Re: stable-->unstable (or how far to throw the disks?)
On Wed, Feb 20, 2002 at 09:48:23PM -0800, Osamu Aoki wrote: > On Wed, Feb 20, 2002 at 07:56:29PM -0800, Bill Moseley wrote: > > At 09:48 AM 02/20/02 -0600, Rob VanFleet wrote: > > >Ok, I am now better informed. It does say alot about the upgrade > > >process that I have not been doing that and have gone through several > > >stable->testing->unstable upgrades without incident. > > Wow, you must be very lucky. Do you have X on it or just BASH :) I upgrade immediately after a stable install. I usually just install minimal when installing (base system + C/C++ dev). I wait until I'm already in unstable to install things like X and the like. -Rob
Re: stable-->unstable (or how far to throw the disks?)
On Wed, Feb 20, 2002 at 10:40:34PM -0800, Bill Moseley wrote:
> >Use IDEPCI image. You may not even use driver disks. :)
>
> Yes, I wondered. Any idea of a rtl8139 network driver is in that image?
Not as compiled in kernel but as module, I think but not sure. Nice
thing is its driver-disk is 2-3 disk if I remember. Since I use tulip
and eepro100, it was not a problem.
> >Before installing, you can go to console by pressing ALT-F2. Then use
> >editor to edit /etc/sources.list. You can skip most minimum potato
> >install downloads. That is a small trick.
>
> Edit it how? You mean add the testing URLs? I did that, but again, I
> found it more reliable to do a complete upgrade for each step. Believe me,
> I've been looking for all the short cuts I can find! ;)
Yep. At least thios trick worked few month ago.
> >Put them all in /var/cache/apt/archives/ then you are all set,
> >I think. Try it and tell me what happens.
>
> I did that. I did two installs today. The first time I tried to be tricky:
>
> - booted with rescue and root floppies.
> - Alt-F2 and insmod my network card module from floppy
> - did base install off the debian site
> - copied .deb files to the /var/cache/apt/archives directory (from
> a second partition)
> - then cycled through apt-get update & apt-get dist-upgrade.
>
> And indeed, it seemed like the .deb files were being used. But the upgrade
> failed badly and let the machine in an unstable state.
This sounds like there may be some other issues on archive now.
> So I started all over again, using the driver-? disks, and dselect instead
> and it went smooth. I still copied the .deb files back into the cache, but
> it didn't seem to install much faster -- still fetched most packages from
> the debian mirror. (I thought dselect was just a front-end for apt-get, so
> I wouldn't have thought there would be a difference in the use of cached
> .deb files.)
Yes. apt-get pulls in all suggested packages.
Try "apt-get dselect-update" mauybe.
> Anyway, I've decided to move to a new headache: trying to get XFree86
> working. I'm using 4.1, but still a 2.2.19 kernel. I need to figure out
> how to move down to 1024x768 and how to keep the mouse from hanging...
> What fun.
Good luck :)
--
~\^o^/~~~ ~\^.^/~~~ ~\^*^/~~~ ~\^_^/~~~ ~\^+^/~~~ ~\^:^/~~~ ~\^v^/~~~ +
Osamu Aoki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, GnuPG-key: 1024D/D5DE453D
Visit Debian reference http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/quick-reference/
There are 6 files: index.{en|fr|it}.html quick-reference.{en|fr|it}.txt
I welcome your constructive criticisms and corrections.
Re: stable-->unstable (or how far to throw the disks?)
At 09:48 PM 02/20/02 -0800, Osamu Aoki wrote: >There will be "incident" if you upgrade many times. That is why it is >called "testing", or "unstable". "incident" can be dealt with minimum >trouble if you know how. > > http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/quick-reference/ I've read that. Nice work, thanks! It's helpful, but I need to read it again. >> I've installed about six times over the last week. Starting with >> Potato CDs, and for about the last three times using floppies. Mostly >> I'm repeating the installation because I ran out of salt to rub in my >> cuts. > >Sounds like you may have a bad CD and creating FD from CD. No, I'm creating using dd on another linux machine to write the images to floppy, and then using cmp to check them. > >> I managed to get good diskettes for all except driver-4. > >Use IDEPCI image. You may not even use driver disks. :) Yes, I wondered. Any idea of a rtl8139 network driver is in that image? >Before installing, you can go to console by pressing ALT-F2. Then use >editor to edit /etc/sources.list. You can skip most minimum potato >install downloads. That is a small trick. Edit it how? You mean add the testing URLs? I did that, but again, I found it more reliable to do a complete upgrade for each step. Believe me, I've been looking for all the short cuts I can find! ;) >You can unselect it by pressing "_" for large package such as tetex and >emacs. dselect autoselect basic packages. Yes, those were the killers. >> It's not a smooth process. For example, I'm mounting to /home >> /dev/hda3 an existing partition. Using the driver disks Potato >> doesn't umount my that partition on first reboot, so I have to wait >> while 60GB is checked. Not to mention how much time it all takes. > >Why mount? You can manually umount it. fstab just needed to be >edited. Right, but I wonder if that's an error in the config scripts. I Activated an Existing Partition via the menu, but when it rebooted it hadn't been umonuted. So maybe it forgot it had mounted it in the first place?? >Put them all in /var/cache/apt/archives/ then you are all set, >I think. Try it and tell me what happens. I did that. I did two installs today. The first time I tried to be tricky: - booted with rescue and root floppies. - Alt-F2 and insmod my network card module from floppy - did base install off the debian site - copied .deb files to the /var/cache/apt/archives directory (from a second partition) - then cycled through apt-get update & apt-get dist-upgrade. And indeed, it seemed like the .deb files were being used. But the upgrade failed badly and let the machine in an unstable state. So I started all over again, using the driver-? disks, and dselect instead and it went smooth. I still copied the .deb files back into the cache, but it didn't seem to install much faster -- still fetched most packages from the debian mirror. (I thought dselect was just a front-end for apt-get, so I wouldn't have thought there would be a difference in the use of cached .deb files.) Anyway, I've decided to move to a new headache: trying to get XFree86 working. I'm using 4.1, but still a 2.2.19 kernel. I need to figure out how to move down to 1024x768 and how to keep the mouse from hanging... What fun. I've got a "Micron" 19" 900LX display. Anyone know the available config settings? -- Bill Moseley mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: stable-->unstable (or how far to throw the disks?)
On Wed, Feb 20, 2002 at 07:56:29PM -0800, Bill Moseley wrote:
> At 09:48 AM 02/20/02 -0600, Rob VanFleet wrote:
> >Ok, I am now better informed. It does say alot about the upgrade
> >process that I have not been doing that and have gone through several
> >stable->testing->unstable upgrades without incident.
Wow, you must be very lucky. Do you have X on it or just BASH :)
> Hum, I wish I had better luck. What are you reading that has been
> helping?
There will be "incident" if you upgrade many times. That is why it is
called "testing", or "unstable". "incident" can be dealt with minimum
trouble if you know how.
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/quick-reference/
This may help you.
> I've installed about six times over the last week. Starting with
> Potato CDs, and for about the last three times using floppies. Mostly
> I'm repeating the installation because I ran out of salt to rub in my
> cuts.
Sounds like you may have a bad CD and creating FD from CD.
> I managed to get good diskettes for all except driver-4.
Use IDEPCI image. You may not even use driver disks. :)
> My experience has been poor with the apt-get update / apt-get
> dist-upgrade cycle, even with trying to update apt and dpkg first
> between each step. My best luck as been install base Potato, then use
> dselect to update, selecte (accept defaults) and the Install, and
> repeat for testing and sid. I've managed to get to sid once so far.
> I'm not clear why that's working better.
Before installing, you can go to console by pressing ALT-F2. Then use
editor to edit /etc/sources.list. You can skip most minimum potato
install downloads. That is a small trick.
> That dselect method of upgrading loads quite a few packages. I was
> wishing for a ligher-weight system.
You can unselect it by pressing "_" for large package such as tetex and
emacs. dselect autoselect basic packages.
> I'm trying again right now, but the testing->sid is going slow due to
> sudden slow connection, and, oddly enough, 404 errors on some
> packages. Hum. Maybe there was an update to sid while I was
> downloading.
That happens sometime. Few reasons.
1) Slow ISP to Internet connection.
2) Slow server
Most URL is round robin DNS. So many server at different IP is called
by a same URL and they are randomly chosen through DNS system. So
some host are faster than other.
> It's not a smooth process. For example, I'm mounting to /home
> /dev/hda3 an existing partition. Using the driver disks Potato
> doesn't umount my that partition on first reboot, so I have to wait
> while 60GB is checked. Not to mention how much time it all takes.
Why mount? You can manually umount it. fstab just needed to be
edited.
> I've been trying to understand how to use .deb files between
> installations, with limited luck,
Put them all in /var/cache/apt/archives/ then you are all set,
I think. Try it and tell me what happens.
> and how to avoid using the four driver disks, also with limited
> success. Copying my cached .deb files back to the cache between
> installations hasn't seemed to avoid downloading, but I haven't looked
> that closely.
IDEPCI boot image is your friend.
> Sid finally finished. About 2 1/2 hours from Potato boot disk to Sid.
Well not too bad. :)
--
~\^o^/~~~ ~\^.^/~~~ ~\^*^/~~~ ~\^_^/~~~ ~\^+^/~~~ ~\^:^/~~~ ~\^v^/~~~ +
Osamu Aoki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, GnuPG-key: 1024D/D5DE453D
Visit Debian reference http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/quick-reference/
There are 6 files: index.{en|fr|it}.html quick-reference.{en|fr|it}.txt
I welcome your constructive criticisms and corrections.
Re: stable-->unstable (or how far to throw the disks?)
At 09:48 AM 02/20/02 -0600, Rob VanFleet wrote: >> Both I and the release notes normally recommend upgrading dpkg and apt >> by hand first, yes. > >Ok, I am now better informed. It does say alot about the upgrade >process that I have not been doing that and have gone through several >stable->testing->unstable upgrades without incident. Hum, I wish I had better luck. What are you reading that has been helping? I've installed about six times over the last week. Starting with Potato CDs, and for about the last three times using floppies. Mostly I'm repeating the installation because I ran out of salt to rub in my cuts. I managed to get good diskettes for all except driver-4. That took four, no five (as I can count them on the ground outside my window) brand new disks before I got one that would read. My experience has been poor with the apt-get update / apt-get dist-upgrade cycle, even with trying to update apt and dpkg first between each step. My best luck as been install base Potato, then use dselect to update, selecte (accept defaults) and the Install, and repeat for testing and sid. I've managed to get to sid once so far. I'm not clear why that's working better. That dselect method of upgrading loads quite a few packages. I was wishing for a ligher-weight system. I'm trying again right now, but the testing->sid is going slow due to sudden slow connection, and, oddly enough, 404 errors on some packages. Hum. Maybe there was an update to sid while I was downloading. It's not a smooth process. For example, I'm mounting to /home /dev/hda3 an existing partition. Using the driver disks Potato doesn't umount my that partition on first reboot, so I have to wait while 60GB is checked. Not to mention how much time it all takes. I've been trying to understand how to use .deb files between installations, with limited luck, and how to avoid using the four driver disks, also with limited success. Copying my cached .deb files back to the cache between installations hasn't seemed to avoid downloading, but I haven't looked that closely. Sid finally finished. About 2 1/2 hours from Potato boot disk to Sid. Whew. -- Bill Moseley mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
