Debian Install Help Please

[Madar]

Hey Hugo,

So I've done apt-get update and apt-get upgrade using various sources "stable", "testing", "unstable" they all end up the same for me. (I've installed Debian before on systems so I'm not completely unfamiliar with the proceedure)... Anyway, I working with "testing" now because that is what was advised in the beginning. When I run dpkg -iGREB /var/cache/apt/archive/ I get the following (everytime I run it even many times past the 3rd time it's always the same):

# ...more of the same before this for other packages:

dpkg: error processing pppconfig (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of logrotate:
logrotate depends on cron (>= 3.0pl1-53) | anacron; however:
Package cron is not configured yet.
Package anacron is not installed.
dpkg: error processing logrotate (--configure):
dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
debconf
man-db
console-tools
libssl0.9.7
base-config
netbase
ifupdown
dhcp3-client
console-data
exim4-daemon-light
adduser
tasksel
base-files
ppp
wget
at
passwd
bsdmainutils
exim4
cron
pppoeconf
dhcp3-common
tcpd
telnet
pppconfig
logrotate
firefly:/#

The big dependancy that seems to be causing all the others not to install appears to be either base-config or debconf maybe. I've tried manually install ever package on the above list but none of them will go in without at least one of these two packages first.

Any thoughts?

[hugo]

Are you sure of the quality of the source debian installation pack? I mean the one you made from the PC? I would redo it to be sure. I don't get this dependency errors, so I guess you might have lost one file somewere.

[Madar]

I agree it sounds like a good possibility that my packages are somehow corrupted. I've been pretty busy lately so no time to try it out yet. I will report back how it goes.

Thanks again,

Madar

[iiivx]

I agree it sounds like a good possibility that my packages are somehow corrupted. I've been pretty busy lately so no time to try it out yet. I will report back how it goes.

Thanks again,

Madar

The main problem according to me is debconf.

I've also tried to install debian on a usb stick. So far I got something running, but it seems that debconf is broken in stable, unstable & testing.

In my opinion the only option left is to compile debconf by myself from source. So the next challenge is to setup a mipsel-emulator since compiling stuff on a 128Mb usb stick isn't really fun.

[hugo]

Hum, my debain is fully owrking from source. So it might be a problem with your source? I have to admit that I had a few steps to make it working, but I don't remember them fully now. Using a good source in testing was one of the steps.

[iiivx]

Hum, my debain is fully owrking from source. So it might be a problem with your source? I have to admit that I had a few steps to make it working, but I don't remember them fully now. Using a good source in testing was one of the steps.

Since the problem involves broken packages, it's quite obvious that the problem resides in uses the correct sources!

Maybe you can upload your debconf.deb package? Or tell us which apt sources you use? What version of debconf do you use?

[hugo]

I don't use debconf package. Would that be of any use for you? Just tell me what command you want me to type.
For my source list, maybe a quick read of the previous post could help

[iiivx]

I don't use debconf package. Would that be of any use for you? Just tell me what command you want me to type.
For my source list, maybe a quick read of the previous post could help

I'm sorry, I thought you were talking about the right "sources.list" for the dpkg tools :-)

I think a tarball of your root would help. :-) I can provide you with webspace to store it. It's not that I'm lazy, it's just that I don't feel like going through the trouble of setting up a crosscompiler and stuff. Please email me <iiivx [at] instituut.net>, so we can share your hard work.

[hugo]

Hu? 50 Megs would be a bit big to send by email, and I'm only talking about the first package, the one you get from the PC command line on the WIKI.

My root is now 4 Gigs. Maybe if you want I can directly send you my HD so you can have it fully working?

Seriously, if you can name me any text file that would be of any use for you, just ask, and I'll post. But posting my root sound as useless as copying a linux install form one PC to one other just to make it work.

[iiivx]

Hu? 50 Megs would be a bit big to send by email, and I'm only talking about the first package, the one you get from the PC command line on the WIKI.

My root is now 4 Gigs. Maybe if you want I can directly send you my HD so you can have it fully working?

Seriously, if you can name me any text file that would be of any use for you, just ask, and I'll post. But posting my root sound as useless as copying a linux install form one PC to one other just to make it work.

I am serious about getting your whole root. If you have a fully working debian installation, I would love to obtain it. My plan is to strip it down till it's max 100megabyte, so it fits on my usb stick. But I can understand if you don't feel like uploading 4 gigabyte. :-)

I guess I'll just have to do some work myself ;-) I'm not in need for textfiles. I rather have a not-broken-precompiled serie of .deb's on the debian mirrors. I fear that if I start setting up my self-compiled toolchain and debian distro, I won't sleep the next 2 nights. But maybe I can create a nice howto based upon that experience.

Are people interessed in setting up a minimal -working- debian distro on a 128 mb stick? Or do most people use usb-harddisk anyway, so there is no need for minimalistic stuff?

[hugo]

the first pack of file for the debian install is already 150 Meg uncompressed.

[iiivx]

the first pack of file for the debian install is already 150 Meg uncompressed.

I do not fully understand which pack you are talking about.

[root@(wl500g) /]# du -h --max-depth=1 2> /dev/null
15M     ./var
6.5M    ./lib
40M     ./usr
3.4M    ./sbin
400k    ./etc
3.7M    ./bin
1.0k    ./boot
0       ./dev
1.0k    ./home
1.0k    ./mnt
0       ./proc
7.0k    ./root
134k    ./tmp
1.0k    ./opt
1.0k    ./floppy
1.0k    ./cdrom
1.0k    ./initrd
1.0k    ./sys
68M     .

[hugo]

The source you get from

cdebootstrap -amipsel sarge debian-distro http://ftp.fr.debian.org/debian

command give me a 95610880 bytes file when tared and gziped. It will grow to 150 Meg when uncompressed. I would double check my source if I was you.

[iiivx]

The source you get from

cdebootstrap -amipsel sarge debian-distro http://ftp.fr.debian.org/debian

command give me a 95610880 bytes file when tared and gziped. It will grow to 150 Meg when uncompressed. I would double check my source if I was you.

Well, instead of the 'sarge' branche, I used 'stable' since stable is smaller. And 'sarge' is uncompressed 150 meg -including- the downloaded .deb archives. If you install small groups of .deb's at the same time, and after installing delete the .deb's you just installed, you can manage to fit it on a 128 mb stick. Also I delete a bunch of useless stuff from the filetree.

I used correct sources, and I swapped around with the little space that was left on my stick. Nothing special.

Well, I am going to compile the stuff myself, I'll report back when I've made a nice tarball with a complete debian smaller than 100 meg.

[hugo]

Maybe this is the problem. I odn't know if it will work with stable
tell us what you get.