Re: Partial success - an informative crash - was [Re: First attempt to use preseeding]
On Mon 05 Nov 2012 at 07:49:29 -0600, Richard Owlett wrote:
> Brian wrote:
> >On Sun 04 Nov 2012 at 06:55:41 -0600, Richard Owlett wrote:
> >
> >>*My procedure*
> >>1. Partition/format a 16 GB USB stick as single primary partition
> >>formatted as ext2 using Gparted.
> >
> >At this stage of the installer's operation it is very happy to deal with
> >FAT16. I'd suggest you fall in with its wishes rather than having to
> >persuade it to use ext2.
>
> And this is documented where?
The installer has a Manual.
> Just to be safe ;> I grabbed another USB stick and formatted it to
> FAT16 with Gparted.
Doing the right thing is being "safe"?
> >>2. Copy a sample preseed.cfg to it (some answers had been changed to
> >>match my needs).
> >>3. Boot from DVD 1 of 8 of Debian 6.0.5
> >>4. From the menu choose "Automated install"
> >>5. Press <Tab> to edit
> >>6. Backspace to remove "Quiet" leaving "--" as last thing on the
> >>line.
> >>7. Append "preseed/file=/sdb1/preseed.cfg" to the line
> >
> >This tells the installer the preseed file is at /<directory>/preseed.cfg.
> >If the directory does not exist the installer will not find the file. If
> >the file system on the USB stick is not mounted on <directory> the
> >installer will still not find the file.
> >
> >I'd not choose sdb1 as the directory name, but if you choose to keep it:
>
> I hope it's obvious that I thought I was designating a "physical
> device" *NOT* a "logical device".
Whatever you meant to be obvious, wasn't. Which is why I added detail,
to indicate you were heading the wrong way. But you knew that anyway
because d-i got uppity.
> Sorry, but in a lot of ways I still show my CPM-80 heritage ;)
>
> >
> > mkdir sdb1
> >
> > mount -t vfat /dev/sdX1 /sdb1
> >
> >Both done after getting a terminal with ALT-F2.
>
> That procedure does not AND (i suspect) *CANNOT* work.
> REMEMBER, I have a "virgin" machine and DVD 1 of 8.
> I insert DVD and instruct BIOS to boot from it.
> When menu appears. ALT-F2 does ABSOLUTELY _NOTHING_ ;<
Correct. I'm glad I didn't advise it.
> HOWEVER, after performing Step 7 above pressing <Enter> and allowing
> install to proceed to the error screen one may then
> a. access terminal with ALT-F2
> b. enter commands
> mkdir sdb1
> mount -t vfat /dev/sdX1 /sdb1
> c. return to the error screen with ALT-F2
> d. press <Enter> twice
> e. Choose "Load debconf preconfiguation file" from menu
> f. Enjoy your Debian machine
This is what I advised you do. It appears to have worked.
Incidentally, you do not have to create a directory. The installer has
/media and /mnt available for you to use.
preseed/file=/mnt/preseed.cfg"
mount -t vfat /dev/sdX1 /mnt
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