[vox-tech] John's Ubuntu install on old SCSI-only machine board (was: Re: vox-tech Digest, Vol 39, Issue 1)

[Henry House]

P=E5 2007-08-01, skrev John Marcotte:
> > I strongly suggest using the 'alternate installer' CD instead of the
> > regular Ubuntu installer. The alternate CD provides a text-mode
> > installer similar to the traditional Debian installer. It is much more
> > reliable than the GUI installer.
> =

> I tried this next and experienced an almost identical freeze. The
> alternate install CD actually has a small graphical interface that
> asks if you want to do a text install. When I choose text install, it
> switches to a blank screen and freezes.

By 'graphical' I assume you mean box-character pseudographics, not pixel
graphics. That sucks! Does this machine have an unusual video card? I
would not expect a lockup from a SCSI controller, unless it were ISA and
being probed. My recollection is that there is a 'safe mode' in the
alternate installer; you might want to try that before giving up.

> > You might also want to try installing into a chroot environment within
> > your running Debian installation using debootstrap (not the regular
> > bootable installer). Feel free to ask for more details on this method if
> > you choose to use it.
> >
> =

> I suspected there was a method like this, but I'm an end user not a
> system admin. I'm not sure how to do this.

It is done using 'debootstrap'.  Here are some instructions:

http://www.linutop.com/wiki/index.php/Debootstrap

However, you are trying to switch from Debian to Ubuntu as well. So you
will need to install the Ubuntu version of debootstrap. Which will be
fiddly to install on an antiquated Debian system. So I if I were you I
would try this only if it is clear that no regular installer will work.

-- =

Henry House
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