Using RH6.2 (Zoot) and FTP install, it is **very** slow when reading the package list! I have noticed in the FTP log, the installer is using a new FTP session every 7 seconds! Also, my FTP server shows it is serving the RH installer about 400 bytes every 5 seconds or so. At this rate, it will take a week to install RH!!! My FTP server works fine for all other uses, so I suspect something is wrong in the installer! BTW: this is a brand new install....NOT an upgrade!
BTW: I don't think this is a resource or swap problem. I have had the ftp problem on the following machines with ver 6.1 and 6.2: - IBM ThinkPad 1480, 466 Mhz with 192MB memory - ALR Server, 200Mhz with 148MB memory - GW2K Desktop, 75Mhz with 32MB memory They have had different NIC's and plenty of resources. I don't ever recall having this FTP problem before ver 6.x. Also, I started an install yesterday, and it is still running on the "reading packages" part of the install. The FTP server is still giving the PC about 500 bytes every 5 seconds or so....could it be the FTP server? Even though it seems to work fine for regular FTP clients, I am starting to wonder....
I found the problem! I switched to another FTP server and it works fine. I tried a linux box, and even a WinNT Workstation FTP server, and they both worked fine. The FTP server I was having problems with was WinNT Server 4.0 SP5. It is a big box, with multiple procs and plenty of memory. I don't know if this was a problem specific to this box, or a problem with NT. Might be a good idea to try and replicate, just to see if there is a bug in NT's FTP server. If I have time, I will try to replicate it here. Dang! MS strikes again!