I am trying different distributions. I do not have a DVD burner so I am doing the ftp install with a boot CD.

I have an ordinary PC connected to a router/dhcp server which connects to a cable modem.

I have read the: how to install suse 9.2 ftp? thread which gets me started.

I find the installation program confusing as it has several branches and going backwards and forwards takes you along different branches each time. Anyway this is as far as I have got:

1) I downloaded and burned boot.iso

2) It boots OK and gives me a page of installation options.

3) I avoid using boot from hard disk as this loads my existing Linux. I intend to overwrite this.

4a) Select the plain install option and type:

linux26 install=ftp://ftp.mirror.ac.uk/sites/ftp.suse.com/i386/9.2

and hit return.

OR 4b) select FTP and type: ftp://ftp.mirror.ac.uk for the server and: sites/ftp.suse.com/i386/9.2 for the directory.

5) Various things happen that I can watch if I choose the native option or press esc - no error messages appear.

6) When it gets to the copying stuff to RAM stage things slow right down but the lights on my hub flash and the row of dots gradually creaps along.

7) YAST2 opens and a message: Evaluating package selection comes up and stays for a long time with the clock symbol being displayed. All the other information about the system, partitions etc. seem to be correct.

8) When it has finished I can scroll down to SOFTWARE where I find the message: Cannot read package data from installation media. Media error?

9) I have missed a few bits out, I was invited to install a few modules which I did, I answered YES to dhcp and no to http proxy. Going backwards and forwards through the dialog boxes shows 192.168.100.2xx as my IP address which seems in order. I tried installing the module for my NIC which is a D-link DFE-538TX 10/100 but it was not listed.

10) At no time did I get any message to say that I was receiving anything from the outside world but then I did not get any error messages either unless I did something wrong.

Whichever route I take through the installation procedure, I always get stuck at the same point. Unfortunately I do not know what is supposed to happen so I have no idea what is supposed to be downloaded from the ftp site and what is copied from the CD.

alanbarnard

On the first boot screen of the CD at the bottom you have an options list, press F3 select FTP install

Use this mirror ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/Linux/...suse/i386/9.2/

Server ftp.uni-erlangen.de
Directory /pub/Linux/MIRROR.suse/pub/suse/i386/9.2/ (case sensitive)

On the main screen select Installation, if all goes well you should end up in Yast

Pete

I had trouble with SUSE ftp install too. All I can say is to find out a few mirrors and their IPs (I was told that the installer can't resolve URLs to IPs). I got the same error as you and if I remember correctly (well it's been many days now I just had to choose another mirror and hope that they work.

One hint for future, when installing software with YAST it sometimes tells you that a spesific package doesn't exist on the mirror you are using. It apparently is just because YAST has lost connection to the mirror or something like that, just click Abort and then from the main YAST window Accept. YAST then installs the remaining packages.

Thanks for the replies.

I got nowhere with the German ftp site but when I tried ftp.mirrorservice.org things all started to work.

I really do not like the installer - a real piece of spaghetti programming. I think ftp must have been an afterthought - it fails to keep you informed of the thing you really want to know - am I connected to the FTP site and am I downloading the relevant stuff at a reasonable speed.

Now to get down to work - I can see myself starting another thread soon - YAST has just developed a HAL mindset!