Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 esta un poco anticuada, y puede ocurrir que el instalador de Debian Woody no detecte cierto hardware actual. Esto es un problema ahora mismo, si quieres instalar Debian Woody, por ejemplo, en un ordenador con una controladora de disco no soportada por el instalador.

Existe tres soluciones:

• Recompilar bootfloppies y remplazar el kernel por uno más nuevo.

• Compilar un modulo para el kernel del instalador de Woody.

• Instalar el sistema base con Knoppix y debootstrap.

Sin duda la mejor opción es la última, además de ser más recomendable para instalar Debian Woody en un equipo moderno.

Necesitas un CD de Knoppix y si es posible acceso a un mirror desde la máquina. Reinicia tu máquina con el CD de Knoppix dentro. Knoppix detectará, normalmente, todo tu hardware automáticamente.

Una vez la máquina haya terminado de arrancar, comprueba las particiones de tus disco(s) duro(s) con fdisk.

knoppix# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 18.2 GB, 18200739840 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2212 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

Disk /dev/sdb: 18.2 GB, 18200739840 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2212 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
knoppix#

Crea una partición (ó más), además de la típica partición de swap, y haz la partición raíz (/) bootable.

knoppix# fdisk /dev/sda

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 2212.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
   (e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4): 1
First cylinder (1-2212, default 1): 
Using default value 1
Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (1-2212, default 2212): +2048M

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4): 2
First cylinder (251-2212, default 251): 
Using default value 251
Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (251-2212, default 2212): +512M

Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-4): 2
Hex code (type L to list codes): 82
Changed system type of partition 2 to 82 (Linux swap)

Command (m for help): a
Partition number (1-4): 1

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.

WARNING: Re-reading the partition table failed with error 16: Device or resource busy.
The kernel still uses the old table.
The new table will be used at the next reboot.
Syncing disks.
knoppix#

Ahora selecciona un sistema de ficheros para la partición anteriormente creada y activa el espacio de intercambio (swap)

knoppix# mkfs.ext3 /dev/sda1 
mke2fs 1.35-WIP (21-Aug-2003)
Filesystem label=
OS type: Linux
Block size=4096 (log=2)
Fragment size=4096 (log=2)
1038336 inodes, 2074393 blocks
103719 blocks (5.00%) reserved for the super user
First data block=0
64 block groups
32768 blocks per group, 32768 fragments per group
16224 inodes per group
Superblock backups stored on blocks: 
        32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632

Writing inode tables: done                            
Creating journal (8192 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done

This filesystem will be automatically checked every 30 mounts or
180 days, whichever comes first.  Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.
knoppix# mkswap /dev/sda2
Setting up swapspace version 1, size = 8496709 kB
knoppix#

Monta la nueva partición raíz (/) en /mnt e instala el sistema base con ayuda de debootstrap.

knoppix# mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
knoppix# debootstrap woody /mnt http://source.rfc822.org/debian
[...]
I: Base system installed successfully.
knoppix#

Cuando debootstrap termine, ejecuta base-config para preparar unas configuraciones básicas.

Actualización (gracias a Hasselhoff). Para tener el sistema configurado en el idioma que desees antes de ejecutar, base-config, haz lo siguiente:

apt-get install locales
dpkg-reconfigure console-data
[...]

Y ahora base-config :-)

knoppix# chroot /mnt
chroot# base-config
[...]

Cuando hayas terminado el paso anterior, permance en el entorno chroot, y copia /usr/share/doc/lilo/examples/conf.sample a /etc/lilo.conf y modifica según tus necesidades.

# /etc/lilo.conf: Sample LILO boot loader configuration.

boot=/dev/sda1
root=/dev/sda1
compact
install=/boot/boot.b
map=/boot/map
vga=normal
delay=20
image=/vmlinuz
        root=/dev/sda1
        label=Linux
        initrd=/initrd.img
        read-only

Ahora instala el paquete mkinitrd-tools y modifica /etc/mkinitrd/mkinitrd.conf y donde esta $ROOT pon tu nueva partición raíz (/) (la autodetección falla en el entorno chroot). Este paso solo es necesario si quieres instalar un kernel de Debian.

chroot# apt-get install initrd-tools
Reading Package Lists...
Building Dependency Tree...
The following extra packages will be installed:
  ash cramfsprogs zlib1g 
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  ash cramfsprogs initrd-tools zlib1g 
0 packages upgraded, 4 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1  not upgraded.
Need to get 150kB of archives. After unpacking 512kB will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] 
Get:1 http://ftp.de.debian.org stable/main ash 0.3.8-37 [71.6kB]
Get:2 http://ftp.de.debian.org stable/main zlib1g 1:1.1.4-1.0woody0 [44.1kB]
Get:3 http://ftp.de.debian.org stable/main cramfsprogs 1.1-3 [19.1kB]
Get:4 http://ftp.de.debian.org stable/main initrd-tools 0.1.32woody.3 [15.1kB]
Fetched 150kB in 0s (807kB/s)
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously deselected package ash.
(Reading database ... 6065 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking ash (from .../archives/ash_0.3.8-37_i386.deb) ...
Unpacking zlib1g (from .../zlib1g_1%3a1.1.4-1.0woody0_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package cramfsprogs.
Unpacking cramfsprogs (from .../cramfsprogs_1.1-3_i386.deb) ...
Selecting previously deselected package initrd-tools.
Unpacking initrd-tools (from .../initrd-tools_0.1.32woody.3_all.deb) ...
Setting up ash (0.3.8-37) ...

Setting up zlib1g (1.1.4-1.0woody0) ...

Setting up cramfsprogs (1.1-3) ...

Setting up initrd-tools (0.1.32woody.3) ...

chroot#

# /etc/mkinitrd/mkinitrd.conf:
#  Configuration file for mkinitrd(8).  See mkinitrd.conf(5).
#
# This file is meant to be parsed as a shell script.

# What modules to install.
MODULES=most

# The length (in seconds) of the startup delay during which linuxrc may be
# interrupted.
DELAY=0

# If this is set to probe mkinitrd will try to figure out what's needed to
# mount the root file system.  This is equivalent to the old PROBE=on setting.
ROOT=/dev/sda1

# This controls the permission of the resulting initrd image.
UMASK=022

# Command to generate the initrd image.
MKIMAGE='mkcramfs %s %s > /dev/null'

Una vez terminado, monta /proc e instala el kernel (kernel-image-2.4.18-foo, donde foo es 386, 586tsc, 686, 686-smp, k6, k7, k7-smp) con apt-get, si prefieres un kernel más actual, puedes usar un kernel precompilado o un kernel de Backports (vas a necesitar una línea extra en tu sources.list en este caso, mira más abajo)

chroot# mount /proc /proc -t proc
chroot# apt-get install kernel-image-2.4.18-686                                  
Reading Package Lists...                                                            
Building Dependency Tree...                                                         
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  kernel-image-2.4.18-686 
0 packages upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 1  not upgraded.
Need to get 8696kB of archives. After unpacking 23.8MB will be used.
Get:1 http://ftp.de.debian.org stable/main kernel-image-2.4.18-686 2.4.18-5 [8696kB]
Fetched 8696kB in 2s (3938kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package kernel-image-2.4.18-686.
(Reading database ... 6104 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking kernel-image-2.4.18-686 (from .../kernel-image-2.4.18-686_2.4.18-5_i386.deb) ...

You are attempting to install an initrd kernel image (version 2.4.18-686)
This will not work unless you have configured your boot loader to use
initrd. (An initrd image is a kernel image that expects to use an INITial 
Ram Disk to mount a minimal root file system into RAM and use that for
booting).
As a reminder, in order to configure lilo, you need to
add an 'initrd=/initrd.img' to the image=/vmlinuz
stanza of your /etc/lilo.conf
I repeat, You need to configure your boot loader. If you have already done
so, and you wish to get rid of this message, please put
  `do_initrd = Yes'
in /etc/kernel-img.conf. Note that this is optional, but if you do not, 
you'll contitnue to see this message whenever you install a kernel 
image using initrd.
Do you want to stop now? [Y/n]n
Setting up kernel-image-2.4.18-686 (2.4.18-5) ...
/boot/initrd.img does not exist. Installing from scratch, eh?
Or maybe you don't want a symbolic link here. Hmm? Lets See.
I notice that you do not have initrd.img symbolic
link. I can create one for you, and it shall be
updated by newer kernel image packages. This is
useful if you use a boot loader like lilo.
Do you want me to create a link from /boot/initrd.img-2.4.18-686 to initrd.img?[Yn] 
/vmlinuz does not exist. Installing from scratch, eh?
Or maybe you don't want a symbolic link here. Hmm? Lets See.
Could not find where the current root file system is mounted!
Please make some arrangements for your system to boot the new
kernel (like running LILO, loadlin, SILO, QUIK, VMELILO, or  
getting a boot floppy).                                      
Please hit return to continue.                               
chroot#

Si quieres instalar un kernel más reciente, añade esta línea en tu sources.list:

deb http://www.backports.org/debian woody kernel-image-2.4.26-i386

Ahora instala kernel-image-2.4.26-1-foo como se muestra arriba. No ocurre nada si se necesita nuevos paquetes (initrd-tools y modutils), son necesarios para las imágenes del kernel recientes.

Lo último que tienes que hacer para terminar es rellenar /etc/hosts, /etc/resolv.conf, /etc/modules, /etc/fstab y /etc/network/interfaces con los valores adecuados en tu caso. Puedes usar y modificar los mismos archivos de Knoppix que ahora estas usando.

# /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1       localhost
192.168.1.2		rollcage.inittab.de		rollcage

# /etc/fstab
/dev/sda1       /               ext3    errors=remount-ro       0       1
proc            /proc           proc    defaults                0       0

# /etc/resolv.conf
search inittab.de
nameserver 192.168.1.1

# /etc/modules: kernel modules to load at boot time.
#
# This file should contain the names of kernel modules that are
# to be loaded at boot time, one per line.  Comments begin with
# a "#", and everything on the line after them are ignored.
tulip

# /etc/network/interfaces -- configuration file for ifup(8), ifdown(8)

# The loopback interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

# The first network card - this entry was created during the Debian installation
# (network, broadcast and gateway are optional)
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
        address 192.168.1.2
        netmask 255.255.255.0
        network 192.168.1.0
        broadcast 192.168.1.255
        gateway 192.168.1.254

No olvides añadir initrd a lilo.conf y ejecutar lilo antes de salir del entorno chroot.

Esto es todo. Ahora puedes salir del entorno chroot, reiniciar la máquina y sacar el CD de Knoppix.

chroot# exit
knoppix# umount /mnt/proc
knoppix# umount /mnt
knoppix# reboot

Nota: Este artículo es una traducción libre del original en ingles Debian GNU/Linux Installation with Knoppix and debootstrap de Norbert Tretkowski. Se agradecen los comentarios.