Package: installation-reports Version: Stretch RC 2 Severity: normal Boot method: Writable USB thumb drive Image version: http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/weekly-builds/amd64/iso-cd/debian-testing-amd64-netinst.iso Date: Sun Feb 12 23:12:53 PST 2017
Machine: QEMU Processor: Memory: Partitions: Base System Installation Checklist: [O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it Initial boot: [O] Detect network card: [O] Configure network: [O] Detect CD: [O] Load installer modules: [E] Detect hard drives: [ ] Partition hard drives: [ ] Install base system: [ ] Clock/timezone setup: [ ] User/password setup: [ ] Install tasks: [ ] Install boot loader: [ ] Overall install: [ ] Comments/Problems: The process described in https://www.debian.org/releases/stretch/amd64/ch04s03.html.en, specifically section 4.3.3, to create a writable thumb drive for installing Debian Stretch does not work as described. I added these and only these files to the drive: debian-testing-amd64-netinst.iso[1] initrd.gz syslinux.cfg vmlinuz initrd.gz and vmlinuz were taken from http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/stretch/main/installer-amd64/current/images/hd-media/ syslinux.cfg contains this: default vmlinuz initrd=initrd.gz I dismounted the thumb drive and typed "sudo syslinux /dev/sdX1". Then I booted with "sudo qemu-system-x86_64 -hdb /dev/sdX". The resulting drive booted up until the point the "Loading additional components"[2] progressed to mentioning "netcfg". The console turns black with a grey bar along the bottom. A few seconds later, the bar disappears. A few seconds after that, the screen briefly turns grey. The cycle then repeats. Calling to mind #853918, I did try syslinux version 4.06 and 4.07 and the old grammar for syslinux.cfg to see if the change to 5.00 broke something that only the Stretch installer is tickling. This made no difference. [1] I also tried debian-stretch-DI-rc2-amd64-DVD-1.iso to no effect. [2] The complete sequence until buggy behavior is "Configure the keyboard", "Detecting hardware", "Searching drives for an installer ISO image", and "Loading addional components".
