debian .... something different?

[sclebo05]

hello all.

i have a fairly easy question. i have tried many distros over the last 2 years, but can't really settle on any one. i have a general idea of what i like, and that is debian. however, i would like some kind of single disk version that has a low price and detects most of my fairly recent hardware (see sig) i can handle manual editing of config files, but i like to be pampered at least a little when installing.

i liked libranet essentials 2.0 , but it was a little outdated. i think a knoppix hdinstall may be my next route, unless someone else can give me the name of a debian based distro i am missing. any ideas?

thanks.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by sclebo05
hello all.

i have a fairly easy question. i have tried many distros over the last 2 years, but can't really settle on any one. i have a general idea of what i like, and that is debian. however, i would like some kind of single disk version that has a low price and detects most of my fairly recent hardware (see sig) i can handle manual editing of config files, but i like to be pampered at least a little when installing.

i liked libranet essentials 2.0 , but it was a little outdated. i think a knoppix hdinstall may be my next route, unless someone else can give me the name of a debian based distro i am missing. any ideas?

thanks.

I would give knoppix a try or any of it's variants ie morphix http://morphix.sourceforge.net/modules/news/

morphix has a gui tool for the HD install unlike knoppux. morphix is based on knoppix though. just an FYI you can install Libranet 2.0 & change your sources list to point to Debian sarge or sid sources to get current packages. Why not go with the Debian proper install. if you need a minimal install try an ftp install. then all you should need is the first woody CD although I would get # 5 also so you can boot with the 2.4 kernel.

just my .02

bosox

having a Broadband connection will make life with Debian much eaiser:D

[Sepero]

Knoppix is pretty good.

My only problem with knoppix is the CD medium. CD's are great for things like music, but when it comes to data... one piece of dust, and "error". Maybe it's just me, but I've burned 2 Knoppix CD's before, and in less than a week, they could no longer boot.

Sorry to get off topic. Anyway, it's sounds like you just wanna use Knoppix for an install. I wish you the best of luck. Have fun.

[blackbelt_jones]

Storm 2000 linux is a debian based distro that is no longer maintained, and so is no doubt a little out of date... but is available in a one disk version from cheapbytes.com for 1 dollar plus shipping.! Lee Iacocca would no doubt tell you if you can find a better operating system for a dollr, install it. The graphic install pampers you plenty, although I don't think it detects your modem... so if you don't know exactly where your modem is located, you may want to take that into consideration. Once you install Storm Linux it looks and feels to me a lot like the "Woody" stable version of debian that I am using right now. It's remarkably fast on tired old machine with limited RAM.

Although' let me tell you a little secret... installing Real Deal Debian itself isn't really as hard as some people would make it out to be, at least if you're not attempting a double boot and your hardware is fairly standard. The installer asks you about fifty questions. I didn't understand every question, but by clicking of the default answer when I was completely stumped, I came out fine. I'd been searching for "my distro" for months, and when my distrob turned out to be debian, it was a great suprise.

[sclebo05]

good ideas, thanks guys.

what are these 'modules' that morphix uses?

storm is a new one to me, thanks for bringing it up, that is what i need, new names.

might try debian again anyway. i have winXP, slack and libranet on right now, maybe i could replace the libranet 2.0 with a newer debian or something. endless possiblilties....

[windsorjax]

You could do a minimal install of libranet. Then (assuming you have a fast connection or a great deal of patience). edit the apt sources file and do an apt-get update, apt-get dist upgrade. Then you can enjoy the ease of libranet installation and setup scripts. Then depending on how bold you are upgrade to unstable (sid) or testing (sarge).

[je_fro]

I'm really digging this FreeBSD! It's an EZ install, and uses ports, from which Gentoo's portage was derived.
If you want something different, I'd say check it out.

(I just had to tell somebody...:) )

[sclebo05]

haha, glad you like it. i ran freebsd 5 for a while ........... think i wanna stick with something debian based.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by je_fro
I'm really digging this FreeBSD! It's an EZ install, and uses ports, from which Gentoo's portage was derived.
If you want something different, I'd say check it out.

(I just had to tell somebody...:) )

How does ports work compared to say apt-get or portage how is the BSD install process. is it similar to a Debian install? I know this is a little off the topic of the thread but I am curious. I am considering installing a new Distro and or OS :cool:

[GavinX]

If you are interested in a Debian variant you might wanna try Hurd. It is a totally new OS which is being developed by the Debian GNU team. It is still in development and is promising great things.

Check out this website for more info

http://debian.abexia.com/

[Syntaxis]

@GavinX: LOL! He wants something that will support "fairly recent hardware". That is definitely not the HURD. It does promise great things, but unfortunately almost every single one of them has yet to materialise. This isn't a troll - it's a great concept, it's just nowhere near complete.

EDIT: Whoops, my bad. I didn't read closely enough, and you (GavinX) were, of course, addressing a comment made by somebody else about their wanting to try out a new distro/OS, and *not* the original poster as I thought when I posted the above. Sorry about that! :)

@sclebo05:

Yeah, as already mentioned, Libranet's a great way of doing it. Alternatively, you can install Debian Woody with the PGI graphical installer, which also features automatic hardware detection. You can get it at http://archive.progeny.com/progeny/pgi/pgi-woody-i386.iso. It's a little out of date, but then so is the penultimate Libranet release (the only one you can download without forking out a wad of cash) and in both cases an "apt-get update; apt-get upgrade" from your nearest Debian mirror will solve the problem. :)

[bosox79]

Originally posted by GavinX
If you are interested in a Debian variant you might wanna try Hurd. It is a totally new OS which is being developed by the Debian GNU team. It is still in development and is promising great things.

Check out this website for more info

http://debian.abexia.com/

Thanks for the info, I might give HURD a shot:D

[je_fro]

Originally posted by bosox79
How does ports work compared to say apt-get or portage how is the BSD install process. is it similar to a Debian install? I know this is a little off the topic of the thread but I am curious. I am considering installing a new Distro and or OS :cool:

It's very similar to portage. You cd to the /etc/ports/packagename directory and do a make install. It compiles the source, unlike apt-get.
I'm digging in the kernel right now....
Send me a PM if you want....

[bosox79]

Originally posted by je_fro
It's very similar to portage. You cd to the /etc/ports/packagename directory and do a make install. It compiles the source, unlike apt-get.
I'm digging in the kernel right now....
Send me a PM if you want....

Thanks for the info:D

[o0zi]

what are these 'modules' that morphix uses?
They're basically modifications of a basic mainmodule (the main system) - you can customize morphix to anything from a console-based system to a full-blown KDE/GNOME system. They also have different ISOs for different people - a game ISO, a heavy GUI ISO, an XFCE ISO, and so on. There are "minimodules" that add other features, such as adding .debs to the boot cd and Morphix will automatically install them on boot.

Not that I use Morphix or anything.:)

[jlmb]

Originally posted by je_fro
... It compiles the source, unlike apt-get...

Actually, apt-get can do it.
To auto-build the package when it's been downloaded, just add -b to the command line, like this:

# apt-get -b source packagename
If you decide not to create the .deb at the time of the download, you can create it later by running:

# dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -uc -b

APT HOWTO (http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/ch-sourcehandling.en.html)

---OFF TOPIC---
Right now im on my brother's pc (win98), i middle clicked like 6 times to copy the code/link....linux is so cooool
---OFF TOPIC---

[sclebo05]

i have done a knoppix 3.1 hard drive install, its pretty cool. has anyone used the new knoppix 3.2, is it worth the upgrade? any new/cool features?