[13:46] <directhex> okay i'm baffled. i've done some basic d-i tinkering. just added/removed packages, nothing abnormal. installation fails. apparently debootstrap can't install base-files on the first try
[13:57] <xnox> directhex: can you paste your preseed?
[13:58] <directhex> http://paste.ubuntu.com/1436906/
[14:00] <xnox> directhex: and what image are you preseeding? alternate/mini/server ?
[14:00] <directhex> alternate.
[14:01]  * xnox ponders if there is something else also selected by default in tasksel/first which you are now deselecting - e.g. base/core/something like that.
[14:02] <directhex> just the basic debootstrap is failing from the cdr... hm. tinkering...
[14:05] <cjwatson_> the installer syslog would help
[14:06] <cjwatson> (but I'm on holiday today, about to take my daughter to speech therapy)
[14:06] <cjwatson> nothing wrong in the preseed file, and tasksel is after base system installation so can't be relevant
[14:07] <directhex> debootstrap's fine when <mirror> is on the web, but not when <mirror> is file:///cdrom, which clearly makes no sense when i didn't touch any of the base packages from the cd
[14:07] <directhex> hmph
[14:07] <cjwatson> one possible fragility that comes to mind is that it can be worth making sure the Packages file is sorted by package name
[14:08] <cjwatson> but anyway, would need to see logs, failing that happy to debug an image directly if you can put it up for download (may take a little while since as I said on holiday)
[14:08]  * cjwatson vanishes
[14:08] <directhex> ...alphabetical Packages file? huh...
[14:12] <infinity> directhex: Yeah, debootstrap installs packages in the order it finds them, and some hacks/assumptions in various bits take that into account.  Since the "real" Debian and Ubuntu archives and CDs are always in the same order, that mostly works.
[14:13] <infinity> I'm with Colin, though, without logs, "debootstrap doesn't work" doesn't mean much.
[14:19] <directhex> debootstrap isn't super verbose, even with --verbose. http://paste.ubuntu.com/1437097/
[14:21] <xnox> bug 1001131 ?
[14:21] <ubot2`> Launchpad bug 1001131 in debootstrap (Ubuntu) "debootstrap fails to install customized Ubuntu" [Undecided,Confirmed] https://launchpad.net/bugs/1001131
[14:23] <directhex> xnox, yes, that's my bug
[14:25] <xnox> directhex: since you have a reproducer =) you are in the best position to solve it generically =)
[14:25] <xnox> ;-)
[14:26] <directhex> well, either i could modify apt-ftparchive to always reorder its output in this edge case, or gently patch debootstrap with the proposed 2-line change
[14:26] <directhex> the latter sounds somewhat more sane
[14:31] <directhex> right, new iso
[14:33] <directhex> ... not my day. main-menu segfaulting.
[14:37] <xnox> *sigh* yeah, fridays are sometimes odd.
[14:42] <directhex> maybe i should memtest my laptop whilst i'm at the shops
[14:46] <mdeslaur> directhex: if you do, use precise and older...memtest86 has a nasty bug in quantal+
[15:05] <directhex> progress! installer seemingly functional now, with patched debootstrap
[15:05] <xnox> *win*
[15:06] <directhex> and it's all thanks to xnox for finding that bug report. thanks xnox
[15:06]  * xnox feels all special
[15:06] <directhex> if this works to completion in the next 14 minutes then i don't need to worry about overtime.
[15:13] <directhex> victory \o/
[15:31] <infinity> What's this "overtime" thing he was talking about?