[arch-general] Problems with install Iso

[Thomas Bächler]

richard terry schrieb:
> I tried to ask this a couple of days ago and for some reason it ended up as
> a flame war about chakra between people I don't even know and I'm not sure
> what triggered it, so I'll try again.

Sorry about that, it happens. However, this post has more details about 
what exactly failed in OUR installer, so Dieter will probably reply later.

> I've used arch for many years and always been happy (I actually run it on
> 5-6 machines which I maintain ok).
> 
> My laptop got a libreadline file problem after upgrading, so after backing
> up I just decided to reformat the drive the the latest arch linux iso I
> downloaded last weekend intending hence to use kde4.3, and have been
> spectacularly unsuccessful in getting the drive formatted using the install
> iso.
> 
> with the /arch/setup program I tried auto to do the whole drive (it was a
> brand new seagate 500gig HDD) > no action, just sat there.
> 
> I tried using CFDISK > create partitions > then the setting the mount points
> didn't recognise any partitions were there. After a couple of reboots and
> retries it did recognise the partition was there, but wouldn't let me
> allocate mount points. On one occasion it allowed me to allocated mount
> points but then just died.

As I said, Dieter will be the most competent to help here, I don't know 
the exact cause and all, but I might be able to offer you an ugly 
workaround:


As you seem to be good with Linux and Arch, you can try the following:
- Boot the Arch install CD, partition everything as you like it and 
mount it manually before even launching /arch/setup
- Skip all "mount partitions" steps in /arch/setup and simply proceed to 
the package selection/installation.
- Adjust your fstab manually after you finished installing

This used to work in our old installer once you found out where 
/arch/setup wants its destination to be mounted. I don't know if AIF has 
safeguards to prevent you from installing without letting it mount 
partitions before (If it does, you can comment them out in the script, 
the live system is read/write).

The fact that AIF doesn't allow you to select the newly created 
partitions looks very much like a bug. I'll wait until Dieter has time 
to reply.

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