Installing debian via the installer on the netinst

Installing debian via the installer on the netinst

[Cheryl Homiak]

I'm wondering if anybody has done this and can tell me the steps to the 
point where one types at the boot prompt.

I have a thinkpad T23 and have decided to put linux on it since I have 
windows running elsewhere in vmware fusion. I can't boot from the cd in 
the traditional way unless I get somebody to go into the bios for me. I 
was amazed when I inserted the cd on my Win xp system and found that a 
setup dialog came up. The initial setup for the installer is easy to 
follow; i did it with windoweyes. However, when the machine reboots and 
one 
has to choose between the debian installer and the existing windows 
installation, I'm not sure how to proceed. the first time I did it, I must 
have had beginner's luck, because while I didn't correctly find the boot 
prompt--to enter brltty parameters in this case--I was able to hear when 
the installer was fully loaded, switch with alt-f2 and hit enter and enter 
brltty information, and when brltty came up, switch back to the installer 
with alt-f1. Unfortunately this was only a trial run to see if it could be 
done; I wasn't through rescuing important items from the XP system. I 
figured if I had done it right once, I could do it again. But I can't!!! I 
have tried and tried, now that i am ready to install, to replicate my 
previous success, but to no avail. I even thought maybe my cd had become 
dammaged and burned a fresh one. I thought all I had done the first time 
was arrow down once when it rebooted and hit enter two or three times, of 
course the time frame of those actions has become a bit hazzy after 
several unsuccessful tries. I've googled and looked at the debian 
installation manual but of course, unless you find the post of another 
blind person, it is assumed such detailed instructions are not necessary. 
I even thought uninstalling the Debian directory that setup puts on the 
Windows system before each try might help but it didn't make any 
difference. If anybody has done this and can give me the concrete steps to 
try to follow, I'd really appreciate it. This is the Lenny Beta 2 netinst 
I am using.

Tia.


-- 
Cheryl

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Re: Installing debian via the installer on the netinst

[Alonzo]

Hello,

the only way I know of installing debian is doing this.

1. insert net install cd.
2. type
"install brltty=driver,device,table
Mine would look like this
install brltty=bn,ttyS0,text.brf.tbl

that should be right for a an install using a braille note. I'm not sure
what type of device you have, but typing install brltty and then your
parameters as specified should be sufficient.

I hope this helps,
Alonzo
On Sun, 2008-09-14 at 20:03 -0500, Cheryl Homiak wrote:
> I'm wondering if anybody has done this and can tell me the steps to the 
> point where one types at the boot prompt.
> 
> I have a thinkpad T23 and have decided to put linux on it since I have 
> windows running elsewhere in vmware fusion. I can't boot from the cd in 
> the traditional way unless I get somebody to go into the bios for me. I 
> was amazed when I inserted the cd on my Win xp system and found that a 
> setup dialog came up. The initial setup for the installer is easy to 
> follow; i did it with windoweyes. However, when the machine reboots and 
> one 
> has to choose between the debian installer and the existing windows 
> installation, I'm not sure how to proceed. the first time I did it, I must 
> have had beginner's luck, because while I didn't correctly find the boot 
> prompt--to enter brltty parameters in this case--I was able to hear when 
> the installer was fully loaded, switch with alt-f2 and hit enter and enter 
> brltty information, and when brltty came up, switch back to the installer 
> with alt-f1. Unfortunately this was only a trial run to see if it could be 
> done; I wasn't through rescuing important items from the XP system. I 
> figured if I had done it right once, I could do it again. But I can't!!! I 
> have tried and tried, now that i am ready to install, to replicate my 
> previous success, but to no avail. I even thought maybe my cd had become 
> dammaged and burned a fresh one. I thought all I had done the first time 
> was arrow down once when it rebooted and hit enter two or three times, of 
> course the time frame of those actions has become a bit hazzy after 
> several unsuccessful tries. I've googled and looked at the debian 
> installation manual but of course, unless you find the post of another 
> blind person, it is assumed such detailed instructions are not necessary. 
> I even thought uninstalling the Debian directory that setup puts on the 
> Windows system before each try might help but it didn't make any 
> difference. If anybody has done this and can give me the concrete steps to 
> try to follow, I'd really appreciate it. This is the Lenny Beta 2 netinst 
> I am using.
> 
> Tia.
> 
> 

Re: Installing debian via the installer on the netinst

[Cheryl Homiak]

I think you are talking about an install where you just bott the cd, not 
an install where the setup program comes up in windows when you insert the 
cd in a running xp system.


-- 
Cheryl

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Re: Installing debian via the installer on the netinst

[Cheryl Homiak]

I was in the middle of something when I just wrote the brief sentence in 
answer to alonzo's post. You are absolutely right about what the 
parameters to write are but I don't think you are aware of the install 
that starts by inserting the netinst while running Windows. Neither was I 
until last night though from what I have found on the subject, this has 
been a capability in etch also.



-- 
Cheryl

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Re: Installing debian via the installer on the netinst

[Cheryl Homiak]

I was able to solve the problem of installing using the installer that 
starts with setup in Windows. I found that once I chose exper mode, I was 
given a choice of graphical or text install, then a choice of desktop 
environments or none, and finally a place to enter additional cmdline 
prompts for grub in the installer. Having done this, after rebooting and 
arrowing down to choose debian and waiting for grub to load, I eventually 
had brltty start and was able to proceed with the installation. This is a 
really nice way to do an install on a machine where you have Windows 
running, especially if your bios isn't set for your cdrom to boot before 
the hard drive.



-- 
Cheryl

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Re: Installing debian via the installer on the netinst

[jaffar]

Hi Sheryl.  Did you use the netinst cd?  Cheers!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cheryl Homiak" <chomiak@charter.net>
To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup@braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 2:33 AM
Subject: Re: Installing debian via the installer on the netinst


>I was able to solve the problem of installing using the installer that 
>starts with setup in Windows. I found that once I chose exper mode, I was 
>given a choice of graphical or text install, then a choice of desktop 
>environments or none, and finally a place to enter additional cmdline 
>prompts for grub in the installer. Having done this, after rebooting and 
>arrowing down to choose debian and waiting for grub to load, I eventually 
>had brltty start and was able to proceed with the installation. This is a 
>really nice way to do an install on a machine where you have Windows 
>running, especially if your bios isn't set for your cdrom to boot before 
>the hard drive.
>
>
>
> -- 
> Cheryl
>
> "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Speakup@braille.uwo.ca
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> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
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