Installation troubles

[badvok]

I've tried to install GenieOS a couple of times now on two different PC's and things go wrong for me at the end of step 2 of the installation instructions, http://genieos.toluenterprises.com/Installation.html
When I click on Finish Base Configuration the install stops, no more packages are installed , and I am left looking at a comand prompt :?

Does anybody know if this is a bug or am I just doing something daft?

[fos]

Good morning,

I'm not currently using GenieOS but I do have a copy. I'll look at it this evening after work and go through the install steps.

Maybe someone else is a current user.

I'll be back, fos....

[badvok]

Thanks fos, very kind of you.
I've just finished downloading the latest iso so I'm going to give it another go tomorrow. If I can't get it to work I'll have to grab the latest Debian Sarge install disc and try and get all the media and web stuff manualy, so you can probably expect a lot of questions in the Debian section :lol:

[bluesdog]

I've installed GenieOS successfully a number of times, on old and quite old boxes. It is also possible to upgrade to testing/unstable, following installation, although a few things may bend a bit in the process...

I think the installation appears to freeze at a couple of places, but if you just leave it for a while it'll continue.

The main problem I had with this distro had to do with the first reboot after install.

The base-config script tries to run again, because the install version of /etc/inittabis not being replaced by the actual file, which is called /etc/inittab.real

To fix this, ctrl-alt-f1 to invoke a full-screen console, login to the cli as root, and do mv /etc/inittab.real /etc/inittab then restart by typing reboot

[Mike]

Any time an installer (or any other sort of program) is going to need a fair amount time to do something it should provide feedback to the human user that "something is happening". Ideally maybe even a time estimate to completion (very useful if this might eb time enough to go off for lunch) but at least SOME way that the human user can distinguish between an application doing what it is supposed to be doing and one that is hopelessly hung up.

Another common oversight is failing to provide a "warning" if some process might not have easily visable effect. I think I told folks that Libranet was the first Linux I successfully installed because I had a display issue. I might have succeeded with the earlier tried distros too, had even been pointed to the correct utility to adjust the display -- but all the other "help" I received previous to Jon/Tal neglected to inform me that the scale of adjustment of this utility was VERY SMALL (that I might have to hit the button 10 times before I would be able to SEE the adjustment I was making (the right direction?) and then might end up having hit it 50-100 times before finally getting the display the right size and centered, etc.

Details like "progress bars" or "clocks" is what separates the amateuers from the pros (and NOT whether you are getting paid). The designer must always keep in mind what an inexperienced user will see.

[fos]

Hi badvok,

GenieOS uses a modified Debian installer. I tried on my wife's computer wihich is a fairly recent AMD. It went ok but was fairly slow amd seemed to stop a couple of times.

What hardware setup are you using?

I have an older box at school with a Pentium II I'll try it on tomorrow morning. I'm going to bring it back home this week. I need a box to experiment with. Debbie can't understand why I'm always wiping hers clean!

fos....

[badvok]

Hi everyone, I've tried again but I'm still having problems.
After selecting "Finish Base Configuration" at the end of step 2 this happens,
http://images6.theimagehosting.com/1.ccc.JPG (http://www.theimagehosting.com)

I select Ok and then get this,
http://images6.theimagehosting.com/2.83f.JPG (http://www.theimagehosting.com)

and when I log in this appears
http://images6.theimagehosting.com/3.a39.JPG (http://www.theimagehosting.com)

I am at a loss as to what is going wrong.
My hardware is ok I think,
an Athlon 1700+ CPU,
128mb RAM,
120 Maxtor IDE hard disc (3 partitions, 1 NTFS for XP, 1 ext3 for linux, 1 swap)

[danieldk]

Logon as root, and do something like this:


apt-get update
apt-get install x-window-system kde


After the next boot xdm or kde should come up, and you should be able to work graphically.

[badvok]

Thanks daniel,, I am writting this from Debian :)

Next I want to get all the goodies so am I right in thinking I'll have to add extra repositories?

I am documenting what I am doing so if this works out I could try and do a howto for the Debian section if anybody thinks it would be useful.

[slowboy]

Er, strange. Which preseed did you pick - kde or gnome ?

[fos]

I was going to say the same thing. At the initial boot prompt you must select the gnome or kde preseed and type in the correct command. It doesn't appear that either gnome or kde has been installed. You could verify by typing startx at the command prompt.

I installed GenieOS on an antiquated Dell PII at school today. It picked up everything except the network which is blocked by a novell login script. With a little work, it even configured the unknown sound card.

It did seem to idle a number of times but it loaded without anything major.

fos..

[badvok]

I tried KDE this time. On other occasions I have tried both KDE and Gnome with the same outcome as the one shown above. It's as if the script(or whatever it is) that is meant to make GenieOS install it's own set of packages instead of the Debian ones is not doing it's job :?

[bluesdog]

The times I installed GenieOS, it was as the sole operation system on whatever machine..
Did you install on a box already running winders? Not that it should make any difference, I'm just curious.

I'll be collecting an older 'puter tomorrow, and I'd like to try duplicating your setup, as closely as possible, as an experiment...

I think I have a 40GB drive, so I'll install the devil's spawn M$ crap, then genieos KDE flavour

I'll post the results here in a day or so :)

[badvok]

Yes bluesdog, I have already got XP on the first half of the drive.