problem on installing debian on dell
 

HI,

I got a dell powerdege 4400 and it doesn't like debian 3.0 onward(3.0->3.r1a). Whenever i install it , i got fatal error: executing 'grub-install (hd0)' failed. I have tried to use ubuntu 5.10 and woody (ie. installing without using linux26 img) where they installed with no problem at all.

Can give me some suggestion how to install lastest stable debian ? (plz dont' tell me to install 2.4 first then upgrade to 2.6x kernel)



appreciated

chris.

install 2.4 first then upgrade to 2.6x kernel

lol, jk! :]

are your specs ok for this?

how are you installing it.. with just ubuntu?

if so try installing from the basic install (ie with disk #1) and then either finish with a normal net install (your network should be set by then, so apt-get will do the rest at that point).

good luck.. lettuce know.

Hi,

Does your Dell have SATA?

Steve

no it use raid 1 (mirror). Both disk are scsi.

its NOT the package problem. Its the gurb-installation process thats failed. What difference will it make if i use larger or simpler network installation disk(u still HAVE TO go thro grub-installation process. else how linux recognize hard disk?)?

Anyway, i did try network install and businesscard cd iso. ALL have same problem.
I mainly boot from CD-rom and install them.

because debian proper is different than ubuntu... i am sorry i meant to say you should use debian ONLY and not some watered down derivitive like 'ubuntu'.

and telling us 'poweredge 4400' means nothing to most of us.. unless we do research.

Do you know that this system can handle 3.1 specs is the question.

besides, a failing grub install signals something other than whether your system can 'handle' 3.1.

it points to a lack of (proper) space to put it's files, or some other misconfiguration or currupt disk/file possibly.

good luck.

Check out http://www.burgettsys.com/stories/65651/ for Poweredge/Debian Iso image that works for your pc with 2.4.26 kernel. Good luck. Alternatively you can use floppy boot or root disk that includes aacraid module/driver to get sarge started. Research the specs for your pc-sound card,modem,nic,video card because you will need other drivers for your setup. Good luck.

Well, the system does handle 3.1 but i never tried to install it from 3.1 It was running 3.1 but was upgrade from 2.4. When you asking for spec which particular aspect you looking for? Its generally a dual processors(p3 800x2) server with raid on board and setting up mirror with 2 segate disk (136G each). I will google a complete spec and post it back.

But my hunch is that problem arise from disk controller interface or sth related. Maybe its the new debian can't properly write data into MBR. Anyone else have different opinion?

To lestoil:

Woody is 2.4x kernel if I am not mistaken. Woody installation work fine (which is default if u press enter at boot prompt on 3.1 debian disk) as I mentioned in the beginning post. I am looking for a way to install 3.1 straight. Plus its not really a pc but mini server which i don't really care about if sound or video is working(could just use console text mode anyway).And for nic card, I am yet to worry about it coz i not even able to finish the MBR set-up process. Meaning linux can't even get to load kernel at boot up (no mbr record, linux dono where kernel is I think).
My guess is if those driver is problematic , it would have report it on the driver setup stage not on grub-installation process. But i am not 100% sure if its always the case. I would be really happy to hear correction if i am wrong on this (coz i only start using linux last year).

From reading email to debian lists sarge 2.6 net-install does not have aacraid support but 2.4 install does. You could use debian floppy with aacraid drive and do expert net-install then when asked for driver floppy insert that. But floppy is generally unreliable. Debian installer page lists several floppys with contents and there are directions for floppy install then continue netinstall.
But it seemes easier to upgrade potatoe to sarge following debian guide or install debian sarge or etch with 2.4 kernel then later(after raid is recognized and partitions setup) to apt-get update apt-get install kernel-image-2.6x for sarge or linux-image-2.6.12x for etch or same with aptitude or synaptic.

Debian on Dell iso

this should work for you to get things going..