Andris Kalnozols wrote:
Forgive the cross-post but I think it's important that the boot-floppy folks know about this installation difficulty. I'm trying to install Debian on a Proliant DL360 server with Compaq's built-in NC7780 gigabit-ethernet based on the Broadcom 5701 chip. Status: Succeeded in getting the base system installed by choosing the `bf24' kernel, the only option on the 3.0 CD that recognized the Smart Array 5i RAID controller. Problem #1: Cannot get past the base system install because tasksel keeps looping at the prompt to mount CD #1. Problem #2: There was no network driver that I could find on the 3.0 Debian CDs that supports the Broadcom device. In researching the issue, I ran accross postings that reach the general conclusion that Broadcom's original driver is not good, e.g., < http://old.lwn.net/2002/0228/a/tigon.php3 >. The recommended alternative is the tg3 (Tigon3) driver. Question: I have access to another fully-installed Debian system with a gcc compiler as well as these files from a Redhat 7.3 system: tg3.c tg3.h tg3.o Could someone please tell me the steps (details would be nice) that are necessary to prepare the above tg3 files into something that can be put onto a floppy disk and transported via sneakernet to the Catch-22 system? Once I get network connectivity, I'll have a workaround to problem #1.Suggestion: Could the boot-floppy maintainers please include the tg3network driver in their future versions? Thanks, Andris Kalnozols andris@hpl.hp.com
I did some snooping around on this one, and found out tg3.o driver is NOT in my "full" 2.4.18 kernel, but is included in my "full" 2.4.19 kernel. Both of these were installed from the Debian "kernel-image" packages after I had done a bf2.4 initial install.
The bf2.4 boot-floppies have been trimmed to fit on a floppy. Only the most likely drivers are included, and unfortunately there will always be that 10 percent that have equipment not covered. Sorry...
I understand the packages available from Debian are spread across the 7 CDs, with the most frequently used residing on CD #1. I suspect your tasksel is looking for a needed package that is NOT on your current CD. The only answer to this is to get CD #1 if you must run tasksel.
Here is a "kludge" suggestion... If you can get a "minimal" install done on the machine to where you have floppy and CDROM access at the command line, you might be able to transfer the 2.4.19 kernel package to it after downloading it on your other machine. Once you get it installed, you should be able to bring up the network and complete your install from the internet. I would suggest you temporarily skip the tasksel step (don't choose anything) and see if the install will complete. This should give you a minimal "working" system... command line only. If this can't be done, then getting hold of CD #1 is probably necessary. For the kernel-image transfer, I suspect the package is too large to fit on a floppy. That is why I mentioned CDROM access above. You could burn it on a CD and transfer it that way.
Alternatively ("kludge #2"), to establish network access you could temporarily put in another NIC that has a driver in the bf2.4 kernel and get the files you need that way. This might end up being the easiest by far...you could d/l anthing you need (including packages on CD #1) off the internet. Once you get the kernel-image-2.4.19 installed you should be ready to go!
HTH & gives you some ideas. Cheers, -Don Spoon-