Re: my experiences trying to install Etch
On Friday 20 April 2007 13:00, D. Hugh Redelmeier sent this for all our
perusal:
>---} I was trying to install the Debian for the first time and ran into
> several ---} issues.
>---}
>---} I would send this to installlation-reports but I seem to need a
>---} running Debian system for that.
>---}
>---} Can anybody suggests how I should proceed? (5) is a fairly serious
> block. ---}
>---} Context:
>---}
>---} Me: long-time Linux user. This is my first Debian install.
>---}
>---} Computer: eMachine T2625
>---} - Atlon XP 2600+
>---} - 640M RAM
>---} - 8G hard disk (small, not original, not previously partitioned)
>---}
>---} Installation medium:
>---} debian-40r0-i386-DVD-1.iso
Hello long time linux user.
I haven't used the installer you mention, but a broken one that came out
earlier.
Type <expert> at the boot prompt and go through the questions as they are
asked, answer appropriately
Partitioning, select <custom> partitioning. Why would you do anything else if
you have an idea of what you want/need for each partition?
Then just follow the prompts and do as you need.
It will configure your Internet connection and download the packages you need
when you choose them. etc.. If you wish, I have never been there. Always
edited my sources list by hand.
Allow the installer to set up your base system and reboot.
Do you want the installer to add whatever packages you need to run things?
I have never gone there either, have always installed the packages I want on
the system myself through <apt-get install> after the reboot. If the GUI is
installed, have also used <synaptic> That way you have control of what is
going onto your system.
Try that, should work a treat.
Charlie
>---} I used the GUI installer.
>---}
>---} Issues:
>---}
>---} 1) it wasn't clearly documented that even though there is a sequence
>---} of 3 DVDs avaialble for download (for i386), only the first is
>---} needed for (many?) installs.
>---}
>---}
>---} 2) I saw no published checksums for the .iso files. I find checksums
>---} are a nice confidence-building measure.
>---}
>---} For example, with Fedora I download the .iso from a random mirror
>---} but download the checksums from the master site. This has revealed
>---} problems at least once.
>---}
>---} Even better than checksums would be signed checksums.
>---}
>---}
>---} 3) When I booted the installation DVD on my internal DVD writer, all
>---} went well until this step failed, even on retry:
>---}
>---} Load installer components from CD:
>---} loading jfsutils-udeb
>---}
>---} I avoided this problem by starting over, and booting from the
>---} internal DVD reader.
>---}
>---} 4) For partitioning, I selected "Guided - use entire disk" and
>---} "Separate /home partition".
>---}
>---} - it allocated less swap than there is main memory. At least at
>---} one time, swap had to be at least as big as main memory or the
> memory ---} would not be used.
>---}
>---} - I was allowed to second-guess a number of partition attributes
>---} proposed, but not the partition size, perhaps the most important
>---} choice.
>---}
>---} VT4 said: Partman: Error: unable to determine maximum new size for
>---} partition
>---}
>---} It seems as if the partitioner thinks that if I change the size,
>---} the proposed partitions must actually exist.
>---}
>---} 5) far into the package install, just after X11 configuration, the GUI
>---} stopped with
>---}
>---} Configuring cupsys
>---} Installation step failed
>---} An installation step failed. You can try to run the failing
>---} item again from the menu, or skip it and choose something else. The
>---} failing step is: Select and install software
>---}
>---} Retrying the whole "select and install software" step seems
>---} brutal.
>---}
>---} VT4 shows:
>---}
>---} in-target: No Gutenprint PPD files to update.
>---} ...
>---} in-target: updating the gdk-pixbuf loaders list for GTK+-2.4.0...
>---} in-target: done.
>---} in-target:
>---} in-target: Setting up desktop-base (4.0.1)...
>---} in-target:
>---} in-target: tasksel: aptitiude failed (255)
>---} main-menu[1363]: WARNING ***:Configuring 'pkgsel' failed with error
> code 1 ---} main-menu[1363]: WARNING **: Menu item 'pkgsel' failed.
>---}
>---}
--
Registered Linux User:- 329524
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Man is the matter of the cosmos, contemplating
itself. ----------------------------- CARL SAGAN
***********************************************
Debian Etch
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