[ale] Debian. Grr.

[Joe Knapka]

"Greg" <runman at speedfactory.net> writes:

> I have been installing Debian on 2 boxes since yesterday in preparation for
> a big RH --> Debian switch in my home servers and I would suggest installing
> Libranet and then apt-get update and apt-get -upgrade to a stable system.  I
> then went into my sources and used the "testing" directories to get to a
> "testing" (Sarge) OS since I need more modern versions of Samba, apache,
> mdadm (couldn't get it to work on Woody - even after upgrading to Sarge on
> another machine).  It is running now, but I feel I am close to getting
> *everthing* updated to Sarge.
> 
> I would suggest starting with Libranet for an initial install.

Burned a Libranet CD, tried to install. I had two problems:

(1) when I told it to "automatically partition", it layed the entire
8G drive out as a single / partition, and subsequently couldn't boot
because (apparently) parts of the kernel image landed in cylinders >
1023. The "automatic partitioning" really should create a small /boot
partition at the beginning of the disk.  When I partitioned by hand
and did that, it booted fine.

(2) It can't install any packages from the CD during the initial
setup. The informative "Package error occurred" error occurs.

Ah well.  Back to the Debian "stable" install, which I will
attempt to do from the network this time.

-- Joe

> Greg
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org]On Behalf Of Joe
> > Knapka
> > Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 1:40 PM
> > To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
> > Subject: Re: [ale] Debian. Grr.
> >
> >
> > James Sumners <james at sumners.ath.cx> writes:
> >
> > > 1) Forget 'dselect' even exists. If you want to use something
> > like it then use
> > > 'aptitude'.
> > >
> > > 2) Use http or ftp sources.
> >
> > (1) I'm doing a first-time install, and the installer wants to run
> > tasksel and dselect. I don't seem to have much of a choice about
> > this. I have to run one or the other, it seems. (What happens
> > if I choose to do neither?)
> >
> > (2) But what if I'm on a 28K dialup link? (I'm not, but it's the
> > principle of the thing...)
> >
> > Anyhoo. I finally got through the "selecting packages" bit, but
> > it refuses to install anything because "Some errors occurred while
> > unpacking" ("parse error in file /var/lib/dpkg/status near line
> > 18090: missing package name"). This seems to happen no matter
> > what configuration I choose in the tasksel menu.
> >
> > Bleagh.
> >
> > I know, I know, I'm one of those irritating people who bitches and
> > bitches about stuff when the real problem is that I can't get
> > with the program and learn to adapt to a new environment. There's
> > some truth to that, I guess. Thanks for responding to me at
> > all :-)
> >
> > -- Joe
> >
> > > On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 02:59:04 -0500 (EST)
> > > Joe Knapka <jknapka at kneuro.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > > I'm trying once again to install Debian. My last attempt was in maybe
> > > > '98 or so, and ended in frustration before I even got the machine to
> > > > boot. This attempt is on the verge of ending in frustration, though
> > > > the machine *has* booted a minimal Debian system from the HD.
> > > >
> > > > The main problem I'm having is that "tasksel" and "dselect" seem to be
> > > > user-unfriendly in the extreme.  So far I have not gotten "apt" to
> > > > install *anything* but the minimal system. I boot the machine, run
> > > > "base-config", and then I have to sit in front of the machine swapping
> > > > CDs (*seven* of them) while it "scans them for index files"
> > > > (presumably to figure out which packages are on which disks), taking
> > > > about a minute per disk to do so. This is just enough time for me to
> > > > get distracted by something else, so it probably amounts to more like
> > > > five minutes per disk.  It may not be the case that I must sit through
> > > > the "scanning" process every time I run "base-config", but I see no
> > > > indication that it's *not* a requirement, so I don't feel safe
> > > > skipping this.  Then I get into tasksel and/or dselect, and I
> > > > invariably press some wrong key that causes it to start installing
> > > > stuff before I've managed to select what I want to be
> > > > installed. Oopsie, abort, run base-config, drat, have to scan all
> > > > those bloody CDs again...  It's really a drag. Apparently I've been
> > > > spoiled by Red Hat and Slackware installers.
> > > >
> > > > Do I *really* need to let it scan every CD every time?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > > >
> > > > -- Joe Knapka
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Ale mailing list
> > > > Ale at ale.org
> > > > http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > I used to be interested in Windows NT, but the more I see of it
> > the more it
> > > looks like traditional Windows with a stabler kernel. I don't
> > find anything
> > > technically interesting there. In my opinion MS is a lot better
> > at making money
> > > than it is at making good operating systems.  -- Linus Torvalds
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Ale mailing list
> > > Ale at ale.org
> > > http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> >
> > --
> > Barney comes to play with us whenever we may need him;
> > Someday we will hunt him down and chop him up and eat him!
> >    -- Annze, age 7
> > --
> > If you really want to get my attention, send mail to
> > jknapka .at. kneuro .dot. net.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ale mailing list
> > Ale at ale.org
> > http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> >
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> 
> 

-- 
Barney comes to play with us whenever we may need him;
Someday we will hunt him down and chop him up and eat him!
   -- Annze, age 7
--
If you really want to get my attention, send mail to
jknapka .at. kneuro .dot. net.