Unable to Install

[jackdaws]

It's been a while since I installed debian, and have tried a few ways to do so recently, unsuccessfully so far. My default way was to install from the bios boot menu, using secure boot, which has always been successful in the past. However, this time, upon loading the installer (successfully, I assume), I fail at the "select language" step, with the message, "An installation step failed" - I get this message whatever step I try, even when I try to abort the installation using the installer interface (I have to do a hard reset). I have the same failure, and error message, when I try the same method but from from a non-secure bios boot menu. I get the same error message whether I use a flash drive or a DVD. If I try to install from windows using the setup.exe on the flash or DVD I get the error message, "Error:failed to copy D:\ to C:\win32-loader\linux", which is strange, since I'm using a 64bit downloaded iso (tried a few times, using stable and testing), on a 64bit machine. Any ideas?

[Chrisdb]

During installation error messages and logs are redirected to the fourth console. You can access this console by pressing Left Alt+F4 (hold the left Alt key while pressing the F4 function key); get back to the main installer process with Left Alt+F1.

Maybe you can get some relevant info from there...

[jackdaws]

Thanks Chrisdb. It seems that the localechooser fails after posting a warning about "deep recursion configuring package libc6-udeb", suggesting a possible dependency problem. Anticipating problems with hardware drivers, I'm already using the nonfree Debian distro, so is it likely that this is related, or even caused by the choice of nonfree distro? As far as I know it's just Debian with added proprietary drivers...

[Chrisdb]

Thanks Chrisdb. It seems that the localechooser fails after posting a warning about "deep recursion configuring package libc6-udeb", suggesting a possible dependency problem. Anticipating problems with hardware drivers, I'm already using the nonfree Debian distro, so is it likely that this is related, or even caused by the choice of nonfree distro? As far as I know it's just Debian with added proprietary drivers...

Did you already try the netinstall ISO? I had problems with the DVD version of non-free too( missing firmware) last week

[jackdaws]

Having downloaded four isos already in the past two weeks, I'm a bit short of bandwidth, but I might try that in a day or so if I can't get the ones I have working soon. However, I also suspect that the netinstall will have a similar issue, since from the package description it seems that libc6-udeb is an installer-only package, not being required for any one distro itself, but still being part of all debian distro installers.

[jackdaws]

Just a quick note, since I've given up and gone back to kde neon, but I don't think it's the package libc6-udeb. I get the same error message whatever item on the installer menu list I choose after the first error message. Something about a "deb loop?". I'll let others think about this one, since every other distro I use installs no problem.

[Dai_trying]

I just wanted to add that I had this same error on three images from the testing weekly builds, I tried the netinstall, xfce-cd and DVD1 they all fail at setting language step and any options from the menu (even abort installation) display the same error message ("An installation step failed") and a hard boot (or REISUB) is the only way to get out. All images downloaded and tested last night.

[eor2004]

I had a similar issue with a debian 32-bit dvd-1 install, when installing it to a laptop at some point it would always fail, but then a curious thing happened, whenever I choosed to check the debian dvd install integrity, when it finished checking the disk then I could continue with the installation without issues, strange isn't it?

[jackdaws]

Feeling encouraged to see that I wasn't the only one to find the same problem, I just tried twice more, using a flash drive and dvd install, but had the same result. Also, there doesn't seem to be any way to check the integrity of either flash or dvd using the installer with the downloaded copy I'm using, so I unfortunately can't recreate the unlikely solution mentioned by eor2004. Onwards and backwards...

[Chrisdb]

Feeling encouraged to see that I wasn't the only one to find the same problem, I just tried twice more, using a flash drive and dvd install, but had the same result. Also, there doesn't seem to be any way to check the integrity of either flash or dvd using the installer with the downloaded copy I'm using, so I unfortunately can't recreate the unlikely solution mentioned by eor2004. Onwards and backwards...

You can also try to install the 'first realease' iso files from here (10.0.0+nonfree,10.1.0+nonfree):
https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/archive/

As the 10.2 release only contains updates for certain packages, you can issue an update/upgrade after installation and you will get the latest version automatically.

**EDIT
btw, did you try the netinstall iso? It worked for me

[jackdaws]

You can also try to install the 'first realease' iso files

I'm trying to install testing, and don't want to do a dist-upgrade, since that comes with it's own potential headaches.

btw, did you try the netinstall iso? It worked for me

Yes. Just now. No difference. Thanks for the suggestion, though. Given the others having the same problem I suspect that there's something wrong with the compilation process. I would wait until next week's release, but last week was the same, and I can't afford to download any more this month.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

There is also the mini.iso, any of the branches can be selected from that and the initial download is very small.

http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/bull ... t/mini.iso

[Chrisdb]

Just performed a fresh install with the ISO from the following location:
https://cdimage.debian.org/images/unofficial/non-free/images-including-firmware/10.2.0+nonfree/amd64/iso-dvd/

This time it worked. The only difference is, I made the bootable USB using 'dd' in Debian instead of ISO mode on Windows with Rufus

[jackdaws]

There is also the mini.iso ...

If it uses the same installer as all of the other ones that are presently failing, then it's probably not going to work either.

Just performed a fresh install ....This time it worked. The only difference is, I made the bootable USB using 'dd' in Debian instead of ISO mode on Windows with Rufus

I also failed last week with the same symptoms using dd to create the bootable medium - but unfortunately not via debian, since I don 't have it installed anywhere. I will give debian another go in a few weeks, when I have both time and download ability, because I'm rather keen on the whole concept of debian (wished I'd never gone elsewhere, really), but I must admit the past few weeks have been a bit of a demotivation.