Hi all.

I'm trying to install Debian using the debian-sarge-netinst.iso disk image which I have downloaded and burned to CD. Even if you've never installed Debian this way, you may still be able to help, because I'm almost sure the problem is not with the CD but with my understanding of the precise partitioning and mount configuration needed for a successful install. I have partitioned my hard drive, (using Apple's Disk Utility), as follows:

Partition -|- Volume name -|- FS type -|- Size -|- Mount point / intended use

3 -|- DebRoot -|- HFS+ -|- 2 GB -|- / (boot partition, i.e., /bin, /sbin, /dev, /etc and /lib)
5 -|- DebSwap -|- HFS+ -|- 1 GB -|- swap
7 -|- DebRest -|- HFS+ -|- 9 GB -|- the rest ( /boot, /tmp, /var, /usr, /home, e.t.c )
9 -|- DebOSX -|- UFS -|- 11 GB -|- Debian/OSX file exchange volume
11 -|- MacOSX -|- HFS+ -|- 12 GB -|- MacOSX volume

The logic behind this partitioning scheme is to give 12 GB to Debian, 12 GB to MacOSX and the remainder to be a shared file exchange volume.

So booting up from the CD, everything works fine, (language selection, hardware detection, DHCP configuration), and I am duly presented with the above partition map and invited to install filesystems, (I selected 'ext2' for partition 3 and 7, and 'swap' for partition 5), and configure my mount points, (I selected '/' for partition 3, '/swap' for partition 5 and left partition 7 unmounted as there doesn't seem to be a way of choosing more than one directory per partition). The installation then proceeds fine, (packages are read from disk and installed), until finally I am presented with the following message:

"No bootstrap partition found. There must be an 800K Apple_Bootstrap partition named 'bootstrap' of type 'Apple_Bootstrap' before you can continue", or words to that effect.

MacOSX in already intalled on partition 11. Is this message not referring to partition 1, (which shows up on the partition map but isn't called 'bootstrap')? I really don't want to repartition my hard disk, (and reinstall MacOSX), again!

Any help much much much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

sebyte

sounds like you'll need to reformat unless you take a liite from the linux part

Try this. I think it will point you in the right direction

http://lists.debian.org/debian-power.../msg00070.html

In all the docs and howtos I've seen and used for my PPC boxen they strongly suggest NOT using the Apple Disk Utility to partition. If you want to keep OSX on, you do use Disk Utility but w/o creating all of those partitions. http://people.debian.org/~branden/ibook.html is a great place to start. Follow the instructions for Mac OSX and Debian (and adjust for the new Sarge Installer) and you'll be good to go. I do believe you are going to have to reinstall OSX, OR use the the Debian mac-fdisk utility to delete the partitions 3, 5, and 7 above. (What is at partition 1, 2, 4, 6?) and follow the instructions. The first thing you do is CREATE the BOOTSTRAP partition, and then use the remaining free space between this newly-created bootstrap and your UFS partition to put your swap and /root.

I have screwed this up many times and unfortunately had to reinstall OSX also. When I do so, before the OSX installer gets going I go into the Disk Utility and create my partitions according to that howto-link I posted. This works perfectly.

Good Luck.

Thanks guys.

llamakc - Your link looks like it will be helpful. Thanks. I've gone ahead and created one 12 GB partition for Debian. I'll let you know how I get on from here, (because I'll no doubt get stuck! ). Obviously couldn't use Debian's mac-fdisk without a working Debian installed, (unless it's distributed as an OSX binary?), so I went ahead with the re-partitioing, re-installing merry-go-round. (Actually, I've got this down to a tee. All I do is create a bootable clone of MacOSX on my external FireWire drive using Apple's 'ditto' command which preserves resource forks, boot up from the external drive, repartition, create another bootable clone back on the new MacOSX partition, and bingo! Job done! ).

Re: partitions 1,2,4,6 I can't answer your question. If I remember rightly, Partitions 1 and 8 showed up in the map, (I can't remember what they are/do), but no sign of 2,4,6 or10 ??? Do you know of an OS X utility that will give you a low-level look at your hard disk partition map? Disk Utility is no good for this.

One last quick question; is there a good reason to choose ext3 filesystems over ext2 or vice versa?

sebyte

Yeah, you wouldn't use mac-fdisk until inside the Debian install. The point is to only make one partition for Debian in Disk Utility, and then boot into the installer, and create the partitions as per that how-to.

Hopefully that how-to gets it done for you.

Thanks. I've got the point about one partition and I am steaming ahead. The how-to link is helpful indeed, even though it doesn't apply directly to the new debian-sarge-netinst.iso installer.

Answering my own question, the commands 'df' and 'mount' are perfectly good for getting the low-down on your hard disk.

sebyte

Good luck and don't forget to check out MaconLinux (debian package "mol")!

I was wondering where you found "debian-sarge-netinst.iso" I've looked everywhere, but can't find anything but 3-disk .iso sets for i386 & tons of "jigdo" files. I would really appreciate it if I could find the same disk image you found.

Here's where I downloaded it from: http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimag...pc-netinst.iso