Question for Debian users

[cloverm]

I have been using Mandrake 7.2 and now I installed Redhat 7.1. I've read a lot of praises about Debian and would like to give it a shot. I checked out their website, but have some questions.

1.) I didn't find any ISO images on the ftp site. What is the easiest way to burn it on a CD? (If there ARE ISO images, can you point me there?

2.) In the package list I did not see anything about KDE. Does this mean that it only comes with Gnome? In that case how hard is it to install KDE for Debian?

Thanks for any comment on this.

[dodgetrucs]

I am in sort of the same boat... been using Red hat and Mandrake but am getting sick of both, I have been itching to try Debain and found ISO's at www.linuxiso.org (http://www.linuxiso.org) but not had time to setup yet... Not sure about KDE, you can always compile it yourself but I am not sure how simple.. apt get KDE? :confused:

[nopun]

The standard Debian distribution does not come with KDE, but does come with GNOME.
In keeping with Debian philosophy, no packages are included that contain proprietary software (and I think, in the case of KDE, that's QT?).
I believe you can get hold of it as a Debian package, although I haven't tried it.

[cloverm]

Thanks for the info, but www.linuxiso.org (http://www.linuxiso.org) only lists v2 ISOs and I would like to get v3. Any other tips?

[bdl]

You can, of course find the ISO's linuxiso.org, but it's really a waste of bandwidth. If you do have a decent connection, whatcha want to do is head over to
ftp.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386

and download the 'current' directory. Once you've downloaded the dir, which is about 150mb (vs 650 for an ISO), burn the sucker, make some boot/root floppies and reboot. Follow the installation along and use your fast connection to 'apt-get' the rest of the install. This way you're always installing the very latest versions of the distro and software, and also dont have to d/l as much. If you're interested in how to create a bootable cdrom, stick around I'm working on a NHF as we speak.

[plasmid]

you can get the iso images from the debian home page. The trick is that they are all for there other installation method. The site will try to determine the best installation method for you. Tell them things that will encourage them to take you to the iso images...things like your running a mack, your wont have access to the internet while installing, and you want to install on multiple machines...that should take you to those images.

-plasmid

[binary_boy]

the Debian 2.2 r3 isos are up at ftp.kernel.org. I pulled them down last night. I wanted to try Debian too. Not to discourage you, but that install was a MAJOR pain in the ***. I've installed Redhat and Slackware dozens of times successfully. I figured I could get through a Debian install. Just trying to find iso's was an ordeal.

After trying to install and Configure Debian, I'm about ready to give up on Linux. (not really) I never could get it configured the way I wanted. Seemed like nothing installed right, and I got all kinds of error messages.

And I couldn't get it to install Ximian Gnome using either apt-get or the Ximian install method. That was the main reason I wanted to try Debian.

I think I'll stick to Slackware. Everything works, and no annoying dependency errors.

Maybe you'll have better luck.

[ 29 April 2001: Message edited by: binary_boy ]

[bobtcowboy]

Originally posted by binary_boy:
<STRONG>I wanted to try Debian too. Not to discourage you, but that install was a MAJOR pain in the ***.</STRONG>

Well, I'd suggest trying Progeny or Libranet (though I've no experience with Libranet, I've just heard its decent... Progeny is awesome, on the other hand) They both have easier installers than a plain vanilla Debian install.

and the iso's are easy to get! they call em .raw's but you just have to change the name to call em .iso to burn it...

as far as getting KDE, well, its as easy as editing your /etc/apt/sources.list file to point it to a kde download site, and then typing apt-get update (this makes apt go through the sources.list file to check for new stuff) and then apt-get install kdebase

&lt;edit&gt; bdl, I'd love to see that NHF when its done... its an idea I've been thinking about for a while now

Bill

[ 29 April 2001: Message edited by: bobtcowboy ]

[ColdPack]

Okay here folks.
Debian's installer isn't as easy as others (but just as challenging as Slackware, I must say...).
You can find the cd image at http://cdimage.debian.org/
Just follow along and then it'll point you to where the mirrors are. To install, you WILL need to know what is in that tall, white box and other essential hardware information. It won't tell you what you have. Rarely, that is. So, just make sure you know what's under the hood before trying to install debian. That alone will save you a lot of money on excedrin. :)
If you want a pretty installer that is "easier" than pure debian, try libranet, progeny or storm (even though stormix is pretty much kaput as a company, their distro is still one of the best out there based on debian, and it will always be current and up-to-date using apt-get).
As for installing any packages, it is a breeze using apt get. There is a nice NHF on how to use it here on LNO and you can download and install just about anything you want for it.
If you want KDE, just point your sources.list to either debian's unstable tree or go direct to tdyc.kde.org (or whatever it is... you'll see it on Craig's monster sources.list available somewhere around here... don't have it handy) and for those having "dependecy problems" then you sources.list is screwed up . That's not debian's fault, it's yours, because when your sources.list is set up correctly, you will have 99.9% flawless use of apt and can have anything you want at the snap of an apt. ;)
Have a nice day!

By the way, debian is truly the only way to go. Very elegant and powerful and versatile.
Have fun with it.
This ain't your father's linux!

[binary_boy]

Ok, I checked out Progeny Debian. Seems it comes from the original author of Debian. I read a review here (http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/previews/2938/1/) that spoke pretty highly of it. It seems to me that Progeny Debian is to Debian as Ximian Gnome is to Gnome.

I downloaded the iso's last night. I'll give it a whirl tonight.

[Orion-X]

I still can't get progeny to install...

it gives me some weird msg that says something like

"son why this might be the case. Often the reason is that Linux detected the BIOS geom"

It's like cut off on both sides, and I have no idea what that middle-section of the msg is trying to say...

I can not afford a clean disk install, but it looks like the installer can't read my existing partition table correctly...

&lt;sigh&gt;