did not have three USB drives available and looked for other media.
>Downloaded https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/bt-cd/
>debian-10.0.0-amd64-netinst.iso.torrent and made bootable USB drive with
>unetbootin.
>Booted successfully but was stymied by message "Detect network hardware - Some
>of your hardware needs non-free firmware files to operate. The firmware can be
>loaded from removable media, such as a USB stick or floppy. The missing
>firmware files are: iwlwifi-7260-17.ucode"
>Googled to find resolution. Found a note that an unofficial net install
>including nonfree drivers is available.
>Downloaded that, loaded to USB drive, booted, encountered same message.

Did you use unetbootin again? Please *never* do this with Debian
images - it's been a direct cause of lots of problems for users
exactly like this. I even added detection to d-i to look for images
that had been written using unetbootin and warn the user about
possible bugs. Did that not trigger for you?

For Debian installation and live images, you can simply write them
directly to a USB stick using dd or cp - they're all "isohybrid" which
means that they will work directly on optical media or on a USB flash
drive.

>Googled again to find the missing file.
>Downloaded http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/non-free/f/firmware-nonfree/
>firmware-iwlwifi_20190502-1_all.deb to root of another USB drive.
>Plugged the drive in to installation machine.
>Clicked "Yes, load missing firmware from removable media".
>Clicked Continue.
>Waited approximately 20 seconds for installer to search. No option to select
>the file appeared. No error message appeared.
>Gave up and downloaded Mint 19.1 and it works
>I need a working machine right now so I'm not interested in fixing this atm

Understood.

-- 
Steve McIntyre, Cambridge, UK.                                steve@einval.com
"I can't ever sleep on planes ... call it irrational if you like, but I'm
 afraid I'll miss my stop" -- Vivek Das Mohapatra