Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 34874
Installer CD drive read incpability, and more probs
Last modified: 2008-08-01 12:22:51 EDT
Hi, This a repeated problem (across two 7.1 releases) Actaully several problems. I don't expect you to directly solve it. I also don't need help. The redhat installed has _allot_ of problems. rh 7.1 (and respin) i386 from iso install target: P200, Intel E/V motherboard,... (note that the graphical install from a bootable CD gave me no problems - were talking about the text install one gets with a boot from floppy due to bios limitations) A while back I installed rh 7.1 (not respin) I had many problems and the support blamed it on a faulty download (I still have these reports archived). Funny - other bugzilla reports showed problems similar to mine. 7.1 was _impossible_ for me to install -- even though SCO 7.1, Win95/98, Solaris 8i, Slackware 4.1 and 7.1 all had no problems. But now this is the [third] time I've installed rh 7.1 re and, while it is _possible_ to install it has been a complete pain in the neck and required me to switch CD drives and do a minimal install (1 CD only) to make it happen. -> It MUST be a REDHAT PROBLEM. It IS the installer. HEREITIS (were talking several install on the same unhappy box with both 7.1 and later two separate downloads of 7.1 re): 1) Mitsumi CD drives (and others) do not allways reach extrema of any disk: a installer script writer should know that. ==> this means the iso shouldn't be "full" 1a) I replaced the "old" drive with a new one. (which, by the way, works fine with the graphical install) 1b) I got the CVS for installer only to find that it is unworkable unless your already installed! (the CVS doesn't like Slackware or Windows). I'm too used to those old fashion unix scripts that you can do something with in due time! 2) the install continues with new CD drive a) if any read error occurs - which is common on any physical device - the script just gives up! *&)#$ often at the end of the install )(&@# b) using the "back" button often causes install failures c) the installer often goes all the way to the end of the install - then quits HOWEVER -- the system _STILL_ isn't bootable --> --> It should make a stable base system first before spending an hour installing RPMs!! --> --> d) the installer either writes to install floppy --> --> or reads deleted partitions If one has a bad install, deletes partitions and hard-boots, the installed ignores the install CD and reports a corrupted HD section, for God knows what reason. The fix that worked for me in three separate cases was creating a fresh boot floppy and moving the write protect tab. For some reason this prevented furure occurances. d) Is really BAD from a design point of view to write to an install floppy. c) lilo ignores the fact that LBA is OEM version dependant and is a per-partition matter (note that LBA written data is a non-convertible format). So a lack of LBA on a partition not using LBA causes kernel panic upon booting. ===> loadlin is far more stable across varied installations and has a an excellent track record: d) installer changes active partition before installing any base system OR lilo; if the install fails anywhere, the system is left un-bootable. e) installer doesn't warn that writing on the MBR can permanently alter other OSs when they are next booted; in some cases causing permanent failure. f) installer doesn't say what "Server" and "Workstation" are. When one selects one hoping to find out more, the main rpm install process unexpectedly begins; and their is no turning back g) the installer has "mount" problems which causes it to exit if it gets "confused" when a disk has already been mounted (or for some reason isn't yet mounted). This was a big problem when I actaully got to the point of running the installer from an HD partition (due to CD paranoia) which I had found a redht faq on how to do. All three times the disk files seemed to be in perfect order. I still haven't found one RPM with an error in it. My two CD drives work like any two CD drives. Both real IDE interfaced requiring no drivers. The first time I pleaded that linux had a great stake in its reliablity claim and it should be preserved. The support person practically made fun of me and said it was all wet and just had a bad CD and that the egg was all over me. I had already downloaded the respins iso; so I couldn't verify anything. Shortly after I installed respin after much effort. I soon decided to toss the disks and stick with Slackware for a bit Yesterday, a year later, was my third attempt. Again a pain. Three failures with redhat 7.1 and 3-6 other systems with no problem are no co-incidence (6, if we count by version). I'll say it again, with pride: Allot of linux people put in painstaking effort into reliability: a distributor should at least provide a installer capable of unix level reliability -- its the most critical component. I've used linux on and off since the 91? or 92? 720k 2 floppy-only release and installed on far worse fares than this: Intel P200 on Intel EV (with 32MB Intel suggested HCL memory) (with cache meeting Intel HCL, I remember) Western Digital 2G HD Steal V3200 video card 3COM ISA network card, no sound card new 40x CD-ROM drive that reads the worst of writables (and aMitsume 4x, which can read most writable CDs and still rocks for heavy load seek/set access time) All good stuff. A very expensive machine at the time. Note I don't like writing this kind of mail. Especially as RedHat is such an excellent system otherwise withstanding the foresaid. I espcially like RPM and can't see why other distributors refuse to be redhat-rpm compatible. Thanks, John D. Hendrickson PS I can't beleive RedHat would release something with that many problems. I can only imagine that certain people we "assured" such things were done and that most problems surfaced due to "binary pager problems with corrupt RPMs". That's fully of it. The text installer does not work because it is poorly planned and done.
First of all, I assume you mean Red Hat Linux 7.0...not 7.1. As of today, Red Hat Linux 7.0 is our latest official realease. Having said that, some of your points are perfectly valid. The class of installation (Workstation, Server, etc.) could be more clear (although it is explained to some degree in the online help in the installer.) However, once you select a method and go to the next screen, the installation of the RPMs does not start...the packages aren't installed until almost the very end of the install while the installation method selection takes place very early (the fourth or fifth screen). Furthermore, it is possible to back up and choose another installation method. Just keep pressing back. You are right about LILO. It is not perfect. It can't do certain things like booting off a RAID 5 partition. However, other operating systems (such as MS Windows NT, 2000, etc.) will write over your master boot record too. They don't even give you the choice. With the Red Hat installer, you have the option of installing LILO to the MBR, first sector of the boot partition, or even not at all. But on the whole, you are correct. Our installer isn't flawless, but that's why we have bugzilla...it helps track down defects in the product and it really helps improve stability and reliability as time goes by.