why might debian install require constant pressing of ENTER?

[Robert P. J. Day]

  when installing debian 5.01 on one of my gateway mx7120 laptops,
almost invariably, the install runs fine partway through all the SW
install, then slows to a crawl for each package -- a situation i can
rectify by simply holding down the ENTER key.

  i'm not doing anything unusual, and i'm just starting another test
install thusly:

  - regular (non-graphical) install
  - on the net
  - LVM-based, full HD
  - separate /home, /usr, /tmp, /tmp partitions
  - filesystems created just fine
  - base system currently unpacking and installing
  - telling install that i have no more DVDs to insert, DVD 1
    is all i think i need

  at this point, it may have started -- apt is claiming to be
"scanning the mirror" but there is no net or DVD activity and it's
been sitting there for over a minute.  press ENTER and ... activity!
we've moved on to "configuring apt/please wait" and ... no motion
again.  press ENTER and ... we're off again.

  what the crap is going on?  this is completely reproducible.  what
is the debian install doing that requires user input to keep it moving
forward?  should i have fed the install all 5 DVDs early on?  and this
has happened on more than one of that model of laptop so i'm convinced
it's not a single-system HW problem.  thoughts?


rday
--

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Robert P. J. Day                               Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA

        Linux Consulting, Training and Annoying Kernel Pedantry.

Web page:                                          http://crashcourse.ca
Linked In:                             http://www.linkedin.com/in/rpjday
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