Debian Eabi With Installer

[tux]

I am also getting an error trying to mount the swap partition, but there is another error earlier that may be the cause - on first boot after flashing I get the following;

Setting up filesystem, please wait ...
modprobe: FATAL: Could not load /lib/modules/2.6.23/modules.dep: No such file or directory

Mount: Mounting none on /dev failed: No such device
modprobe: FATAL: Could not load /lib/modules/2.6.23/modules.dep: No such file or directory

Mount: Mounting devfs on /dev failed: No such device
modprobe: FATAL: Could not load /lib/modules/2.6.23/modules.dep: No such file or directory

modprobe: FATAL: Could not load /lib/modules/2.6.23/modules.dep: No such file or directory

I don't know – maybe this is normal on first boot?  I only have the 4 files on my SD

Also – during the 'Choose mirror of the Debian archive' part it asks to enter info manually – if I change the location it gives me an error, if I go with the defaults of ftp.gnuab.org and /debian I get an error during the 'Download Installer Components' part – “No kernel modules were found.”?  If I choose to ignore that and continue without installing the kernel modules I get to the partitioning and get stuck in the loop!

Otherwise – this installer really looks great!  Can't wait for an update – keep up the great work cortez!

  Cortez, I think I know what's going on.   bdbell has jogged my memory. I was using 2.6.23 also. What modules does the installer expect? Is it 2.6.20 like on the Titchy one? If so, I think we need to use a 2.6.20 kernel to install.   What do you think?

If true, the newer kernels and modules would have to be installed at a later stage, by copying the modules in and then flashing to the matching kernel. Am I right or suffering hallucinations from another late night?   There is also your comment about the files being copied to the microdrive, surely not if partitioning is to take place?

Another possibility is, what if the install fstab doesn't have the correct entries for the partitions? Cheers

[cortez]

I don't know about the missing modules.dep on first boot. It's strange since the file exists if I look after booting.
I just got past the partitioning screen by selecting a manual partition scheme and setting the mount point to / (root).

[tux]

I don't know about the missing modules.dep on first boot. It's strange since the file exists if I look after booting.
I just got past the partitioning screen by selecting a manual partition scheme and setting the mount point to / (root).

 I'm trying again with the manual partitioning.  Wish me luck!

I tried a / and a swap partition. The partition progress bar stayed at 33% and the led kept flashing for some time. Then it came back and said the swap failed to mount at none. I noticed at boot time that the same message about swap and none  came up.  

I'll repeat the manual partitioning with just / for the entire disk.

I seem to have got through to installing the base system!      I used all the disk for /. Would it have been wiser to just use 16 GB and leave the rest for putting up a swap partition later on?  If I get a working system I should be able to resize the root partition and set up a swap anyway - I hope!  

It does seem to be working now. Am I the only one who has had trouble with the partitioning? I did download your big tar again before trying this evening. I sometimes wonder about firefox and downloading attachments from OESF.  

I really hope this method works cortez. The big advantage of Titchy was the fairly straightforward install, even for Debian virgins! This version of yours, once any glitches in the install are sorted out looks like a more convenient install method than that, but for EABI. I have to admit EABI is the way we should expect to go!

Cups of tea and a large rum and ginger while I wait for this to proceed. The progress bar was sticking at 6% but various file names are popping up as I type and it now says 32%.  

Terminator!

[cortez]

I don't know about the missing modules.dep on first boot. It's strange since the file exists if I look after booting.
I just got past the partitioning screen by selecting a manual partition scheme and setting the mount point to / (root).

 I'm trying again with the manual partitioning.  Wish me luck!

I tried a / and a swap partition. The partition progress bar stayed at 33% and the led kept flashing for some time. Then it came back and said the swap failed to mount at none. i noticed at boot time that the same message came up.  

I'll repeat the manual partitioning with just / for the entire disk.

I manually partitioned the disk and split it up in two partitions one sized 3.9Gb and the other about 280Mb. Mark the big partition as root and bootable. Mark the smaller partition (for the time being) as unused. That should get you through the partitioner.

[tux]

I don't know about the missing modules.dep on first boot. It's strange since the file exists if I look after booting.
I just got past the partitioning screen by selecting a manual partition scheme and setting the mount point to / (root).

 I'm trying again with the manual partitioning.  Wish me luck!

I tried a / and a swap partition. The partition progress bar stayed at 33% and the led kept flashing for some time. Then it came back and said the swap failed to mount at none. i noticed at boot time that the same message came up.  

I'll repeat the manual partitioning with just / for the entire disk.

I manually partitioned the disk and split it up in two partitions one sized 3.9Gb and the other about 280Mb. Mark the big partition as root and bootable. Mark the smaller partition (for the time being) as unused. That should get you through the partitioner.

RATS! I didn't specify bootable! Oh well at least this method is mostly automatic and I don't need to keep tarring and untarring and fiddling with command line extras. I may be able to go back and redo the partitioning without going through the whole process again!

[cortez]

I don't know about the missing modules.dep on first boot. It's strange since the file exists if I look after booting.
I just got past the partitioning screen by selecting a manual partition scheme and setting the mount point to / (root).

 I'm trying again with the manual partitioning.  Wish me luck!

I tried a / and a swap partition. The partition progress bar stayed at 33% and the led kept flashing for some time. Then it came back and said the swap failed to mount at none. i noticed at boot time that the same message came up.  

I'll repeat the manual partitioning with just / for the entire disk.

I manually partitioned the disk and split it up in two partitions one sized 3.9Gb and the other about 280Mb. Mark the big partition as root and bootable. Mark the smaller partition (for the time being) as unused. That should get you through the partitioner.

RATS! I didn't specify bootable! Oh well at least this method is mostly automatic and I don't need to keep tarring and untarring and fiddling with command line extras. I may be able to go back and redo the partitioning without going through the whole process again!

One last thing I forgot to mention. I choose the option NOT to format the main (root) partition and to leave the current files alone. I have to see how that works out. Installation is almost finished here. Maybe this is finally going to work...

[cortez]

Installation succesfully completed  
Now selecting the packages to install

[tux]

Installation succesfully completed  
Now selecting the packages to install

 Setting up users. Should I go back to the partitioner and try to set the boot flag? Yes I think so, if it can't be done easily I can always carry on and see if I get a bootable system. If not I can use meanies pdaxIII utilities and make the partition bootable and do a reboot!  

Good luck with your install... looks like another late night!!!!

[dlj0]

I don't know about the missing modules.dep on first boot. It's strange since the file exists if I look after booting.
I just got past the partitioning screen by selecting a manual partition scheme and setting the mount point to / (root).

 I'm trying again with the manual partitioning.  Wish me luck!

I tried a / and a swap partition. The partition progress bar stayed at 33% and the led kept flashing for some time. Then it came back and said the swap failed to mount at none. i noticed at boot time that the same message came up.  

I'll repeat the manual partitioning with just / for the entire disk.

I manually partitioned the disk and split it up in two partitions one sized 3.9Gb and the other about 280Mb. Mark the big partition as root and bootable. Mark the smaller partition (for the time being) as unused. That should get you through the partitioner.

I'm having the same problem.  It won't make the other partitions.  I wanted / 2.2 gig, /home 1g, /var 500M, and 400+m swap.  But it will not let me do that, so I am just partitioning / with 2.2 gig.  The one visible problem is that there is insufficient room for the mount point labels, but that should not affect partitioning.

Aack,  now it wants me to add swap space, and prints dire warnings if I don't do it.  But then that failed, too.

[tux]

Quote from cortez....

I manually partitioned the disk and split it up in two partitions one sized 3.9Gb and the other about 280Mb. Mark the big partition as root and bootable. Mark the smaller partition (for the time being) as unused. That should get you through the partitioner.


I did what he says but I used all the disk as / and I didn't put the bootable flag on. But it is in the middle of installing software now.  

Don't use any 'help' or 'guided' options in the partitioner.  

I expect to have problems because I didn't set the bootable flag. i'll probably have to do some playing about with the partitioning facility under Meanie's pdaxIII utilities.  

But cortez's tip about doing a manual partition and leaving free space for a later swap should be OK. It is working for me at the moment. It is taking a vast amount of time because I forgot to de-select the desktop option in software selection.

[dlj0]

Installation succesfully completed  
Now selecting the packages to install

I'm jealous.  I am again at the point of retrieving packages to complete the installation, I think, and it hangs here, "Retrieving packages" 0% --- I used the default site.  The defaults had no special directories to look in or anything.  Why is it hanging?

[dlj0]

Installation succesfully completed  
Now selecting the packages to install

I'm jealous.  I am again at the point of retrieving packages to complete the installation, I think, and it hangs here, "Retrieving packages" 0% --- I used the default site.  The defaults had no special directories to look in or anything.  Why is it hanging?

6% now, with a new try using Cortez' new build with my libertas module available.  Still installing, using my old wifi card.  

Now, once this gets installed, I guess I look at zdevil's postinstall tarball.  But, to update, are there any better (faster, from the US) archives than the default for armel?  Can I put most any archive in, or will they not have armel at all?  'Cause I am still at 6%.  This thing is no "broadband" connection right now.  New things get retrieved, which is good.  But, sheesh.

[dlj0]

Installation succesfully completed  
Now selecting the packages to install

I'm jealous.  I am again at the point of retrieving packages to complete the installation, I think, and it hangs here, "Retrieving packages" 0% --- I used the default site.  The defaults had no special directories to look in or anything.  Why is it hanging?

6% now, with a new try using Cortez' new build with my libertas module available.  Still installing, using my old wifi card.  

Now, once this gets installed, I guess I look at zdevil's postinstall tarball.  But, to update, are there any better (faster, from the US) archives than the default for armel?  Can I put most any archive in, or will they not have armel at all?  'Cause I am still at 6%.  This thing is no "broadband" connection right now.  New things get retrieved, which is good.  But, sheesh.

Well, it has gotten further, but now seems to be stuck at 3% in the "select and install software" step, in "preparing to configure pcmciautils".  I wish I could find out what is happening, but that does not seem possible without stopping the process.  

It's getting late, so I will let it continue as it is.  I guess everyone else is asleep already...

[tux]

 Just retrying my install. I left the software business running over night. It was stuck in the middle of the gimp.   Anyhow, I've restarted the process, this time I set a bootable / partition of 16 GB and left the other 0.4 GB free. It told me that a swap was useful and asked if I really wanted to carry on. I did!    

All proceeded smoothly, by the time I get out of the bath I should be at the choose what to install stage. This time I'll just pick 'standard' system.   I expect I'll leave it to do that and go out. I hope to be at the final stages when I come back from town.  

TERMINATOR!

[cortez]

Just retrying my install. I left the software business running over night. It was stuck in the middle of the gimp.   Anyhow, I've restarted the process, this time I set a bootable / partition of 16 GB and left the other 0.4 GB free. It told me that a swap was useful and asked if I really wanted to carry on. I did!    

All proceeded smoothly, by the time i get out of the bath I should be at the choose waht to install stage. This time I'll just pick 'standard' sytem.   I expect I#ll leave it to do that and go out. I hope to be at the final stages when I come back from towm.  

TERMINATOR!

Nice change in your signature. "cortez-debian" I hope it stays there  
My installation got stuck at 3% in the "select and install software" step in "preparing to configure pcmciautils". I'll try again with a different kernel setup.