Debian Installer Bookworm RC 1 release

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Apr 04, 2023,
updated Apr 04, 2023

The Debian Installer team[1] is pleased to announce the first release
candidate of the installer for Debian 12 "Bookworm".


Improvements in this release
============================


 * debian-cd:
    - Use hard links instead of symlinks for firmware packages
      (#1031696).
    - Delete loadlin support entirely.
 * debian-installer:
    - Refresh help screen with minimum disk size for installation and
      better documentation links (#1033193).
 * debian-installer-utils:
    - Include xterm terminfo entry on all architectures, fixing nano
      issues in the graphical installer (#1026027).
 * grub-installer:
    - Basic heuristic for force-efi-extra-removable question.
    - Add question for running grub-install with --no-nvram, using
      similar logic.
 * hw-detect:
    - Deduplicate the list of requested firmware files, not just the
      list of requesting modules (#1031631).
    - Implement microcode support when /proc/cpuinfo contains a
      vendor_id field, with one of the following values (#1029804):
       + Install amd64-microcode on AuthenticAMD.
       + Install intel-microcode on GenuineIntel.
       + Enable non-free-firmware accordingly.
       + Perform installation via finish-install, making sure apt-setup
         has been configured, and using apt-install for dependency
         resolution.
    - Optimize firmware package installation: process dpkg triggers
      once, after all packages have been installed, leading to a single
      update-initramfs call.
    - Fix condition around moutmedia calls (#1032377).
    - Fix files removal for non-accepted firmware packages (#1032377).
    - Add a special case for the mhi module (#1032140), using holders
      information (e.g. ath11k_pci and qrtr_mhi for some Atheros
      wireless cards).
    - Fix dmesg timestamp management.
    - Fix package name extraction when removing a firmware package (e.g.
      it failed to install because it was corrupted).
    - Build /var/log/firmware-summary as a 3-column summary of firmware
      (and microcode) packages getting installed (#1029849).
    - Fix removal of temporary files in /target after installing firmware
      packages (#1033035).
    - Determine the package name by using the Package field instead of
      trusting the filename when installing firmware packages (#1033035).
    - Make sure not to include the possible -n option when setting the
      IFACES variables in check-missing-firmware (#1033035).
 * installation-report:
    - Store firmware information in /var/log/installer/firmware-summary
      (#1033325). See the 2.87 changelog entry for details.
    - Include firmware-summary in installation reports.
 * localechooser:
    - Remove AN from country list; move CW to Caribbean region.


Hardware support changes
========================


 * debian-installer:
    - Enable sound modules and speakup on arm64 gtk images.
 * linux:
    - Fix reloading mt7921e module after deploying firmware files
      (#1029116).
    - Add michael_mic to crypto-modules, for ath11k and others
      (#1032140).
    - Add qrtr_mhi to nic-wireless, for ath11k (#1032140).
    - Add DRM ast driver to fb-modules on ppc64el (#990016).
    - Add sound and speakup udebs on arm64 and armhf (#1031289).


Localization status
===================


 * 78 languages are supported in this release.
 * Full translation for 41 of them.


Known bugs in this release
==========================


 * Encrypted LVM might fail on low memory systems (#1028250).
 * Broken “Guided - use entire disk and set up LVM” partitioning
   in UEFI mode (#1033913).


See the errata[2] for details and a full list of known issues.


Feedback for this release
=========================


We need your help to find bugs and further improve the installer, so
please try it. Installation images, and everything else you will need
are available at our web site[3].


Thanks
======


The Debian Installer team thanks everybody who has contributed to this
release.


 1. https://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstaller/Team
 2. https://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/errata
 3. https://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer


Cheers,

Read on

Linuxiac:

• Get Ready for Debian 12: A Closer Look at Just-Released RC1

  Debian is one of the most popular, oldest, and most reliable operating systems in the Linux world. Each new release introduces several updates and features that make it even better.

  So, the upcoming Debian 12 “Bookworm” is no exception. It is the next major distro’s release and is set to bring many new and exciting changes to the table.