"failure while configuring base packages"

[Udo Hoerhold <udo@goodontoast.com>]

Hi,

I'm trying to install Debian on a PC with a Promise ATA100 controller.  The 
onboard controller is hda-hdd, and the Promise controller is hde-hdh.  hda 
and hdb are currently a DVD and CDRW, and hde-hdg are hard drives.  I'm 
trying to use hdg1 as the / partition.

The install fails at the "install base system" step with the message "failure 
while configuring base packages".  I suspect that my hard drive configuration 
has something to do with this since I've installed from the same CD before, 
I've tried a different CD that I know also works, I've tried doing the 
install from the network, and I've even tried swapping out the hdg drive to 
see if the drive itself might be faulty.  I've tried googling on this error 
message, and I only found one other report, and the suggestions were that the 
person try a networked install, which I've already tried.

Does anyone know if this type of IDE configuration could cause a problem, and 
if so, if there's a workaround?  I'd like to keep the drives on the Promise 
controller for performance reasons.  I also have an existing Linux install on 
the hde drive, and I'd rather not screw that one up by messing around with 
the driver orders.  Any ideas?

Thanks,

Udo Hoerhold