Failed Lenny Installs - Etch Installs Fine
 

About a year ago, I attempted to install Lenny i386 but had
problems so I abandoned it and successfully installed Etch r2 i386.
Thinking Lenny had matured enough, I attempted to install it again
a few days ago - the install failed each of 5 times. So, I installed
Etch r5 i386 without any problems.

Since I thought I had bad CDs, I did not note the exact error
messages. Instead, I burned new CDs with different versions of
Lenny. I tried RC1, net-install 29-Dec-2008, and i386-kde-CD-1.iso
31-Dec-2008.

The error most predominate was the failure to install the Linux-
image. I tried reinstalling several times after reformating the
partitions to clean them up.

The computer is self-built with an Abit KT7A-RAID mobo, Athlon
1.2GHz T-bird, 512MB RAM, VIA KTA133 chipset, ATi Radeon VE
(7000), Generic 105 key PS/2 keyboard, Logitech LX3 USB mouse
connect through a PS/2 adapter, Maxtor 20GB HD, Teac CD
burner, Ethernet card, Sound Blaster sound card, 4 USB ports,
Hanns-G LCD monitor. The parallel port and 1 serial port have
been disabled. It is a very basic, no-frills system.

The hard drive has 3 primary partitions and 11 logical partitions in
the extended partition. Here is the layout:

PRIMARY PARTITIONS:
Partition 1: FAT 125MB MSDOS
Partition 2: FAT32 1.47GB Windows 98
Partition 3: EXT3 203MB /boot
EXTENDED PARTITION:
Partition 4: FAT32 1.17GB
Partition 5: FAT32 352MB
Partition 6: FAT32 400MB
Partition 7: FAT32 996MB
Partition 8: FAT32 7MB
Partition 9: FAT32 1.07GB
Partition 10: FAT32 753MB
Partition 11: FAT32 996MB
Partition 12: EXT3 5.76GB /home
Partition 13: EXT3 4.87GB /root
Partition 14: Swap Area 996MB

The odd thing here was that at the Partition Hard Drives step with
both the Lenny and Etch installs, the partitioning utility saw Partition
3 as Partition #4. With Etch r2 the partitions were correctly
identified.

When I gave up on installing Lenny and installed Etch r5, I had to
designate /dev/hde4 to install GRUB in the 3rd partition (I use
another boot loader).

I am new to Debian, Linux, and Unix-like OSs, so I did not know
how to work around any of the above issues. It has been 6 months
since I used Debian after I accidentally trashed the install and so I
forget some of what I learned. As such, I don't know how to give
you more specific information.

If it is useful, and I get a timely response to do so, I can wipe out
my Etch r5 install and attempt Lenny again to report specific error
messages.

To not be able to install Debian beyond Etch on this machine is
somewhat disheartening. However, if it is the machine that prohibits
Lenny, I am glad to be able to use Etch.

Thank you to all of you who make Debian possible!
Bill Diehl


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Failed Lenny Installs - Etch Installs Fine
 

On Thu, Jan 01, 2009 at 01:46:10PM -0500, Bill Diehl wrote:
> Since I thought I had bad CDs, I did not note the exact error
> messages. Instead, I burned new CDs with different versions of
> Lenny. I tried RC1, net-install 29-Dec-2008, and i386-kde-CD-1.iso
> 31-Dec-2008.

Did you verify the md5sums of both the .iso file and the resultant CD?

> The error most predominate was the failure to install the Linux-
> image. I tried reinstalling several times after reformating the
> partitions to clean them up.

While the installer should choose the most appropriate linux-image, the
lowest common i386 image would be the -486 image. Did it prompt for an
image to install (and then not) or did it not even prompt for an image?

> The computer is self-built with an Abit KT7A-RAID mobo, Athlon
> 1.2GHz T-bird, 512MB RAM, VIA KTA133 chipset, ATi Radeon VE
> (7000), Generic 105 key PS/2 keyboard, Logitech LX3 USB mouse
> connect through a PS/2 adapter, Maxtor 20GB HD, Teac CD
> burner, Ethernet card, Sound Blaster sound card, 4 USB ports,
> Hanns-G LCD monitor. The parallel port and 1 serial port have
> been disabled. It is a very basic, no-frills system.

Remember that that "RAID" mobo will be windows software raid (a.k.a.
"fake raid") and should not be set up as raid.


> The hard drive has 3 primary partitions and 11 logical partitions in
> the extended partition. Here is the layout:
>
> PRIMARY PARTITIONS:
> Partition 1: FAT 125MB MSDOS
> Partition 2: FAT32 1.47GB Windows 98
> Partition 3: EXT3 203MB /boot
> EXTENDED PARTITION:
> Partition 4: FAT32 1.17GB
> Partition 5: FAT32 352MB
> Partition 6: FAT32 400MB
> Partition 7: FAT32 996MB
> Partition 8: FAT32 7MB
> Partition 9: FAT32 1.07GB
> Partition 10: FAT32 753MB
> Partition 11: FAT32 996MB
> Partition 12: EXT3 5.76GB /home
> Partition 13: EXT3 4.87GB /root
> Partition 14: Swap Area 996MB

Which partition is for /? I see /boot, /home, and /root. Note that
/root should just be a directory in the / partition (confusingly, both
called root). Ensure that you're telling the installer that partition
12 is for / not /root.

> The odd thing here was that at the Partition Hard Drives step with
> both the Lenny and Etch installs, the partitioning utility saw Partition
> 3 as Partition #4. With Etch r2 the partitions were correctly
> identified.
>
> When I gave up on installing Lenny and installed Etch r5, I had to
> designate /dev/hde4 to install GRUB in the 3rd partition (I use
> another boot loader).
>
> I am new to Debian, Linux, and Unix-like OSs, so I did not know
> how to work around any of the above issues. It has been 6 months
> since I used Debian after I accidentally trashed the install and so I
> forget some of what I learned. As such, I don't know how to give
> you more specific information.

Have you read the entire installation-manual (not just the short guide)?
I haven't read Lenny's yet, but Etch's gave clear instructions on how to
submit an installation report. Those reports go to the debian-boot
list. I suggest that you subscribe to the debian-boot list, wait until
you start receiving traffic, then submit a (failed) installation report.
The people on that list are the ones who are writing the installer.

> If it is useful, and I get a timely response to do so, I can wipe out
> my Etch r5 install and attempt Lenny again to report specific error
> messages.

That may help you generate the installation report.

> To not be able to install Debian beyond Etch on this machine is
> somewhat disheartening. However, if it is the machine that prohibits
> Lenny, I am glad to be able to use Etch.

Understatment :)

The box looks new enough that something should be wrong with Lenny if
you can't install it.

Doug.


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