Package: installer
Version: 8.7.1
This isn’t a ‘package’ per say… not sure what group it goes to
There’s a class of error messages being returned by the Debian Installer that
are totally bogus and misleading.
I was doing a NETINST on VirtualBox, version 5.0.32 r112930 on a Apple
MacBook Pro, (Mid 2014) running MacOS Sierra Version 10.12.2.
I’ve tried both the i386 and amd64 versions, an get something along the lines
of below. Other non-sense errors also will occur. (why explained a few lines
down)
/cdrom/:Please insert the disk labeled: ‘Debian GNU Linux 8.7.1 _Jessie_ -
Official i386 NETINST Binary-1 20170116-10:07’ in the drive ‘/cdrom/ and press
enter
To reproduce: I pulled down the ISO, created a fresh VirtualBox area took all
the default options, but selected ANY one of the Desktops and separate /,
/home, /var and /tmp directories. — ALSO With Virtual Box, I also took the
defaults of a 8 Gig disk space..
Bet you see where I’m going here..
The PROBLEM is something completely unexpected — I ran out of disk space — yet
all the error messages were being generated second hand because the writes to
disk had previously failed due to out-of-room, and then later it the file
wasn’t where it was expected. Result total nonsense errors, asking me to insert
CDROM/ (I was doing a NetInstall.. was the ??)
Since the system never got into a normal boot state, it wasn’t obvious where to
look for the real problem.
I’m requesting that the Installer be smart enough to at least tell me that it
ran out of disk space… There’s nothing the installer can “do” about it, but
it CAN inform the customer.
1) Simple solution: — At end of install (after it’s failed, but before
putting up nonsense errors), report if the disk partitions that were created
are > 95% full.
2) Proactive solution: — While copying all the files over and decompressing
them, report if there are any failures do to out if disk space (or > 95% full)
3) Complicated solution: — Determine the total amount of space needed before
the copy/decompress starts, and complain if not enough room.
4) Absolutely Wonderful solution: — Same as above, but BEFORE the disk
partitions are created.
I’d be happy with 1, overjoyed with 2, tell everybody how great your are with
3. As per 4, maybe I’ll never touch a windows machine again… :-)
