Package: installation-reports
INSTALL REPORT
Debian-installer-version: 20050406 from http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimage-testing/sarge_d-i/i386/rc3/sarge-i386-netinst.iso uname -a: Linux matthew 2.6.8-2-386 #1 Mon Jan 24 03:01:58 EST 2005 i686 GNU/Linux Date: 20050406 @ 16:00 GMT Method: I installed from a local partial mirror located on an external USB hard rive. I booted directly from the install CD.
Machine: Gateway GP7-450 Processor: Pentium III (Katmai) Memory: 128 MB SDRAM Root Device: IDE - /dev/hda - Maxtor 9102404-(PM) Root Size/partition table:
# fdisk -l
Disk /dev/hda: 10.2 GB, 10239860736 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1244 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 1 31 248976 82 Linux swap /dev/hda2 * 32 47 128520 83 Linux /dev/hda3 48 109 498015 83 Linux /dev/hda4 110 1244 9116887+ 8e Linux LVM
hda2 is /boot and hda3 is /
# vgdisplay -v Finding all volume groups Finding volume group "vg00" --- Volume group --- VG Name vg00 System ID Format lvm2 Metadata Areas 1 Metadata Sequence No 8 VG Access read/write VG Status resizable MAX LV 0 Cur LV 5 Open LV 5 Max PV 0 Cur PV 1 Act PV 1 VG Size 8.69 GB PE Size 4.00 MB Total PE 2225 Alloc PE / Size 2048 / 8.00 GB Free PE / Size 177 / 708.00 MB VG UUID JMwLfq-s6Yp-jTSA-8BG9-nd4F-fjYu-kiA1kv
--- Logical volume --- LV Name /dev/vg00/usr VG Name vg00 LV UUID x26xFI-wo6x-pQQk-q1UR-WRSm-KZRZ-qScAlf LV Write Access read/write LV Status available # open 1 LV Size 3.00 GB Current LE 768 Segments 1 Allocation inherit Read ahead sectors 0 Block device 254:0
--- Logical volume --- LV Name /dev/vg00/opt VG Name vg00 LV UUID seZ8kh-e4gJ-IzVl-JepF-OBrR-DrVs-Ge3ZV4 LV Write Access read/write LV Status available # open 1 LV Size 1.00 GB Current LE 256 Segments 1 Allocation inherit Read ahead sectors 0 Block device 254:1
--- Logical volume --- LV Name /dev/vg00/var VG Name vg00 LV UUID 3OqRWb-W6K0-kZrI-sqyf-EPDV-ITn4-E7Dlqj LV Write Access read/write LV Status available # open 1 LV Size 2.00 GB Current LE 512 Segments 1 Allocation inherit Read ahead sectors 0 Block device 254:2
--- Logical volume --- LV Name /dev/vg00/local VG Name vg00 LV UUID h7jQkq-hyRq-lKR5-EdVK-1BLe-PWAL-Od8kgA LV Write Access read/write LV Status available # open 1 LV Size 1.00 GB Current LE 256 Segments 1 Allocation inherit Read ahead sectors 0 Block device 254:3
--- Logical volume --- LV Name /dev/vg00/home VG Name vg00 LV UUID WiOHQA-cn1I-M8xf-w5Kk-2KRq-iLtl-SD6BGd LV Write Access read/write LV Status available # open 1 LV Size 1.00 GB Current LE 256 Segments 1 Allocation inherit Read ahead sectors 0 Block device 254:4
--- Physical volumes --- PV Name /dev/hda4 PV UUID ecZpSi-Up5E-1FiH-YTgV-l03q-7p7S-J5rZ2Y PV Status allocatable Total PE / Free PE 2225 / 177
Output of lspci and lspci -n:
# lspci 0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX Host bridge (rev 03) 0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX AGP bridge (rev 03) 0000:00:07.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ISA (rev 02) 0000:00:07.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 IDE (rev 01) 0000:00:07.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 USB (rev 01) 0000:00:07.3 Bridge: Intel Corp. 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI (rev 02) 0000:00:0e.0 Multimedia audio controller: Ensoniq ES1371 [AudioPCI-97] (rev 06) 0000:00:10.0 Ethernet controller: 3Com Corporation 3c905B 100BaseTX [Cyclone] (rev 24) 0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV4 [RIVA TNT] (rev 04)
# lspci -n 0000:00:00.0 0600: 8086:7190 (rev 03) 0000:00:01.0 0604: 8086:7191 (rev 03) 0000:00:07.0 0601: 8086:7110 (rev 02) 0000:00:07.1 0101: 8086:7111 (rev 01) 0000:00:07.2 0c03: 8086:7112 (rev 01) 0000:00:07.3 0680: 8086:7113 (rev 02) 0000:00:0e.0 0401: 1274:1371 (rev 06) 0000:00:10.0 0200: 10b7:9055 (rev 24) 0000:01:00.0 0300: 10de:0020 (rev 04)
Base System Installation Checklist: [O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
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]
Comments/Problems:
The install process is mostly newbie friendly. One recommendation I would make is the installation of a bootsplash-enabled kernel. (I know that the startup messages are important, but most users, especially new users, don't know or don't care about the messages. It will probably also confuse some users.)
I created my mirror of the Debian archive using the option --dist=sarge (since the man page recommends not using testing as it is unpredictable). The problem is that when I pointed APT at the local copy of the archive on the filesystem, it choked since the testing->sarge symlink did not exist. This seems like it would be trivial to fix to have the installer look for both. before constructing the sources.list.
Also, I had manually configured the network interface since I was performing the install while not connected. The installer automatically tried to get security updates (without asking first) causing me to have to Ctrl-C the process or wait for each request to time out. This is probably not a good thing.
The LVM configuration is confusing. When you ask to create a new LV, you get a dialog which prompts you for the name. The problem is that you cannot see which LVs you have already created. This is annoying. Also, when you are asked to specify the size of the LV you just created, you can't see the name of the LV. This also annoying. These are not major things if you are performing the install rapid-fire, or if you have planned it and written everything down. However, if you step away from the machine momentarily, it is aggravating to have to cancel and go back one or two steps to see where you were.
If you try to put / on a LV, there is no warning about how difficult that sort of setup is to configure (especially with respect to future kernel upgrades). Perhaps the option to use a LV as / should be restricted to installations booted in expert mode.
Going back to an installation off the network, I had previously downloaded the various MS fonts that are downloaded by the msttcorefonts package (from sourceforge). I epxected to be able to tell msttcorefonts during the configure stage that I had already placed the files on the hard drive, but I got no such option. This cause me to wait through a timeout for every sourceforge server that the installation script tries to get the file from. After that the --configure step failed. I had to manually run update-ms-fonts and tell it where the files were on the drive and then run dpkg --pending --configure to complete the installation. This is probably more suitable as a bug against msttcorefonts (which I will file), but it is related to the installation experience.
-- Roberto C. Sanchez http://familiasanchez.net/~sanchezr
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