G'day... I've been installing Debian now for the third time. Mainly because I want test and learn new debian set ups (ie ext2, reiserFS etc...)
However, each time I usually re-install Debian (3.0) from 1st cd then do the rest thru ftp.
1- is there a way to revert Debian back to its minimal boot-strap version? a kind of uninstall?
2- when at this state, is it possible to access my cdrw, thru shell prompt?

The reason for the 2nd question is for me to be able to download then burn 3.1/sarge/sid cd images...

cheers

1) No if I take the meaning of the question correctly (as in you want to start the install by re-partitioning, formatting ...) you can use after doing the base install though dpkg --get-selections > selections.txt then once you want to go back to the base install dpkg --set-selections < selections.txt and dselect update next apt-get dselect-upgrade, this should get you back to the packages that were installed at the time.

2) You will have uninstalled cdrecord if you ever installed it to start with so you would want to make sure that you have the package still on the system. Then you can use cdrecord -v -eject speed=8 dev=0,0,0 sarge.iso, assuming that your burner is the first scsi emulated device (dev=0,0,0) of course changing the speed= to what you want to burn.

To setup the scsi emulation you need to edit the file /etc/lilo.conf and have a line similar to this.

Then run /sbin/lilo -v to write the changes to disk and reboot for it to be used these steps done as root. You would need to change the hdc to wherever your device is connected in the computer.

Thanks for the help!

I've followed the instructions as you listed above but keep getting errors :
- - - - - - -
TOC Type: 1 = CD-ROM
scsidev: '/dev/sg0'
devname: '/dev/sg0'
scsibus: -2 target: -2 lun: -2
Warning: Open by 'devname' is unintentional and not supported.
cdrecord: No such device. Cannot open '/dev/sg0'. Cannot open SCSI driver.
cdrecord: For possible targets try 'cdrecord -scanbus'.
cdrecord: For possible transport specifiers try 'cdrecord dev=help'.
cdrecord:
cdrecord: For more information, install the cdrtools-doc
cdrecord: package and read /usr/share/doc/cdrecord/README.ATAPI.setup .
Done. Press Enter
- - - - - - - -

Since I have no other scsi drive, I've used the cdrecord command:

cdrecord -v -eject speed=8 dev=0,0,0 sarge.iso

and the modification for the lilo.conf was same except only used hdb which I obtained from:

~# dmesg | grep CD-RW
hdb: CD-RW CR52, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

The only other thing I can think of is the adaptec scsi card I have on my mboard which is not connected to anything at all... ie:

:~# dmesg | grep scsi
scsi0 : Adaptec AIC7XXX EISA/VLB/PCI SCSI HBA DRIVER, Rev 6.2.4
i2o_scsi.c: Version 0.0.1
scsi1 : SCSI host adapter emulation for IDE ATAPI devices

I've tried the cdrecord with dev=1,0,0 and any other combination to no avail?


here is my /etc/fstab:
- - - - - -
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
/dev/hda1 / reiserfs defaults 0 0
/dev/hdc1 none swap sw 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/fd0 /floppy auto user,noauto 0 0
/dev/cdrom /cdrom iso9660 ro,user,noauto 0 0
- - - - - -

and cdrecord -scanbus gives :
- - - - - - -
cdrecord: No such file or directory. Cannot open '/dev/pg*'. Cannot open SCSI driver.
cdrecord: For possible targets try 'cdrecord -scanbus'.
cdrecord: For possible transport specifiers try 'cdrecord dev=help'.
cdrecord:
cdrecord: For more information, install the cdrtools-doc
cdrecord: package and read /usr/share/doc/cdrecord/README.ATAPI.setup .
- - - - - - - -

I also follow the instructions from

# echo ide-scsi >>/etc/modules
# echo sg >>/etc/modules
# cd /dev; ln -sf scd0 cdrom

and at /etc/modutils/aliases
pre-install ide-scsi modprobe ide-cd

as well as:

chmod g+rw /dev/sg*
chgrp cdrom /dev/sg*

still no diff...


any suggestions?

cheers

Looks like you are trying to open with dev=/dev/sg0 you should only be trying to use the dev=0,0,0 or 1,0,0 ie. numbers only as you have below.

Quote:

Since I have no other scsi drive, I've used the cdrecord command: cdrecord -v -eject speed=8 dev=0,0,0 sarge.iso

Quote:

and the modification for the lilo.conf was same except only used hdb which I obtained from: ~# dmesg | grep CD-RW hdb: CD-RW CR52, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive

Good so you used the append="hdb=ide-scsi" in your lilo.conf and you have made sure that it is above where the lines for the images that you can choose are located eg from my file.

Code:

vga=792
# Kernel command line options that apply to all installed images go
# here.  See: The `boot-prompt-HOWO' and `kernel-parameters.txt' in
# the Linux kernel `Documentation' directory.
#
# append=""
append="hdc=ide-scsi apm=on"

# Boot up Linux by default.
#
default=Linux

image=/vmlinuz
        label=Linux
        read-only
#       restricted
#       alias=1

image=/vmlinuz.old
        label=LinuxOLD
        read-only
        optional
#       restricted
#       alias=2

image=/vmlinuz.failsafe
        label=LinuxFailsafe
        read-only
        optional

# If you have another OS on this machine to boot, you can uncomment the
# following lines, changing the device name on the `other' line to
# where your other OS' partition is.
#
other=/dev/hdd
        label=KDE_CVS
#       restricted
#       alias=3

Quote:

The only other thing I can think of is the adaptec scsi card I have on my mboard which is not connected to anything at all... ie: :~# dmesg | grep scsi scsi0 : Adaptec AIC7XXX EISA/VLB/PCI SCSI HBA DRIVER, Rev 6.2.4 i2o_scsi.c: Version 0.0.1 scsi1 : SCSI host adapter emulation for IDE ATAPI devices I've tried the cdrecord with dev=1,0,0 and any other combination to no avail?

Now that could be causing problems but as long as it get detected on a secondary bus you should be able to use the dev=1,0,0 you have there. But there are parts missing where it should be showing the device (CD/RW) being detected and attached to the second (scsi1) bus my output for example.

Code:

>$ dmesg | grep scsi
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=Linux ro root=302 hdc=ide-scsi apm=on
ide_setup: hdc=ide-scsi
ide-scsi is deprecated for cd burning! Use ide-cd and give dev=/dev/hdX as device
scsi0 : SCSI host adapter emulation for IDE ATAPI devices
sr0: scsi3-mmc drive: 32x/32x writer dvd-ram cd/rw xa/form2 cdda tray
Attached scsi CD-ROM sr0 at scsi0, channel 0, id 0, lun 0
Attached scsi generic sg0 at scsi0, channel 0, id 0, lun 0,  type 5

Now looking at mine you can see that the kernel parameter hdc=ide-scsi is shown being passed along with the kernel image I am booting in my dmesg along with my drive being attached to the scsi bus. So have you made sure that you are running /sbin/lilo after having made the change in the lilo.conf file.

Quote:

here is my /etc/fstab: - - - - - - # /etc/fstab: static file system information. # # <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass> /dev/hda1 / reiserfs defaults 0 0 /dev/hdc1 none swap sw 0 0 proc /proc proc defaults 0 0 /dev/fd0 /floppy auto user,noauto 0 0 /dev/cdrom /cdrom iso9660 ro,user,noauto 0 0 - - - - - -

Here I would be using /dev/scd0 /cdrom for the line to mount the burner or course changing the scd0 to whatever it gets detected as.

Quote:

and cdrecord -scanbus gives : - - - - - - - cdrecord: No such file or directory. Cannot open '/dev/pg*'. Cannot open SCSI driver. cdrecord: For possible targets try 'cdrecord -scanbus'. cdrecord: For possible transport specifiers try 'cdrecord dev=help'. cdrecord: cdrecord: For more information, install the cdrtools-doc cdrecord: package and read /usr/share/doc/cdrecord/README.ATAPI.setup . - - - - - - - -

Here it looks like the ide-scsi is not being setup properly as it cannot open the bus.

Quote:

I also follow the instructions from # echo ide-scsi >>/etc/modules # echo sg >>/etc/modules # cd /dev; ln -sf scd0 cdrom

Looks reasonable.

Quote:

and at /etc/modutils/aliases pre-install ide-scsi modprobe ide-cd

This does not you should not be loading the ide-cd it interferes with the loading of the ide-scsi module and takes over the cd/cd-rw drive.

Quote:

as well as: chmod g+rw /dev/sg* chgrp cdrom /dev/sg* still no diff... any suggestions? cheers

Had to do that as well and forgot about it in my original post sorry about that. Now if you want to load the ide-cd you need to put options ide-cd ignore=hdb in your /etc/modutils/aliases directly below the line with the ide-cd in it and run the update-modules to have drive ignored by the module and of course you have to reboot. What kernel are you running by the way?