Debian install problems

[Eric Richardson]

Hi,

I'm having a lot of problems with a debian 2.2 install. First, the 
hardware is a cyrix 686 with an intel mainboard and an ide hard drive 
and a CD rom. I installed Debian a couple of times and was attempting to 
get the network running and things went weird.

All of a sudden after running a couple of hours the permissions of 
things started to go weird. On boot, unix.o couldn't create file and 
reported the filesystem was read only. Later when I was trying to 
apt-get install isapnptools the apt-get executable had no execute 
permissions, something like S--------. Other programs would not execute 
either and I was forced to shutoff the power as I couldn't shutdown or 
do anything. I had used the disk 1 successfully previously to install 
dhcpcd which removed pump.

Next I booted with the recover floppy but when it mounted the / 
partition and tried to boot but the kernel panic'ed with a checksum or 
something. At this point I probably should have run fs2chk or something 
but chose to reinstall.

The reinstall seemed to go fine until I reached the point of the base 
system install and the system won't untar the base_2.2gz. This is a 
floppy install for the kernel as the BIOS doesn't have the CD boot 
support. I used the boot and root floppies but then try to install the 
rest of the system off the CD. The CD seems to work fine but as said 
before has problems on the untarring the base2_2.gz. I searched the /var 
dir but could find an installer.log or something and nothing in messages 
that helps. Because of the previous filesystem corruption? I suspected 
the hard disk but there could be other problems. The install disks are 
the cheapbytes silver non-cdr disks and I have used them for other 
installs and loading 2.2 software so I don't suspect them but perhaps 
tthey are bad or the CD? I really don't have a clue other than something 
very non normal is going on. Can I get a complete functioning bootable 
system out of only the floppies or do I need the base portion off the 
CD. I don't have a CD burner so I have to get install disks elsewhere.

Any help, ideas, etc. welcome.

Eric