INSTALL REPORT

Debian-installer-version: daily from 2004-01-09
http://gluck.debian.org/~manty/testing/netinst/i386/20040109/sarge-i386-netinst.iso
uname -a: 2.4.23-1-386
Method: booted off daily CD image

Machine: Random Laptop
Processor: Celeron 366
Memory: 160 MB
Root Device: IDE

Base System Installation Checklist:

Initial boot worked:    [O]
Configure network HW:   [E]
Config network:         [O] some problems
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] some problems
Reboot:                 [O] some problems
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it

Comments/Problems:

I have the same problems with my PCMCIA network card as James Troup in
#227498: I load the 3c59x module and even though it is loaded fine
(and /proc/net/devices immediately shows that eth0 is there) I get a
"Ethernet card not found" error.  Also, as in #227498, it doesn't work
after reboot ("unresolved symbol" error in i82356.o).

It asks me for my hostname twice.  After loading the ethernet module,
I enter the hostname.  Then it tries to configure DHCP, fails, and I
configure a static address - IP, netmask, gateway, DNS... and hostname
again (showing the one I chose before).

I installed the base system, LILO and then I'm at the "Finish the
installation and reboot" screen.  I realize I'd like to have GRUB
instead, and press "no" (or "go back" or whatever it was) here.  GRUB
fails to install because the CD-ROM and /target have been unmounted
already!  I think the CD should only be ejected and /target unmounted
if people actually select "Reboot" at the "Finish the installation and
reboot" screen and not before.

After getting the "Installing GRUB in /target failed." message, I get
into the main menu.  However, the status bar from "Installing GRUB
boot loader" is still in the background.  Quite ugly.

Pressing "reboot" in the "Finish the installation and reboot" screen,
it tries to refresh the screen before rebooting, but doesn't actually
refresh the whole screen (most of it is black, but the "Go back" and
"Reboot" is still there).  This laptop might be a bit slow, but not
that terribly.

After reboot: in the past, base-config would ask me if I wanted to
create an user account.  It no longer does this, which is fine with
me, but it also does not ask for the real name anymore and creates an
account with "Debian user".  We really shouldn't do that.  I noticed
that during base-config was running, the debconf priority was set to
"high" and later it was "medium".  (Is it even base-config that does
this?  I cannot find the user creation code in there.)

I tried aptitude for the first time.  I only had a CD with main on it,
and when I pressed on a section in aptitude it wouldn't actually show
me a listing of packages straight away, but showed "main" first.  This
makes it really quite tiresome to use.  Since surely 99% of users will
only have main, aptitude should cope with this and not show "main" if
there is only main to choose from.


I also tried expert mode.  Way too many questions are shown here.  I
thought I might use "expert" by default, but this is _really_ painful.
During hardware detection, it asks me for additional parameters for
_every module_!  This is surely a bit too much, eve n for expert mode.
Also, even though there is only one kernel package, it showed me which
one to install and I had to press "ok".  You can argue about the
latter, but the former is clearly insane.

clone 227600 -1
reassign -1 aptitude
retitle -1 Maybe don't show section if there is only one (main)?
severity -1 wishlist
retitle 227600 expert mode asks too many questions
thanks

I think most issues reported here have been dealt with, except for the
last 2:
  - aptitude showed "main" instead of the packages, even though I only
    have "main".
  - the expert mode asks too many questions.

Basically, my original feature request was this:

  I tried aptitude for the first time.  I only had a CD with main on it,
  and when I pressed on a section in aptitude it wouldn't actually show
  me a listing of packages straight away, but showed "main" first.  This
  makes it really quite tiresome to use.  Since surely 99% of users will
  only have main, aptitude should cope with this and not show "main" if
  there is only main to choose from.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have section -> package in the
case when only one suite is available, and section -> suite -> package
otherwise... (from a consistency POV).  OTOH, I foud it was tedious
to choose a section, and then to always have to choose "main" before
seeing the packages.

What did you think of this suggestion?

Am 2004-06-27 15:36:59, schrieb Martin Michlmayr:

Hello Martin,

because I use ONLY "main", it will be a nice idea.

I create "lite" Debian-CD's which mean, not 7 but 2 (for WOODY,
Packages used by Enterprises on Desktops and Servers) and I will
probably profit from this Feature.

Greetings
Michelle

Hi both,

2004-04-18 14:22 Martin Michlmayr:

2004-06-27 16:22 Michelle Konzack:


This can be changed with the option about default grouping ('G' in
curses, in preferences, or saving it to the config file).

http://aptitude.alioth.debian.org/doc/en/ch02s05s01.html



Cheers.