Re: Right List? First install.
OK,
If you are trying to install via floppies, you obviously have the
boot and root disks, and the base system disks (five of them, I think).
There are no floppies for the "Main Packages".
Let me explain:
Debian uses "packages" for programs, libraries, etc. One (usually)
package for each. Now, there should be enough essential system stuff on the
base system floppies to get a Semi-functional Debian system installed on a
hard disk. I say semi-functional because it can do little more than install
the rest of your debian system. More on this later.
There is no "Main Package". What debian is asking for are the Main PackageS
(plural). In other words, it wants to know where the rest of the packages are
located, since it is about to bring you to a menu that will let you pick and
choose which packages to install. There are no floppies for this. Why?
Because these packages take up the majority of two CDs! Thats quite a few
floppies.
Really, a "Floppy Install" is kind of a misnomer. Floppies will only get you
so far, and you've just gone past where you can go with just floppies.
So you have 2 options:
1) Net install (using ftp, http, nfs mounted drive, etc.)
2) CD install (get a $2.00 CD at www.cheapbytes.com
Now, let's assume you want to do the net install.
We'll need to get that card working. What can you tell us about it?
I have a cheap ne2000 clone as well. Is it ISA-PNP, or just ISA? or PCI?
Here's what I did with mine...
1) Since the card was ISA-PNP, I needed to find out the ioport and irq of the
card. Since I had windows on the machine, I went into the system settings
and discovered it was at IO=0x300, IRQ=10.
2) From the manual: "Installing Debian GNU/Linux 2.1 For Intel x86 (the document
I believe you've been using), Section 6.1 shows that you are presented with a
"boot:" prompt. i had to enter (I believe):
linux ether=10,0x300,eth0
Replace 10 with your IRQ, 0x300 with your IO address (but don't forget the
0x (zero-x) in front). Leave the eth0. This tells the kernel it should
find an ethernet card at IO address 0x300, IRQ 10, and that it should be
designated as the first card (eth0, eth1, eth2, etc.)
3) From then on, You should follow the installation manual for network installs.
Let us (the list) know how this works. If it doesn't, post any details you
can about your network card. ne2000's are fairly well supported under linux.
Bryan
>
> Hello all:
>
> I'm installing Debian 2.1.something on a P60 using floppies (against all the
>
> warnings in the installation manual
> http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/install
> <http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/install> ).
> I've gotten through the hard drive boot and am in, what I believe to be
> "deselect".
> I'm being asked for the "Main Packages".
>
> I've gone to
> ftp://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-i386/Packages
> <ftp://ftp.uk.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-i386/Packages>
> because I can't connect to the US site and downloaded Packages.gz &
> Packages.deb,
> but dot.deb is 1.6mb and my floppy is 1.44. The FAQ refers me to the "tools"
>
> directory for dpkg-split (which doesn't exist) with a description that says
> it'll only
> run on Linux systems. How can I make the Main Package fit on a floppy...
>
> "Why is he trying to load it from a floppy?", you may ask. Because on the
> initial install,
> I couldn't get it to see my NE2000 compatible cheap clone card - the subject
> of my
> next submission if this is the correct list to be asking such newbie-plebe
> questions.
>
> Thanks much.
> Jack
>
>
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