My First Linux install attempts

jasonwstone · n00b Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Allentown

So I like to think I'm pretty smart. A friend suggested an efficient setup would be to use a minimal install CD. I went through that a few times but didn't get it working. It may have been I stopped part way through and attempted to continue. It ended up, I think that Grub wouldn't find the config file and from the promt I couldn't find the kernel file. It may be ftab or some other config didn't get where it was supposed to? Suffice it to say I wasn't feeling that smart anymore. :oops:

So I thought I'd try what I thought would be a crutch and tried the GTK+ installer. Install failed following is the log. It also seemed bad that it has a feature to save the install profile but gave an error when I tried to save it. Did I do something stupid? More after.

GLI: September 19 2006 17:48:15 - Gentoo Linux Installer version 0.4.1
GLI: September 19 2006 17:48:15 - Setting root password.
GLI: September 19 2006 17:48:15 - Livecd root password set.
GLI: September 19 2006 17:48:15 - Portmap started.
GLI: September 19 2006 17:48:15 - Completed pre_install steps
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Partition table for /dev/sda is unchanged...skipping
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - partition(): Processing /dev/hda...
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - _partition_delete_step(): Deleting partitions that aren't being resized
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - No match in new layout for old minor 1...deleting
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - _partition_resize_step(): Resizing partitions
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - _partition_recreate_step(): Recreating partitions
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Drive has 40020624 sectors
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Partition 1 has 100MB
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Start sector calculated to be 0
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - End sector calculated to be 204800
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Adding primary partition 1 from 0 to 204800
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Partition 2 has 2022MB
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Start sector calculated to be 204801
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - End sector calculated to be 4345857
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Adding primary partition 2 from 204801 to 4345857
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Partition 3 has 17417MB
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Start sector calculated to be 4345858
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - End sector calculated to be 40015874
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - Adding primary partition 3 from 4345858 to 40015874
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:23 - _partition_format_step(): Formatting new partitions
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:24 - Formatting partition 1 as ext2 with: mkfs.ext2 /dev/hda1
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:25 - Formatting partition 2 as linux-swap with: mkswap /dev/hda2
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:29 - Formatting partition 3 as ext3 with: mkfs.ext3 /dev/hda3
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:46 - Partition table for /dev/hdb is unchanged...skipping
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:53 - Mounted mountpoint: /
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:53 - Created mountpoint /boot
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:53 - Mounted mountpoint: /boot
GLI: September 19 2006 17:55:54 - Fetching and unpacking tarball: http://mirrors.acm.cs.rpi.edu/gentoo/releases/amd64/current/stages/stage3-amd64-2006.1.tar.bz2
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:29 - http://mirrors.acm.cs.rpi.edu/gentoo/releases/amd64/current/stages/stage3-amd64-2006.1.tar.bz2 was fetched and unpacked.
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:32 - ERROR! : Could not update the config files!
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:32 - Edited Config file /mnt/gentoo/etc/make.conf
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:32 - Edited Config file /mnt/gentoo/etc/make.conf
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:32 - Edited Config file /mnt/gentoo/etc/make.conf
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:32 - Edited Config file /mnt/gentoo/etc/make.conf
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:32 - Edited Config file /mnt/gentoo/etc/make.conf
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:32 - Make.conf configured
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:33 - Chroot environment ready.
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:35 - ERROR! Could not sync the portage tree using emerge sync. Falling back to emerge-webrsync as a backup.
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:38 - Exception received during 'Set the root password': SetRootPasswordError :FATAL: set_root_password: Failure to set root password!
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:38 - Traceback (most recent call last):
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:38 - File "/opt/installer/GLIClientController.py", line 197, in run
self._install_steps[self._install_step]['function']()
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:38 - File "/opt/installer/GLIArchitectureTemplate.py", line 1216, in set_root_password
raise GLIException("SetRootPasswordError", 'fatal', 'set_root_password', "Failure to set root password!")
GLI: September 19 2006 18:20:38 - GLIException: SetRootPasswordError :FATAL: set_root_password: Failure to set root password!

So then I tried GLI which seemed to be a little more of a crutch with less flash. However that didn't work either. Why? Maybe because the drives weren't mounted at that point? Is there a way to get at the drives that should have been set up from previous install attempts?

GLI: September 19 2006 19:16:22 - Gentoo Linux Installer version 0.4.1
GLI: September 19 2006 19:16:22 - Setting root password.
GLI: September 19 2006 19:16:22 - Portmap started.
GLI: September 19 2006 19:16:22 - Completed pre_install steps
GLI: September 19 2006 19:26:19 - Partition table for /dev/sda is unchanged...skipping
GLI: September 19 2006 19:26:19 - Partition table for /dev/hda is unchanged...skipping
GLI: September 19 2006 19:26:19 - Partition table for /dev/hdb is unchanged...skipping
GLI: September 19 2006 19:32:41 - Stage3 was generated successfully
GLI: September 19 2006 19:32:43 - fstab configured.
GLI: September 19 2006 19:32:43 - Edited Config file /mnt/gentoo/etc/rc.conf
GLI: September 19 2006 19:32:43 - Config files updated using etc-update. make.conf/fstab/rc.conf restored.
GLI: September 19 2006 19:32:43 - Make.conf configured
GLI: September 19 2006 19:32:44 - Chroot environment ready.
GLI: September 19 2006 19:33:12 - This is a bad thing. An exception occured outside of the normal install errors. The error was: '[Errno 28] No space left on device'
GLI: September 19 2006 19:33:12 - Traceback (most recent call last):
GLI: September 19 2006 19:33:12 - File "/opt/installer/GLIClientController.py", line 197, in run
self._install_steps[self._install_step]['function']()
GLI: September 19 2006 19:33:12 - File "/opt/installer/GLIArchitectureTemplate.py", line 539, in install_portage_tree
GLIUtility.fetch_and_unpack_tarball(portage_tree_snapshot_uri, self._chroot_dir + "/usr/", self._chroot_dir + "/", cc=self._cc)
GLI: September 19 2006 19:33:12 - File "/opt/installer/GLIUtility.py", line 584, in fetch_and_unpack_tarball
exitstatus = spawn("tar -" + tar_options + " -f " + temp_directory + "/" + tarball_filename + " -C " + target_directory, display_on_tty8=True, logfile="/tmp/compile_output.log", append_log=True, linecount=tarfiles, cc=cc, status_message="Unpacking " + tarball_filename) # change this to the logfile variable
GLI: September 19 2006 19:33:12 - File "/opt/installer/GLIUtility.py", line 350, in spawn
fd_logfile.write(data)
GLI: September 19 2006 19:33:12 - IOError: [Errno 28] No space left on device

thorpe · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:31 am Post subject:

To be honest. Your probably best to go back and try the minimal again. Both installers (GLI and GTK) have known issues and are still just beta (I think - Ive never used them).

The manual install is IMO the best, and will teach you more along the way. Just be patient, follow the book verbosely and come here (dont panic) if you get stuck.
_________________
Research before taking any advice from me. I'm still coming to grips with this myself.

Tin · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 7:43 am Post subject:

I agree completely with thorpe.
Even if it take you much time and sometimes some specific configurations to solve, it is the best way to learn and to understand a big part of your favorite distribution.
_________________
Tin, the gentoobie

Seventjah · n00b Joined: 01 May 2005 Posts: 22

I agree, since I'm a noobie myself, I had some "fun" trying to find out all those problems that I encountered!

jasonwstone · n00b Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Allentown

So then, I guess I'll go back to minimal install CD. However, having two kids and some house projects I haven't found 5 hours or whatever to sit through the instructions for the minimal install at one time. Last times I went through to the tar download and then shutoff. The next day enabled eth0 and remounted the disks and skipped to getting the portage. The next day doing the kernel. After that a few goes at trying to get to the files to see what might be missing. Should that work? If so anything to be particular about getting to the nonworking system files using the minimal install CD?

Another idea was maybe I could set up a batch file/script? Let it run while I try to sleep and if it doesn't work edit it and try the next night? How would I do that?

Jason

thorpe · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:37 am Post subject:

It really doesn't need to take all day to install Gentoo. I can get a basic system installed and configured in about an hour. However, what takes the longest is all the reading the first few times. Yes, you can stop and start wherever you like. Depending on your network connection, you might walk away while your stage and portage tree are downloaded. Another good place to walk away might be when you compile the kernel, this can, depending on your system take some time to complete. Other than that, I dont really see any places where its worth leaving the system until its built and your reading to compile X. This, I usualy would leave overnight... but seriously, thats a little way off yet.

Yes you could write a script to iterate through all the commands, but honestly Its going to take you longer to write the script then to actually do the install. Your already aware that you can un mount and shutdown, then come back and restart / remount so just take your time and come back if you get stuck.
_________________
Research before taking any advice from me. I'm still coming to grips with this myself.

padoor · Advocate Joined: 30 Dec 2005 Posts: 4185 Location: india

once u have got the tarballs of stage and portage u can install in an hr .
after u can boot gentoo u can do --resume it at ur own time when possible.
_________________
reach out a little bit more to catch it (DON'T BELIEVE the advocate part under my user name)

runningwithscissors · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 6:24 am Post subject:

I haven't used the GTK installer, but I did use the curses-based one. It installed perfectly, alongside a windows partition no less.

I only created the partitions manually and created filesystems on them. The installer took it from there.

madisonicus · Veteran Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1130

I actually have found the GUI installation process to be more complicated and time consuming than doing it by hand using the minimal CD and the CLI. Moreover, if I do it by hand I know what it's doing, why it's doing it, and what it's doing it to. Definitely worth the learning curve.[/b]

Also, you may already know this, but installing Gentoo was made a million times easier for me when I realized that you can use elinks as a web browser in a separate vterm to follow the handbook while doing the installation. Since the minimal installation disk includes gpm, you can even use your mouse to click on links and copy/paste text.

CLI -- learn it; love it; use it.