Bug#264927: (no subject)

[Michael A. Dickerson]

Package: installation-reports

Debian-installer-version: RC1, 7 Aug 2004
uname -a: 
Date: 8 Aug 2004
Method: Boot from IDE CD, then non-proxied HTTP to linux.csua.berkeley.edu

Machine: Assembled at home from miscellaneous parts
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2700+
Memory: 512M PC3200
Root Device: hda1
Root Size/partition table:
Disk /dev/hda: 20.5 GB, 20547841536 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2498 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot  Start End  Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *   1  18  144553+  83  Linux # /
/dev/hda2  192498199206005  Extended
/dev/hda5  19 626 4883728+  83  Linux # /usr
/dev/hda6 627 991 2931831   83  Linux # /var
/dev/hda7 9921040  393561   83  Linux # /tmp
/dev/hda81041243611213338+  83  Linux # /home
/dev/hda924372498  497983+  82  Linux swap

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]
:00:08.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82559 InBusiness 10/100 (rev
08)
:00:10.0 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82x UHCI USB 1.1
Controller (rev 80)
:00:10.1 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82x UHCI USB 1.1
Controller (rev 80)
:00:10.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82x UHCI USB 1.1
Controller (rev 80)
:00:10.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. USB 2.0 (rev 82)
:00:11.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8235 ISA Bridge
:00:11.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc.
VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
:00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc.
VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50)
:00:12.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II]
(rev 74)
:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: S3 Inc. ViRGE/GX2 (rev 04)

Base System Installation Checklist:

Initial boot worked:[O]
Configure network HW:   [O]
Config network: [O]
Detect CD:  [O]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives:  [O]
Create file systems:[O]
Mount partitions:   [O]
Install base system:[O]
Install boot loader:[O]
Reboot: [O]
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it

Comments/Problems:

I had my girlfriend run the d-i on a new server to see how usable she
would find it.  She has some Linux literacy but no experience installing.
The only difficult section was the hard disk partition editor, and that
could probably have been avoided if she had done the "Erase entire hard
disk hda" instead of "Edit manually" which was for my benefit.


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Bug#264927: (no subject)

[Michael A. Dickerson]

On Tue, 10 Aug 2004, Martin Michlmayr wrote:
> What problems did she had with it exactly and how do you think it could
> be proved?  (FWIW, there have been discussions about improving the UI of
> the partitioning tool before, so any input is appreciated).

I'm sure there have been .. The partitioning interface is a weak spot for
every installer I have ever seen (except when there isn't one, e.g.
Windows).  I wouldn't claim to know how to do it right either.  But,
since you asked.. :)

It might benefit from a clearer separation of action items ("Write changes
to disk") from informational items (list of partitions, which are active
choices too).  In most of the installer, the input fields are in the
center and navigated with arrow keys, and the action buttons are across
the bottom and selected with the tab key, but this cue doesn't help on the
partitioner screen.  The RAID and LVM options at the top are disorienting
to somebody that doesn't know what RAID or LVM are.  Maybe these could be
moved to the bottom, where people seem to be more likely to ignore things
without getting unnecessarily anxious.  I like the individual partition
editing dialog; I think this works better than trying to cram all the
information into one list like cfdisk, and it is probably as
understandable as it can be considering that it has to let you choose
filesystems etc.  Note that I haven't ever used the "Erase entire hard
disk hda" option, which might be entirely satisfactory for beginners and
avoid the partition editor altogether.

Anyway I should say that I'm enormously grateful that somebody has gotten
together a decent installer.  I work at a college and have a couple dozen
Linux newbies each year; up until now I have been telling them "use
Debian, but let me (ok, one of my students) install it for you."  The
boot-floppies installer was ok for me but hopeless for somebody that's
just starting out.

Thanks..
M.D.


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