Problem installing Debian 2.2r2

[Junior G.]

Hi everyone,
I'm having problems installing Debian on my PC, so decided to seek help. I think I'm in the right place.

My problem is...
I have been playing around with Linux for couple of months now and I think I'm getting pretty good with it - I have a RedHat 7.1 server and a Caldera OpenLinux Eserver 2.3 server running in my lab network at home.
I just tried to install Debian GNU/Linux 2.2R2 on a clean hard drive on one of my PCs, but I get stuck at the step: "Install Operating System Kernel and Modules".
Everything goes well until I get to this point - I create and format my partitions ok, I configure keyboard ok, etc - I choose next to continue and I get a box asking to select the medium you will use to install the system, I specify cdrom:CD-ROM drive and press Enter to continue, then it asks me to place the Debian CD-ROM in the drive, which it is, I press Enter to continue and then I get asked to choose the path inside the CD-ROM where the Debian Archive resides, I have specified almost every single directory in the disk, but none of them work, when I select one (eg: /dists/potato/stable/) and press Enter, I get yet other box asking me to select the directory containing a file images-1.44/rescue.bin that you will use to install the kernel and modules, here I leave the default List:Choose from a list of all Archive paths (I have tried manually to specify the directory where the file resides) and press Enter and then I get the following error message: "Unable to mount the Rescue Floppy. You may have inserted the wrong floppy. Please try again".
If I press Enter, I get prompted to choose the floppy to use to read the Rescue Floppy, A or B. I select A, as I just have one floppy drive in my machine, but then I get the same message again.

I was advised at other forum to create the rescue floppy and try with that, but still with no luck - I created the rescue floppy from within Windows 98 and from within Linux, but it just won't work.
Can you please advise me if you have seen this problem before and how can I get past it. All I want to do is install Debian from my CD.

Thanks in advance, your help is much appreciated.

Regards,

Junior

[Radar]

There is an option, I believe, to select the default path. You should not need to specify it yourself. I had that prob at first, but I managed to get through it.

BTW: 2.2 r3 does not have this prob.

[ 10 July 2001: Message edited by: Radar ]

[mis]

Not sure if it is the same thing but I had this happen as well and turned out I had a bad cd copy. Did another burn and NP.

Mis

[undef]

here's a longway to accomplish the same task:
when you get to that point where you select the medium to use to install Debian, press alt + ctrl + f2 to activate a second terminal.
mount your cdrom manually by entering
mount /dev/hdb /instmnt -r -t iso9660
if you don't get any errors, switch back to terminal 1 by pressing alt+ctrl+f1

now choose filesystem as the medium to install from.
a new screen will pop asking for a path. just enter /instmnt and press enter. that's it

[Junior G.]

Thanks guys for your quick respose.

I'm trying undef's suggestion now.
I will let you know how I get on...

Thanks again,

Jr.

[Junior G.]

Hey guys,

I tried the work-around, but unfortunately it did not work. I was looking forward to playing with Debian for a while, but I think I will stick with RH and OpenLinux for now until I download Debian 2.2r3 - I heard this version is easier to install than all the previous ones.
I don't know what's going on with this thing!, I have tried everything and I still get the error - I think Mis is right - there might be a problem with the actual CD, because I create the rescue floppy and the installation tries reading the floppy, but then it tries again to read the CD before I get the msg.
Anyway, thanks again for your help, I appreciate it.

Regards,

Jr.

PS: If anyone think of something that you think I should try, please let me know - I don't like giving up on things and this is one thing I would like to do. I just want to install Debian even just one time, I don't care what it takes.

[Crewchief]

Had the same exact problem. My work around was to finish the the install via FTP. I burned the cd 3 times, the cd was mounted. I'm on a cable modem so it wasn't to time consumming. But a pain in the rear to say the least.

[Junior G.]

Umm, FTP haa!!!
I may try that when my ADSL connection is completed next week. At the moment, I connect to the internet with a 56K modem, so I think it will take too long to download the hole OS.
Is it possible to FTP my PCs at home and install Debian from the CD-Rom on other PC. My PCs are all wired, but I'm not sure if that will work as the PC where I'm installing Debian has no OS installed at the moment.

Can you please advise...

Thanks.

[Radar]

Do you not get this option [/instmnt] ??

That should work. Try it by ejecting the cd, inserting it, and letting it start to spin up, then press enter to let the installer find what it needs.