This thread is a continuation of my thread "how to install Debian over PCLinusOS on a dual os system" I gave up and started over, as detailed below.

I reinstalled xp and in the process created two partitions for xp and my personal files. The remainder of the HDD was unformatted free space. I let Debian set up root and swap on this unformatted free space. Then, installation failed during the install of the package manager. I went back and tried again, but package manager failed again. I went back to the partition step and deleted and recreated the Debain partitions. Package manager failed again. I went back one more step and tried again. Each time it failed on the package manager. I even wrote zeros to both partitions created by the Debian install disk. I went back and tried to start over at each step all the way back to the 1st step. Each time it failed on the package manger. I decided to abort. So, I chose the 2nd to last step which was to eject the install DVD. Then my other (empty) optical drive door opened. That was very strange. I never use this drive for installing any software. Its only ever used when copying disk to disk.

Now i think that maybe i should have moved the install disk to the 2nd optical drive and tried again to install the package mgr. Too late now.

Your thoughts?

p

Why is it too late?
That seems the logical thing to try -- I have noticed that Linux installers are sometimes problematic if you have two optical drives as they seem to search for their installer files on, for example, /dev/sda if they think they booted from that even if the drive order changes during bootup.
I would suggest either putting the install disc in your second drive as you yourself suggest, disconnecting one of your optical drives during boot or trying a USB install -- I would try these in the order I listed them.

what was the fail message did you get? Did you get any error/warning messaged during the network part of the setup? How much space did you allow for debian?

because I removed the install disks and booted into windows. grub is installed and i chose windows to boot into xp.

I decided to try again and see if it switches to the 2nd optical drive again. It did not.

I installed Debian again. This time it failed twice. once at the install additional packages, and again at select install software. both times I went back and tried again and it seceded. So, I thought all was ok. At the very end, it said it was done and that I needed to remove the install disk and boot. I did that and as it was booting, I realized that this last Debian install never asked me for the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th install disks. My heart sank.

Well, grub did come up and I chose Debian, the next screen begane the install process again. I had to choise my language, the next screen was to choose my keyboard, then it said it failed to read the install disk and i needed to insert it. So, i placed the install disk back in and it continued with the install process. After a few more steps, I decided that I was not going to install Debian again, so I just rebooted and pulled out the install disk. Well, this last boot, I got no grub, it went to the 1st screen that is displayed when you install Debian from the install disk. Thats the very 1st graphical screen listing install choices like install with graphic interface, advanced install, etc. WTF?? The install disk is 10 feet away from the computer. I rebooted and again I get that 1st Debian install disk screen. I rebooted again and the same. NO grub, no access to my xp, no access to the recently installed Debian. My computer keeps wanting to install Debian again. WTF?

I shut down and did a cold boot and up came grub. I chose xp and here I am. I have no idea what will happen next time I boot. Im afriad to turn off my computer.

Lost does not even begin to explain how i feel right now.

install of Package manager failed

no, it just hangs there for over one hour. Its dome this each and every time I try to install Debian. After 1 hour it tells me what non free files that i need and that I can use a flash drive to supply them. Well, I got those files a few days ago. I plug in that flash drive with the files before I even start installing Debian. Then at the network part, it still hangs for an hour, but then it sees the flash and installs the non free files and continues.

59.xg and 2.5g for swap

It sounds like you were almost successful in installing Debian but in deciding to abort the install you caused yourself issues with GRUB. I suggest you read some of the information available here: http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual
You'll probably not want to read all of it, but you should at least have a skim through the parts regarding installers and GRUB until you're comfortable you know what you're doing. Installing an OS in a nervous state and panicking or backing out during install is asking for problems.
Installing any operating system takes some commitment to learning and a slow, methodical approach. If you've not got a few spare hours* to slowly go through the installation making sure you know what you're doing then I'd suggest not bothering just yet.


*Debian can be installed in less than half an hour if you're prepared and things go smoothly, but you're not and things won't. The same pretty much applies to any other distribution and Windows.

I also get the install nonfree drivers on one of my laptops. I usually say no and everything installs okay. I think the nonfree drivers is for my wireless card.

Have you tried this to boot into debian

2g ddr3
250g hdd
4 partitions
63g xp sp3
126g my personal files
59.x Debian
2.5g Debian swap
athlon II x2 240 dual core

Ive installed 1000s of operating systems in my life. I backed out because I just finished installing and it wanted me to do it again. It said it was done and ready to boot from the HDD, but instead it started the install again. I backed out before it started writing files to the HDD. It was 5am and i was up all night. When i commit to something, I dont give up easy. I been at this for over 2 weeks now. Studying much online between tries. This last time I started at about 4pm yesterday and its now 9am and i did not go to bed last light. good night. Im leaving my computer on.

I read thru that Debian wheezy -- Installation Guide twice in the last 2 weeks.

Im seriously fearing what might happen if I boot again.