ix86: boot from floppy/install from disk (2.2r2)
Hello,
Love that Debian!
I am trying to get on board the Debian ship and I am having some difficulties with the installation documentation. Great content, but it has very high ?ick? factor.
a) http://www.debian.org/releases/2.2/i386/ch-hardware-req.en.html#s2.5
> 2.5.3: "If you want complete information on Intel x86 RAM issues, and what is the best RAM to buy, see the PC Hardware FAQ -> ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/comp/sys/ibm/pc/hardware/systems/
- the link is valid but information is stale. The archive has been removed and text documention at link directs one to a URL that is broken.
b) http://www.debian.org/releases/2.2/i386/ch-install-methods.en.html
Installing Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 For Intel x86
> Chapter 5 Methods for Installing Debian:
"You can install Debian from a variety of sources, both local (CD, hard disk, floppies) and remote (FTP, NFS, PPP, HTTP). Debian also supports various hardware configurations, so you may still have a few choices to make before you get going. This chapter lays out the choices and some suggestions for how to make them.?
-> Grammatically poor English. ?variety of sources? -> various hardware configuration choices -> lays out the choices. I believe the intention is to address the variety of ?sources?. The sentence regarding hardware config. choices distracts from the purpose of the paragraph and chapter. I suggest removing it because this topic is well addressed earlier in the guide. I suggest using the term ?installation sources? throughout. Also, last sentence in paragraph could read
?This chapter presents the installation sources and the methods for using it. Also, some suggestions are made on what to base one?s installation sources choices.?
> ?You can make different choices for different steps in the installation. For example, you may start the installation by booting off diskettes, but then feed later steps in the install process files from your hard disk.?
-> ??feed later steps in the install?? -> poor English, suggestion with next point.
>?scrawny, incapable system which lives only in RAM?
-> not appropriate for technical documentation -- must be concise. Suggest combining the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs into one:
?The installation framework <wc, alt: program>, <insert name of installer>, is flexible in that it allows a number of combinations of installation sources to be used in conjunction. A key goal of the early installation steps is to increase the variety of hardware (e.g., interface cards) and software (e.g., network protocols and file system drivers) the system supports. Consequently, later installation steps can use a broader range of installation sources than earlier ones. For example, you may start the installation by booting off diskettes then in later installation steps access the Debian CDs via the CD-ROM drive (wc, alt: device).
> last paragraph
-> I suggest altering it to be:
The easiest route for most people will be to use a set of Debian CDs<insert link to http://www.debian.org/distrib/vendors >. If you have such a set, great! If your machine supports booting directly off a CD, configure you system for booting off a CD as described in Boot Device Selection, Section 3.3.2; insert your CD; reboot; and proceed to the next chapter. If it turns out the standard installation using booting off of the Debian CD doesn't work for your hardware, revisit this chapter to try alternative methods which may work for you. In particular, note that some Debian CD sets provide different kernels on different CDs within the set (<link to 5.2>). Therefore, booting off a CD other than the first in the set may be successful.
c) http://www.debian.org/releases/2.2/i386/ch-install-methods.en.html#s-install-overview
5.1 Overview of the Installation Process
> ?This overview highlights?
-> never ever start topic in that manner. Equivalent to starting essay with ?In this essay ?? -> very bad
> 1. ?
-> boot the system to install Debian on.
> 2. ?
-> You answer a series of questions facilitating the initial system configuration.
d) from this section in the chapter the content continues to be excellent, but structure breaks down somewhat. A trail through the document needs to be developed. I believe this should focusing on what I imagine are the three most common install routes:
1. boot linux recover disks -> CD install
2. boot DOS recovery disk -> CD install
3. boot/install CD
I image four through six to be:
4. boot DOS/other -> disk install
5. boot DOS/other -> internet install
6. boot DOS/other -> network install
Also, a pretty pictures version should be made for laypersons.
e) Am I missing something fundamental here or am I correct in that the install guide does not identify what the general floppy disk image files are?! I can manage, but it definitely is a stumbling block.
Well I have to get potato in the oven, so that is it for now.
Best regards,
Lloyd Budd
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