debian etch base install error

[DusteD]

Hi, im trying to install debian etch, when i get to a certain point
(the end of base install) it gives me red screen, and a box telling something went wrong.

i managed to get the syslog, its pretty massive, so ill just paste the last bit of it here:

Aug 21 17:29:18 base-installer: info: Found kernels 'linux-image-486,linux-image-2.6.16-2-486,linux-image-2.6.15-1-486,linux-image-2.6-486,kernel-image-2.6-386,kernel-image-2.4.27-2-386,kernel-image-2.4-386'
Aug 21 17:29:18 base-installer: info: arch_kernel candidates: linux-image-2.6-486 linux-image-2.6-386
Aug 21 17:29:18 base-installer: info: arch_kernel: linux-image-2.6-486 (present)
Aug 21 17:29:18 base-installer: info: Using kernel 'linux-image-2.6-486'
Aug 21 17:29:18 base-installer: info: Setting do_initrd='yes'.
Aug 21 17:29:18 base-installer: info: Setting link_in_boot='no'.
Aug 21 17:29:18 base-installer: info: Possible initramfs generator(s): 'initramfs-tools yaird'
Aug 21 17:29:18 base-installer: info: Available initramfs generator(s): 'initramfs-tools yaird'
Aug 21 17:29:18 base-installer: info: Installing initramfs-tools.
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install: Reading package lists...
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install: Building dependency tree...
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install: 
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install: The following extra packages will be installed:
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install:   busybox klibc-utils libklibc libvolume-id0 udev
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install: The following NEW packages will be installed:
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install:   busybox initramfs-tools klibc-utils libklibc libvolume-id0 udev
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install: 0 upgraded, 6 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install: Need to get 831kB of archives.
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install: After unpacking 2388kB of additional disk space will be used.
Aug 21 17:29:18 apt-install: Get:1 http://mirrors.dotsrc.org etch/main busybox 1:1.1.3-2 [286kB]
Aug 21 17:29:19 apt-install: Get:2 http://mirrors.dotsrc.org etch/main libklibc 1.4.19-1 [41,4kB]
Aug 21 17:29:19 apt-install: Get:3 http://mirrors.dotsrc.org etch/main klibc-utils 1.4.19-1 [141kB]
Aug 21 17:29:20 apt-install: Get:4 http://mirrors.dotsrc.org etch/main libvolume-id0 0.093-1 [55,8kB]
Aug 21 17:29:20 apt-install: Get:5 http://mirrors.dotsrc.org etch/main udev 0.093-1 [256kB]
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Get:6 http://mirrors.dotsrc.org etch/main initramfs-tools 0.73e [51,2kB]
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Fetched 831kB in 2s (288kB/s)
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Selecting previously deselected package busybox.
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: (Reading database ... 
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: 7641 files and directories currently installed.)
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Unpacking busybox (from .../busybox_1%3a1.1.3-2_i386.deb) ...
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Selecting previously deselected package libklibc.
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Unpacking libklibc (from .../libklibc_1.4.19-1_i386.deb) ...
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Selecting previously deselected package klibc-utils.
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Unpacking klibc-utils (from .../klibc-utils_1.4.19-1_i386.deb) ...
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Selecting previously deselected package libvolume-id0.
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Unpacking libvolume-id0 (from .../libvolume-id0_0.093-1_i386.deb) ...
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Selecting previously deselected package udev.
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Unpacking udev (from .../archives/udev_0.093-1_i386.deb) ...
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Selecting previously deselected package initramfs-tools.
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Unpacking initramfs-tools (from .../initramfs-tools_0.73e_all.deb) ...
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Setting up busybox (1.1.3-2) ...
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Setting up libklibc (1.4.19-1) ...
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Setting up klibc-utils (1.4.19-1) ...
Aug 21 17:29:21 apt-install: Setting up libvolume-id0 (0.093-1) ...
Aug 21 17:29:22 apt-install: 
Aug 21 17:29:22 apt-install: Setting up udev (0.093-1) ...
Aug 21 17:29:22 apt-install: A chroot environment has been detected, udev not started.
Aug 21 17:29:22 apt-install: 
Aug 21 17:29:22 apt-install: Setting up initramfs-tools (0.73e) ...
Aug 21 17:29:22 apt-install: 
Aug 21 17:29:22 main-menu[3227]: (process:1028): File descriptor 3 left open 
Aug 21 17:29:22 main-menu[3227]: (process:1028): File descriptor 4 left open 
Aug 21 17:29:22 main-menu[3227]: (process:1028): File descriptor 5 left open 
Aug 21 17:29:22 main-menu[3227]: (process:1028): File descriptor 6 left open 
Aug 21 17:29:22 main-menu[3227]: (process:1028): Selected initrd generator 'initramfs-tools'. 
Aug 21 17:29:22 main-menu[3227]: (process:1028): eval: 1: cannot create /target/etc/mkinitramfs/initramfs.conf: Directory nonexistent 
Aug 21 17:29:22 main-menu[3227]: WARNING **: Configuring 'base-installer' failed with error code 2 
Aug 21 17:29:22 main-menu[3227]: WARNING **: Menu item 'base-installer' failed. 
Aug 21 17:46:06 init: ^MStarting pid 3205, console /dev/vc/2: '/bin/sh'

Please, if anyone has an idea what is going on, please help me

[engineuity]

If you are using a testing/bleeding edge release of Etch, that may be the problem. Either back up to a "stable" Etch release or catch the next daily/weekly install cd.

[DusteD]

i found out i was using an ancient cdimage

[cburwell]

Sometimes installing in "expert" mode (enter expert at the boot: prompt) can help to avoid some errors.

I was getting kernel panic errors, and then I went through the setup in expert mode and everything went fine.