I'd like to install Debian/Lenny to my Dell M1330 Laptop. But it appears to freeze after partitioning and installing all the files from the "Select and install software" step. The screen indicates 25% done, and says, "Retrieving file 811 of 811". I let it sit like this for 4 hours to be sure, no change.

Now, I can't even boot to my old partitions (Vista and Puppy Linux). I get, GRUB loading. please wait... Error 15

Without a prompt, and no meaningfull error messages, I'm out of ideas about what to do next. What is supposed to happen after the "select and install software" step?

Thanks,
Robert

The good news is you can still boot Vista and Puppy. Follow the directions in my signature "Saikee's Grub Booting Tips". Grub has a command prompt you can run commands at.

Thanks. Yes, I can get back into Puppy now.

I would still eventually like to get Debian working, though, so if anyone has any ideas about what causes the hang-up, please let me know.

Thanks,
Robert

One option would be to try installing a base system (don't select any of the other tasks). Then once you can get it to boot into a command prompt, you can just install things you want like aptitude install xorg kde.

OK, yes, sounds like a reasonable way to proceed. Thank you for your help!

Robert

At what point is this happening? When installer asks about "laptop, desktop etc?"

Thanks,

AB

Yes, it is past that point. I already answered things like my timezone, desktop/laptop, and other questions. - Thanks, Robert

Same problem here, I'm stuck at the "Select and install software", currently it shows the progress bar stuck at "Retrieving file 821 or 821", and no progress for hours. I'm trying to install a Debian on a Dell Latitude Laptop, using a netinst CD iso (http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/da...86-netinst.iso).

Hmm... anyone know what this could be? It was suggested that it may have to do with the lenny/sqeeze migration but I'm less inclined to believe this. Why would the issue be at the end of package retrieval?

-ab

Finally I could get the install process to continue, by killing the latest perl instance from VT2, then the aptitude process that was locking the apt system. I got back to the install process from the previous step, selected only the default packages groups and the installation could continue and complete. Lucky?

Can you tell me step by step how you did this? Thanks.

-ab

Well, switched to VT2 by pressing ctrl+alt+F2, logged in as root, `ps ax` to see what's up and killing the more recent perl instance. Plus killing the aptitude one too. Back to VT5, the installed detected that the installation went wrong. Click Go Back and return to the select package and install step. Let the default selection of packages and go forward. This should succeed now.

I'm currently downloading a fedora DVD, debian simply dislikeed my hardware (top-recent wifi, intel gfx and more) and I simply dislike debian mess once I've upgraded to sid + a kernel from kernel-archive. IOW: I give up!

I think the problem may be specific to the ftp.us.debian.org package mirror. I had the same exact problem -- it got stuck at 25% done with "Retrieving file 809 of 809" -- so I started over and selected UC Berkeley mirror, and worked fine.

This was from another poster. I tried it and it worked like a charm:

Just select only the "standard" option at install. After install completes and you get a command prompt, aptitude install gnome or kde. Then just add further packages from there.

-ab

I had the same problem when using the ftp.us.debian.org package mirror (or perhaps via http). Switching to a different mirror solved the problem.