The Thecus n2100 uses r8169 for ethernet. Per #561309, in 2.6.32, that module requests two firmware files (that are not packaged and are nonfree anyway), even when they are not needed by the actual hardware. (The n2100 doesn't need them.)
In d-i, check-missing-firmware is run by ethdetect and will notice the kernel has requested these two files and failed to get them. It will then display a debconf note about the problem. This note will block d-i getting onto the network, which on this typically console-less system, is the only way a user can see it and continue with the installation. Oops! I have not verified this since my thecus is too important a server to take down to test it. Maybe tbm could? If I've predicted this problem accuratly, I wonder if the r8169 module should/could be changed to request the firmware files only on hardware that needs them? A few workarounds could be done on the d-i side. We could skip the blocking note display if the only missing files are those two. Or the note could be disabled from being shown before the network is configured (by preseeding or other method) on systems using network-console. -- see shy jo
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