On Sep 8, 2008, at 1:05 PM, Stephen Allen wrote:
Long ago when I was doing this frequently to test the (then very new) Sarge installer, by doing an "expert" mode install (setting"DEBCONF_PRIORITY=low" as Nicholas recommends), you could skip over theattempt to install quik by going to a step called (at the time)something like "proceed without a boot loader" in the main menu. Thisprevented the quik installer from destroying the boot-partitioninformation in NVAM. So when the time came to reboot, you went directly into OS-9. There was no need for the "update Apple hard disk drivers"step with the OS-9 CD that Nicholas describes. A lot of things have changed since Sarge, and this bit of lore may no longer be applicable. I'll try it out with Lenny myself on a spare disk, and report back.I'm missing something; How does one invoke 'expert' mode in the installer ?
Quoting Nicholas:In the additional kernel arguments box, type "DEBCONF_PRIORITY=low" (no quotes)
This will start up the installer in "expert" mode.There are other ways, but they are more round-about. This is the easiest.
"Expert" mode is running the installer with "DEBCONF_PRIORITY=low". The meaning of that is the installer will ask all questions that have priority higher or equal to "low". Priority "high" questions *must* be answered -- the installer can't proceed without those answers. Priority "low" questions are more likely to be OK with the defaults. In your case, the default for one of those questions -- just barging ahead to install the default (quik) boot loader -- is not acceptable.
You will have to answer a lot more questions, but usually the default answers (just hit the return key) will be OK. As a side-effect of exposing the low-level details, you'll learn some things about the Debian installer that may be interesting -- even helpful, though that's not the main purpose of this suggestion.
Hope this helps! Rick