Hi again Noah, You can install a bare-bones system without any GUI by de-selecting the “Debian Desktop” task (and leaving de-selected all the individual desktops sub-tasks) when it gets to the “Running Tasksel” stage.
Use the arrow keys to move the highlight to a line you want to select or de-select. Use the space bar to select (asterisk in the box) or de-select (space in the box) that row. I usually choose to select the “SSH server” and the “basic system”(last line) and leave everything else de-selected. HTH, Rick > On Feb 1, 2019, at 4:32 PM, Noah Wolfe <n.wol...@outlook.com> wrote: > > Perhaps I spoke too soon... > > After reinstalling the system due to an unresolvable networking error (A > perfectly stable connection would drop without reason, something that did not > happen in Ubuntu 16.04, at least after network-manager was installed. The > only fix was to deactivate and reactivate the wired connection in nmtui, > which itself as a part of network-manager had to be manually downloaded from > another OS in individual package format as it did not come out of the box.), > it seems I am not able to fully boot into it via the yaboot from Ubuntu > 16.04, which works well and recognizes both systems without any problems, > boots into either without issue, but then Debian throws a BusyBox initramfs > terminal halfway through booting, citing: "Gave up waiting for root device.", > "Missing modules (cat /proc/modules; ls /dev)", "ALERT! > /dev/disk/by-uuid/<long string of numbers> does not exist. Dropping to a > shell!". Absolutely everything is partitioned and configured exactly the same > as before, when I had it working. The only thing different, however, is > perhaps having chosen the option to install LXQt in favor of GNOME, which was > the environment installed when it was able to boot without issue. The same > blockage occurs when LXDE is chosen, as well. I wish it would allow you to > install your system without needing to choose a desktop environment, which > just lengthens installation time by a great amount. > > From my experiences alone in the last few days, the ppc64 versions really put > the "unstable" in "Sid". > > In any case, please advise. Thank you. > > From: Noah Wolfe <n.wol...@outlook.com> > Sent: Friday, February 1, 2019 2:08 PM > To: Rick Thomas > Cc: PowerPC List Debian; John Paul Adrian Glaubitz > Subject: Re: PPC64 Image Installation Error > > Thanks, Rick. > I got around this issue by simply making the /boot partition (sda2) 1 GB > instead of 1 MB, and the / partition (sda3) doubled to 80 GB. Using this same > method with a reinstall of Ubuntu Server 16.04 (which was giving me the same > error when it was installed in partitions 6, 7, 8, and 9, below Sid) I am > now, as a result, able to dual boot between it and Debian. > So it really goes to show that sometimes the best solutions in life are > usually the easiest ones. > But I still found the 01-27 build to be unable to install the kernel due to > an apparent "lack of space" in whatever configuration I put it in (save for > the aforementioned method), so that still needs to be fixed. > And, a lot of ppc64 packages are experiencing issues unseen in the powerpc > equivalents. Xfwm4 puts out graphical glitches and artifacts when any windows > are moved, or when the cursor moves over any windows, and GNOME 3 hasn't > displayed any color besides pinkish hues since Jessie, if I'm remembering > correctly. > Anyway, thank you for your time. > N > On Jan 31, 2019 5:16 AM, Rick Thomas <rbtho...@pobox.com> wrote: > > > > Hi Noah, > > > > Is it possible for you to temporarily replace the hard drive in your > > machine with one you don’t mind experimenting on? > > > > If so, after a clean installation onto the fresh hard disk, what you want > > to finish up your installation with is something that looks kind of like > > this: > > > > > root@msmini:~# mac-fdisk -l /dev/sda > > > /dev/sda > > > # type name length base > > > ( size ) system > > > /dev/sda1 Apple_partition_map Apple 63 @ 1 > > > ( 31.5k) Partition map > > > /dev/sda2 Apple_Bootstrap untitled 1954 @ 64 > > > (977.0k) NewWorld bootblock > > > /dev/sda3 Apple_UNIX_SVR2 untitled 500001 @ 2018 > > > (244.1M) Linux native > > > /dev/sda4 Linux_LVM untitled 468360060 @ 502019 > > > (223.3G) Unknown > > > /dev/sda5 Apple_Free Extra 49 @ > > > 468862079 ( 24.5k) Free space > > > > > > Block size=512, Number of Blocks=468862128 > > > DeviceType=0x0, DeviceId=0x0 > > > > > > root@msmini:~# lvs > > > LV VG Attr LSize Pool Origin Data% Meta% Move Log > > > Cpy%Sync Convert > > > root msmini-vg -wi-ao---- <45.61g > > > > > > swap_1 msmini-vg -wi-ao---- 976.00m > > > > > > > > > root@msmini:~# ls -l /dev/mapper > > > total 0 > > > crw------- 1 root root 10, 236 Jan 31 00:30 control > > > lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jan 31 00:30 msmini--vg-root -> ../dm-0 > > > lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jan 31 00:30 msmini--vg-swap_1 -> ../dm-1 > > > > > > root@msmini:~# df -HTP | grep -v tmpfs > > > Filesystem Type Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on > > > /dev/mapper/msmini--vg-root ext4 48G 1.3G 45G 3% / > > > /dev/sda3 ext2 248M 51M 185M 22% /boot > > > > > > root@msmini:~# cat /proc/swaps > > > Filename Type Size Used > > > Priority > > > /dev/dm-1 partition 999420 0 -2 > > > > > > > > Here at installer partition time I chose to use the entire disk and set up > > the LVM (logical volume manager) rather than have explicit partitions for > > root and swap. You could do it the other way (whole disk, without LVM) if > > you want. > > > > Explanation: > > > > The “root” on dm-0 (/dev/mapper/msmini—vg-root) has a standard Linux ext4 > > filesystem. > > > > The “swap” on dm-1 (/dev/mapper/msmini-vg-swap_1) is formatted as a > > standard Linux swap partition. > > > > The /boot partitions on sda3 is formatted as Linux ext2 (not ext3 or ext4). > > It will hold, among other things, the kernel and init-ram-disk image. It > > needs to be an explicit partition because the yaboot boot-loader doesn’t > > understand Linux LVM. It needs to be formatted ext2 because yaboot doesn’t > > understand the more advanced features of ext3 or ext4. > > > > The “Apple_Bootstrap — NewWorld bootblock” on sda2 is formatted as an Apple > > HFS partition. It will hold the yaboot bootloader and a some configuration > > stuff that yaboot needs. It will not be mounted when Linux is running > > after the boot process is finished. This is necessary because Apple’s > > “open firmware” (equivalent of PC BIOS) likes to have it’s first level > > boot-loader in the first HFS partition on the disk. This thing is crafted > > out of whole cloth by the Linux “ybin” program based on /etc/yaboot.conf. > > It should not be modified in any way except by ybin. > > > > Sizes: > > > > For the most part, the sizing of these partitions will be taken care of > > automatically by the installer partitioning step, however, for completeness: > > The Apple_Bootstrap partition should be approximately 1 MB (historical > > note: this is designed to be slightly larger than an 880 KB > > double density Apple Boot floppy) > > The /boot partition should be big enough to hold a few copies of the > > Linux kernel and their respective initrd images. A couple hundred MB to a > > GB is usually enough, but there’s no harm in making it bigger if you want. > > Your swap partition should (opinions differ, I’m giving you mine) be > > between 1.0 and 10.0 times the size of your system RAM. The Mac mini I’m > > using for this example has 1024 MiB of RAM. > > The size of your root partition is mostly up to you, though 7-10 GB is > > a good minimum if you choose to have a separate /home partition. If you > > decide to keep /home merged with the root filesystem (as I did for this > > example) you need to take that minimum and add enough to cover your > > anticipated needs for user file space in /home. > > > > Hope this helps! > > Rick > > > > ================================================================== > > > > > On Jan 29, 2019, at 5:44 AM, Noah Wolfe <n.wol...@outlook.com> wrote: > > > > > > Hi Rick, > > > > > > I partitioned the first disk (1 TB) in my machine like so: > > > > > > #1 32 KB Apple Partition Map > > > #2 8 MB HFS NewWorld Boot Partition (mounted at /boot) - Designated to > > > Ubuntu Server 16.04, which used up 313 KB, leaving 7.32 MB unused. > > > #3 40 GB Ext4 System Partition (mounted at /) - Designated to Ubuntu > > > Server 16.04 > > > #4 4.8 GB Swap Partition (4.5 GB installed) - Designated to Ubuntu > > > Server 16.04 > > > #5 455 GB Ext4 Home Partition (mounted at /home) - Designated to Ubuntu > > > Server 16.04 > > > > > > #6 8 MB Ext2 Boot Partition (to be mounted at /boot) - Designated to > > > Debian 10, which the installer left with 298 KB used, leaving 7.34 MB > > > unused. (Which is why I didn't jump to it being a space issue.) > > > #7 40 GB Ext4 System Partition (to be mounted at /) - Designated to > > > Debian 10 > > > #8 4.8 GB Swap Partition (ditto) - Designated to Debian 10 > > > #9 455 GB Ext4 Home Partition (to be mounted at /home) - Designated to > > > Debian 10 > > > > > > This was actually also the first time I tried to dual-boot Linux > > > systems on PPC, so I now feel like I'm very obviously at fault for > > > this. > > > > > > But we're always learning. I've been on this train for just under a > > > year and not only do I thank myself every day, I also learn something > > > new every day. Or at least, every other day, perhaps. Just as > > > well.Thanks, all. > > > > > > N > > > > > > On Tue, 2019-01-29 at 03:41 -0800, Rick Thomas wrote: > > >> > > >>> > > >>> On Jan 28, 2019, at 11:19 PM, Noah Wolfe <n.wol...@outlook.com> > > >>> wrote: > > >>> > > >>> Hello. > > >>> > > >>> I'm running a Late 2005 Power Mac G5 (11,2), and although the > > >>> regular > > >>> powerpc installer images may be fixed from most problems at this > > >>> point > > >>> (going off of other people's posted experiences), the newest > > >>> netinstall > > >>> ppc64 images from 2019-01-27 > > >>> (http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/ports/2 > > >>> 019-01-27/) are still unable to install the linux-image-powerpc64 > > >>> package during normal (non-expert) installation, and when the > > >>> installer > > >>> gives you the notification of this, it quits the rest of the > > >>> installation, leaving an incomplete base system. > > >>> > > >>> The notification window itself displays "Unable to install the > > >>> selected > > >>> kernel" in red text at the top, with the description "An error was > > >>> returned while trying to install the selected kernel into the > > >>> target > > >>> system." in regular black text. It specifies with "Kernel package: > > >>> 'linux-image-powerpc64'." below, and adds "Check /var/log/syslog or > > >>> see > > >>> virtual console 4 for the details." at the end. It is accompanied > > >>> by a > > >>> blue backdrop instead of the usual red. > > >>> > > >>> Upon further inspection into virtual console 4 (Ctrl+Alt+F4), the > > >>> last > > >>> remaining written installer activity is displayed, a particular > > >>> point > > >>> of interest after the usual "Unpacking linux-image-4.19.0-2- > > >>> powerpc64 > > >>> (4.19.16-1) ...", being: "dpkg: error processing archive > > >>> /media/cdrom//pool-ppc64/main/l/linux/linux-image-4.19.0-2- > > >>> powerpc64_4.19.16-1_ppc64.deb (--unpack)", "Cannot copy extracted > > >>> data > > >>> for './boot/vmlinux-4.19.0-2-powerpc64' to '/boot/vmlinux-4.19.0-2- > > >>> powerpc64.dpkg-new': failed to write (No space left on device)", > > >>> "dpkg- > > >>> deb: error: paste subprocess was killed by signal (Broken pipe)", > > >>> "W: > > >>> Last kernel image has been removed, so removing the default > > >>> symlinks". > > >>> > > >>> It then goes on to normally select, prepare to unpack, and unpack > > >>> linux-image-powerpc64, only to stop with "Errors were encountered > > >>> while > > >>> processing: /media/cdrom//pool-ppc64/main/l/linux/linux-image- > > >>> 4.19.0-2- > > >>> powerpc64_4.19.16-1_ppc64.deb", "error: exiting on error base- > > >>> installer/kernel/failed-install", "WARNING **: Configuring > > >>> 'bootstrap- > > >>> base' failed with error code 30", "WARNING **: Menu item > > >>> 'bootstrap- > > >>> base' failed.", ending there. > > >>> > > >>> Debian 7.11, 8.11, and the May 2018 Sid netinstall cd, all install > > >>> onto > > >>> this machine (given the same partition tables) without a hitch, > > >>> along > > >>> with Ubuntu Server 16.04.5. Though admittedly they were all of > > >>> regular > > >>> powerpc decent and not ppc64 as seen here. I had also tried the > > >>> Debian > > >>> 9 installer port for ppc64 > > >>> (http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/ports/9.0 > > >>> /ppc64/iso-cd/) and got the same result displayed here, so it > > >>> appears > > >>> this may be a longstanding issue among the ppc64 builds, at least > > >>> from > > >>> my point of view. > > >>> > > >>> Putting that aside, maybe something was overlooked in the ppc64 > > >>> images > > >>> specifically when building the new batches? To my knowledge, much > > >>> of it > > >>> should be synonymous with the regular powerpc builds, save for a > > >>> 64-bit > > >>> userspace over a 32-bit one, but of course, I'm not a developer. > > >>> > > >>> In any case, all is much appreciated. > > >>> > > >>> N > > >> Hi Noah, > > >> > > >> It sounds like you’re running out of free space in the partition that > > >> contains the /boot directory. > > >> > > >> Can you describe the steps you used to partition the disk? In > > >> particular, if you are re-using the /boot partition so as not to > > >> interfere with your existing installation, how much free space is > > >> there in it. E.g. on your existing (working) setup do > > >> df -HTP /boot > > >> > > >> hope it helps! > > >> Rick > > >> > >
