Package:installation-reports Debian-installer-version: download 21 November - http://gluck.debian.org/ cdimage/testing/netinst/i386/beta-1/sarge-i386-netinst.iso 100MB uname -a: Linux localhost 2.4.22-1-386 #9 Sat Oct 4 14:30:39 EST 2003 i686 GNU/Linux Date: 25 or 26 Nov. Method: Tried to boot CD (see comments), failed, and then used floppy image to boot the CD. Machine: Self-build. EPOX 8KHA+ Mobo (VIA KT266A, VT8366A and VT8233 onboard sound) Processor: AMD XP 1600+ Memory: 256MB DDR Root Device: IDE (IBM ATA100 HDD) : /dev/hda13 Root Size/partition table: A 5GB single partition on an existing extended partition Output of lspci: 00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333] 00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8366/A/7 [Apollo KT266/A/333 AGP] 00:0d.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3cSOHO100-TX Hurricane (rev 30) 00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233 PCI to ISA Bridge 00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT8233/ A/C/VT8235 PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06) 00:11.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 1b) 00:11.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 1b) 00:11.4 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB (rev 1b) 00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 30) 01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Matrox Graphics, Inc. MGA G400 AGP (rev 04)
Base System Installation Checklist: Initial boot worked: [E] Configure network HW: [O] Config network: [E] Detect CD: [E] Load installer modules: [O] Detect hard drives: [O] Partition hard drives: [ ] Create file systems: [O] Mount partitions: [O] Install base system: [O] Install boot loader: [E] Reboot: [O] [O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it Comments/Problems: 1) This is the first CD that has ever failed to boot on my system. It booted a laptop OK, but my system failed completely. I've installed a range of distros on this box - Potato, Woody r0, Woody r1, Slackware 8, 9, 9.1, Mandrake 8.1, 8.2, 9 without any problems booting. I had the first few Sarge unofficial CDs from the .hu mirror and the first of these booted fine. The boot device selector floppy image on the installer CD solved the problem and I was able to start the process from the CD after booting the floppy. 2) I suffered the IDE-SCSI module problem (which I hadn't seen at the time). As I had got a few of the unofficial Sarge CDs I intended to register them as apt sources during the install, but this failed. Following the reboot it was clear that this was down to the IDE CD not being mounted. I got round it by simply removing the IDE-SCSI module and accessing the CD drive was was then fine. 3) The network configure with dhcp wouldn't let me leave it unconfigured. I have a separate Linux firewall connected by ethernet so my system is a static network with NAT on the firewall. I got around the installer throwing me back to the start of the dhcp config section by skipping ahead to network configuration without dhcp and after this it was ok. 4) I tried to avoid LILO but it refused to let me. I didn't want to re-write my mbr so put /dev/fd0 as the LILO target. It didn't like this for some reason. I then skipped ahead to the GRUB section and set this to a floppy which was OK. 5) My onboard VIA8233 sound chip has given quite a few Debian users a problem (as a quick google search will show), and the only real solution has been installing ALSA and recompiling the kernel - no big deal, but inconvenient compared to other distros which use ALSA and manage to get sound configured in the initial install. It's encouraging that the new Debian Installer managed to get sound working, although it uses the VIA 82cxxx module which isn't correct (Knoppix will happily boot my machine and also gets sound running on the VIA 82cxxx module) I haven't had a chance yet to really test the sound capabilities, but it does seem fine - a great result for a Debian installer. Conclusion : I had several problems, and can't say I particularly liked the installer. The hardware detection is certainly improved and is a very positive aspect, but the way that a couple of specific steps tried to prevent me leaving them was a negative. I doubt that a newbie would have a happy time with the installer on my box. Suggestions : I'm surprised the network config is split into 2 sections, dhcp and static. I would have thought that this would be 2 options in a single section, maybe with dial-up as a further option as a lot of Debian users will have dial-up as their only network connection. I would also make a floppy a prominent option for LILO or GRUB - if you already have a working system I think it makes more sense to use a floppy for the first couple of boots rather than overwriting the mbr during a new install. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
