[Debian-ppc64-devel] Installation Report

[Sven Luther]

On Mon, Feb 13, 2006 at 12:54:52PM +0100, "Nölle, Christian" wrote:
> Hi all!
> 
> After finally our OpenPower620 Machines arrived we were very happy to do some testing
> on one of those machines. Here is a report:
> 
> Boot method: CD
> Image version: debian-testing-powerpc-netinst-dailybuild-02012006.iso
> Date: 02/10/06
> 
> Machine: IBM OpenPower 720; 9124-720
> Processor: 2-way 1.65GHz POWER5 64-bit
> Memory: 4 GB 
> 
> Base System Installation Checklist:
> [O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try it
> 
> Initial boot worked:    [O]
> Configure network HW:   [O]
> Config network:         [O]
> Detect CD:              [O]
> Load installer modules: [O]
> Detect hard drives:     [O]
> Partition hard drives:  [E]
> Create file systems:    [E]
> Mount partitions:       [O]
> Install base system:    [O]
> Install boot loader:    [E]
> Reboot:                 [O]
> 
> Comments/Problems:
> 
> We had problems with creating filesystems. The installer fails to create the prep-Partition
> properly, so we had to exit to shell, chroot into the target and create in manually with cfdisk.

Can you give :

  1) give me the exact scenario of this "failed to create a prep partition"
  thingy.

  2) give me the exact /proc/cpuinfo output ? 

The yaboot error is normal, since the creation of the prep partition, using
partman-prep is used to automatically generate the yaboot.conf, so if you used
another way, then yaboot.conf creation could only have failed.

> Furthermore the installer fails on installing yaboot, so we chrooted again into target and copied
> it manually with dd and created yaboot.conf accordingly.
> 
> > partition=2
> > timeout=100
> > default=linux
> > image=/boot/vmlinux
> >   	label=linux
> >	append="video=ofonly root=/dev/sda2"
> >	initrd=/boot/initrd.img
> 
> After that we changed back into the menu and finished installation. As we have no video-card in that machine,
> we used the ssh-Feature of the installer. As we finished the 1st stage, we were prompted with an error message
> that network-console-config is not avaliable and we have to continue without ssh in the 2nd stage *sigh*.

Yeah, not nice.

> Machine reboots and comes up nicely until it enters the 2nd stage installer. It enters the installer and 
> provides us with the menu and an error message at the bottom of the screen saying:
> 
> fgconsole: VT_GETSTATE Invalid Argument
> 
> No input is possible, could not continue with the installation, as we only have the serial console and not the
> ssh feature avaliable (see above). Any hints!?

Not entirely sure about this one, maybe waldi can comment ? 

> Would love to hear some comments on this.

Well, i can help you solve the first issue, and then once this is done, we can
tackle the second, how does this sound ? 

Friendly,

Sven Luther