On 10/21/24 12:23, Haines Brown wrote:

>
> I do not check "do not format file systems, I'll handle it myself". By
> not checking it I assume that the partitions will be automatically
> formatted propery without my intervention.
>
> The installer asks me to type the device name. I type the device
> /dev/nvme1n1 rather than the target install partition /dev/nvme1n1p3.
> I guess I did right because when entered I'm told it found a valid
> GPT, with protective MBR; using GPT.
>
> My mistake was not to check the create /home and /boot in the install options.
> I thought this applied only if I was to accept the automatic simplest
> partitioning scheme rathher than create a new partition table.
>
> Afer partitioning I'm asked to select the boot, installation and home partition.
>
> I'm asked to select swap partiton. Displayed is the swap partition on the old SSD.
> There's no way to change that and select the swap partition I just created on the
> new SSD? Would you explain this?
>

No, I can't. What did you do to create the swap partition? Did you run
mkswap on it?

>
>>> How does the installer know in which partition to put files? For
>>> example, how doed it know to put user's account into partition 4?
>>
>> See above regarding Options window. Maybe read the Help in the installer,
>> too.
>
> Still don't understand. For example, I create a parittion to break
> \var partition and another partition break out /var/mail/. How does
> the installer know to do their purpose in order to install the proper
> files?
>

The installer allows you to have separate /boot and /home partitions, but
that's all. There is an ugly hack I added to use more partitions. Near the
bottom of the options menu is a checkbox that says, "Move selected
directories to separate partitions." If you check that box. the installer
will ask you which directories to move, and it will rsync copy them from
one place on the hard drive (your root partition) to a selected partition.

I assume that this ugly hack still works, but it's been years since I've
tried it. If you're comfortable with using rsync, doing it manually at
this point is easier than reinstalling.


>>> For some reason installation see the swap partion I just created and asks if I want to
>>> use a swap file instead. I say yes, although I worry that it can't seen.
>>

I read this wrong the first time and thought the installer did not see the
new swap partition. It gives you a choice of using swapfile or any swap
partitions it finds. This is there in case there are multiple drives with
different swap partitions or in case there is no swap partition. Choose
what you want.

>
> The error log is /var/log/syslog

The error log is /var/log/refractainstaller.log which gets copied to
/home/devuan/refractainstaller log at the end of the installation.

>
> I find that user directory in /home is /devuan.

After the installer adds the bootloader, it asks a few questions. If you
choose to change the primary user's name from devuan to something else, it
will do two things: it will change the user's name and directory name, and
will also ask if you want to change the user's password.

The installer also asks if you want to change the root password.

You should change both passwords.


>
> I just finished interering my geographic location, keyboard info, and compose
> key.
>
> Then I encounter messages I didn't before (a hopeful sign). Here's an
> example:
>

>    Allocating group tables: done
>    Writing inode tables: done
>    Creating journal (262144) blocks
>    Writing superblocks and file system accounting information: done

>

>    /dev/nvme1 contrainsx an ext4 file system
>      last mounted on Sat Oct 19 05:58:53 2024

>

>    Proceed anyway (y,N)

>
> This looks right, and so why is the N emphased?
>

That message comes from the mkfs command and it protects you from
accidentally formatting a partition that has data on it.

fsmithred