Installation Step Failed

[borgward]

I tried expert guided install of Lenny on 10GB drive. That failed. I next tried it on 8.6GB drive. That failed also. I was installing from DVD's. After scanning the 4 additional DVD's I inserted DVD#1 Not long after that, it began downloading from the internet at 7PM and continued until 3PM the next day when I got the following messages:

Installation Step Failed
Select and install software
Installation Step Failed

I went to F4 and saw the following:

in-target:
in-target: E:
in-target: Could not regain system lock! (perhaps another apt or dpkg is running?)
in-target: E:
in-target: dpkg was interrupted, you must manually run 'dpkg --configure --configure -a' to correct the problem
in-target: Reading package lists...
in-target: Building dependency tree...
in-target: Reading state information...
in-target: initializing package status...
in-target: Reading task descriptions...
in-target: W:
in-target: could not lock the cache file, this usually means that dpkg or another apt tool is already installing packages. Opening in read-only mode; any changes you make to the states of packages will not be preserved!
in-target:
in-target: tasksel: aptitude failed (255)
in-target: dpkg: failed to write to status record about 'libx11-6 tovar/lib/dpkg/status/': No space left on device
Kernel: [50638.341472] ISO 9660 Etensions: Microsoft Joliet Level 3
Kernel: [50638.497536] ISO 9660 Extensions: RRTP_1991A
load-instasll-cd: unmount: Cannot unmount /target/cdrom/: Invalid argument
Kernel: [50638.888013] ISO 9660 Extensions: Microsoft JolietLevel 3
Kernel: [50639.054520] ISO 9660 Extensions: RRIP_1991A
Main-menu [1427]: WARNING **: Configuring 'pkgsel' failed with error code 1
Main-menu [1427]: WARNING **: Menu item 'pkgsel' failed

I running this on 1.8 GHz AMD Athlon computer.

[jalu]

You want to install from an installation media or from the net? If from media: disable net-download during expert-installation. Download a CD1, for example, and use that for installation. Add the DVD´s after installation when you wanna install something.
If from the net do the same: install from a CD,disable net-downloads and add the repos after installation.

For an installation 10GB should be enough, i got much installations less than 2GB(including a lenny/kde3.5). But i never added DVD`s to the package-management. No idea how much space they take.
But a full-blown kde4 is about 2.5GB.


I`d allways use the expert-install, as i know i got the choices i need (but there are also some in the usual install, im not sure which)

In my experience installing on a sunday (with downloads from the net) doesnt work good.

ok, try to add some more info what exactly you want and what your possibilites are (what kind of net-connection, etc.)

[borgward]

You want to install from an installation media or from the net? If from media: disable net-download during expert-installation. Download a CD1, for example, and use that for installation. Add the DVD´s after installation when you wanna install something.
If from the net do the same: install from a CD,disable net-downloads and add the repos after installation.

For an installation 10GB should be enough, i got much installations less than 2GB(including a lenny/kde3.5). But i never added DVD`s to the package-management. No idea how much space they take.
But a full-blown kde4 is about 2.5GB.


I`d allways use the expert-install, as i know i got the choices (but there are also some in the usual install, im not sure which)

In my experience installing on a sunday (with downloads from the net) doesnt work good.

ok, try to add some more info what exactly you want and what your possibilites are (what kind of net-connection, etc.)

How to disable net download other than pulling the Ethernet cable?

I will switch the drive to Latitude CPi 400MHz PII 256MB RAM after completing install. It has USB1, CD but no DVD drive. Use for Open office, surfing, emailing,and would like to use CD drive to play Music.

I am currently running Knoppix 5.1.1 HDD install on it works really well, except that KsCD does not work. Was advised by Debian admin to install Debian Instead. KsCD doesnot work under debian either.

Which Kernel to use?



On 24K dialup.

[jalu]

How to disable net download other than pulling the Ethernet cable?

the short explanation: you may move around the installation process.
the long one:
advanced options
expert install

personal questions (language, regions,keyboard)

deteciton of cd,
installer-components are getting loaded from cd

detect network
Method one:
skip that, go directly to Partitioning
(if network is getting detected, go back to detection of cd and after that to partioning)

Partitioning
Install base system, including Install kernel
Set up users and passwords

Configure the package-manager:
Scan another DVD/CD: NO
Use a network -mirror: NO
(if you skipped the network detection and choose yes imo installation will fail)

configuring apt
select and install software (you may skip installation of environment after/during that and end up in a cli after installaton)
enjoy....

btw: i prefer installing without environment during taskel (once i got the system installed its more easy to troubleshoot problems)
-----------------
for kernel and kscd wait for better advice (i allways choose either 2.6.26-686 or 2.6.26-2-686 and, next step, generic. no reason)

good luck

[borgward]

How to disable net download other than pulling the Ethernet cable?

the short explanation: you may move around the installation process.
the long one:
advanced options
expert install

personal questions (language, regions,keyboard)

deteciton of cd,
installer-components are getting loaded from cd

detect network
Method one:
skip that, go directly to Partitioning
(if network is getting detected, go back to detection of cd and after that to partioning)

Partitioning
Install base system, including Install kernel
Set up users and passwords

Configure the package-manager:
Scan another DVD/CD: NO
Use a network -mirror: NO
(if you skipped the network detection and choose yes imo installation will fail)

configuring apt
select and install software (you may skip installation of environment after/during that and end up in a cli after installaton)
enjoy....

btw: i prefer installing without environment during taskel (once i got the system installed its more easy to troubleshoot problems)
-----------------
for kernel and kscd wait for better advice (i allways choose either 2.6.26-686 or 2.6.26-2-686 and, next step, generic. no reason)

good luck

Installation failed during Install base system.

debootstrap: Settingup initscripts (2.86.dsl-61)
Kernel: [ 690.301357] initscripts.pos[209471]: segfault at 1e841020 ip 08064016 sp bfa0b9c0 error 4 in bash [8048+a6000]
debootstrap: dpkg: error processing initscripts (configure--):

[fsmithred]

Maybe there's a problem with the dvd. Did you check the md5sum of the downloaded iso and of the burned dvd?

[borgward]

Maybe there's a problem with the dvd. Did you check the md5sum of the downloaded iso and of the burned dvd?

Thought maybe so. I only have the DVD. I did scan all the DVD's, and got positive results. Is that process as thorough as checking the md5sum?

I did an XFCE and a KDE laptop install from the DVD that gave no errors.

How do I check the md5sum?

[bugsbunny]

Here's a script that will test a burned cd/dvd md5sum against the iso md5sum
call the script with the isofile as the parameter, and the dvd/cd in the drive
It will take a few minutes to run.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
#shell script to verify a burned iso

ISOFILE=$1
echo "Isofile: " $ISOFILE
DVDDRIVE=/dev/scd0
BYTES=2048

#Get the number of extends
NROFEXTENDS=$(($(ls -l $ISOFILE | awk '{ print $5 }') / $BYTES ))
echo "Nr of extends: " $NROFEXTENDS

#Get MD5 sum of DVD
dd if=$DVDDRIVE bs=$BYTES count=$NROFEXTENDS | md5sum

#Get MD5 sum of iso file
md5sum $ISOFILE

If you just want to check the downbloaded iso against the published number then it's simply:

Code: Select all

md5sum <isofile>

[borgward]

What I have is an I386 binary, not an iso. will I be able to check it as per your instructions?

[fsmithred]

Huh? How did you make the dvd? The usual way is to burn an iso image to a cd or dvd.

Here's the page for i386 dvd images and md5sums:
http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/5.0.3/i386/iso-dvd/

or this page for more choices:
http://www.debian.org/CD/http-ftp/#stable

[borgward]

Huh? How did you make the dvd? The usual way is to burn an iso image to a cd or dvd.

Here's the page for i386 dvd images and md5sums:
http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/5.0.3/i386/iso-dvd/

or this page for more choices:
http://www.debian.org/CD/http-ftp/#stable

I did not make the DVD. I do not have connection fast enough to to download the 5 Debian DVD installation disks.

[fsmithred]

When you make your own disks, you can check the download and the burn with:

Code: Select all

md5sum filename.iso
md5sum /dev/hdc  (or /dev/scd0 or whatever device is your dvd drive)

I don't know if that works with disks you purchased. If you try it, make sure you're checking the same version. The current one is 5.0.3, and that's only about a week old.

I think scanning the disks during installation just reads them into the package manager database, so it knows what packages are available.

[borgward]

I just ran:

dd if=/dev/hdd bs=2048 count=2294116 | md5sum

Got:

2294116+0 records in
2294116+0 records out

b0cad4ed6b8c1b14b31114380d14ef47 -
4698349568 bytes (4.7 GB) copied, 793.542 seconds, 5.9 MB/s

A friend downloaded the disks. He labeled the disk:

Debian 5.0.1 1/5
i386 binary
2009-04-13

2294116*2048
md5: a556...7782
sha1: 0167...2cd4 (the sha1 might me shal)

So does it like the disk is ok?

[fsmithred]

Found this on the debian mail archive. Looks like dvd-1 is correct.

>$ cat MD5SUMS
>b0cad4ed6b8c1b14b31114380d14ef47 debian-501-i386-DVD-1.iso
>a55bf46b75897331bbb1f3d956e37782 debian-501-i386-DVD-2.iso
>4ee97a9dadbc7f35cefff64363b548e0 debian-501-i386-DVD-3.iso
>4ea0c356aae9356e764bb3ed98ccf439 debian-501-i386-DVD-4.iso
>4ca7418f4dc5c4cb02b375f9ffd41bf4 debian-501-i386-DVD-5.iso
>04ea12efaa42e4e11befc6237eaf5da9 debian-update-5.0.1-i386-DVD-1.iso


Just noticed this:

in-target: dpkg: failed to write to status record about 'libx11-6 tovar/lib/dpkg/status/': No space left on device

How big was the partition you trying to install to?

[borgward]

Found this on the debian mail archive. Looks like dvd-1 is correct.

Just noticed this:

in-target: dpkg: failed to write to status record about 'libx11-6 tovar/lib/dpkg/status/': No space left on device

How big was the partition you trying to install to?

I am installing on a different drive this time, so did not get that message. The current drive is 4.8 GB. I did an install using entire disk w/home partition. do not remember how big the partition was.

The thing I do not like about the Debian install is that I am not given the option to select or unselect packages during the graphical install so that I can avoid putting too much on a small drive. Not expert enough to install enough from the command line.

[fsmithred]

It's not that difficult to do a minimal install and then add what you want later. Scan in all the DVDs you have during the install and don't choose a mirror, so that all the software will be available without having to download packages. Uncheck "Desktop System" and leave "Standard System" checked. When you reboot at the end of the install, log in as root and install a basic desktop system. For example:

Code: Select all

apt-get install xorg gnome-core gdm

You might also have to install synaptic the same way, and then use it to add whatever else you need.

Then add online repositories later so you can get security updates. Might want to take your computer to your friend's house for that.

[borgward]

It's not that difficult to do a minimal install and then add what you want later. Scan in all the DVDs you have during the install and don't choose a mirror, so that all the software will be available without having to download packages. Uncheck "Desktop System" and leave "Standard System" checked. When you reboot at the end of the install, log in as root and install a basic desktop system. For example:

Code: Select all

apt-get install xorg gnome-core gdm

You might also have to install synaptic the same way, and then use it to add whatever else you need.

Then add online repositories later so you can get security updates. Might want to take your computer to your friend's house for that.

I just installed Lenny on a 20 GB drive as per your instructions. Will now try on one of my small laptop drives