Debian - what a pain to install

[cloverm]

I wanted to try Debian since I've heard so much about it.
My pain started with finding iso images for version 2.2v3. I finally found them at ftp.kernel.org and burned the 3 CDs.
The text-based installer is really hard to work with. Navigation is the hardest. On certain screens there is no way of going back to the previous one if you made a mistake.
It said it recognized my video card, but after installing, X just crashed telling me that certain settings were missing from X86Config. Why didn't the installer put these settings there if they are needed?
It never even give me and option to configure my network card. It's a NE2K-PCI, every other distro recognized it.
It asked me however what I wanted be the homepage for Lynx. I could really care less. I'm not masochistic to use it instead of Netscape!
At one point after finding some errors it even displayed a message that said "Debian is not perfect.". I must agree with that.

I still haven't given up on it, though. I will try it a few more times but I have to get through the X and network card installation.

[binary_boy]

Hey cloverm, I had the same experience in the last couple of days. On advice of bobtocowboy and others, I tried Progeny Debian. Run! - do not walk, to get this distribution. Its built on Debian, but has a MUCH friendlier install interface. It has a graphical install, it recognized all my hardware and configured it automatically, it even recognized my Voodoo3 card. This is one of the slickest install interfaces I've seen.

It has all the power of apt-get, but in a much better, much easier to use package. It rocks! I'm sending this from Progeny now.

The install had a couple of glitches, but I worked through them ok.

www.progeny.com (http://www.progeny.com/)

[Gaccm]

1. yup, i dont get why debian doesn't want people to d/l .isos. they set up this big convoluted system that seems very unnexessary.
2. i like the text based install, it isn't hard to navigate: tab, up and down is basicly how to do everything, but you are right there are parts where you just cant go back.
3. i dont know why maybe they were more personal settings stuff.
4. the way you configure your network card is by including the driver into the kernel, i cant remmber what the page is called, but it looks like this:
Exit some explanation here

cdrom
fs
net
misc
blah blah.

under net (or misc, not sure) you need to include your driver, if no ethernet card driver is included, then i doubt is asks you to set it up.
5. NETSCAPE?!??! i admit lynx is just too old. but Links it is awesome, it can do anything a normal browser can (except graphics :) but it can handle frames, tables, its my most common used browser since i dont go into graphical mode very often.

[sans-hubris]

From personal experience, Debian is easier to install from over the internet (i.e. download the installation stuff, choose your network card, and have it download the rest from the internet), but that's just me...

[bobtcowboy]

Originally posted by binary_boy:
<STRONG>On advice of bobtocowboy and others, I tried Progeny Debian.</STRONG>

:cool: Progeny :cool:
:cool: Debian :cool:


Run! - do not walk, to get this distribution.


LOL. :D

If you don't have a burner, then you must beg, borrow, or steal to get a set of CD's.

Bill

[ 01 May 2001: Message edited by: bobtcowboy ]

[Bradmont2]

I love debian's installer. It's quick, efficient, and clean. Now that I'm familiar with it (I must admit it was a little intimidating at the beginning, but I quickly got over that) I get a debian system up and running in mere minutes. One thing I can't stand about graphical installers is 640x480 @ 60 hz... nothing is more painful to look at.

&lt;edit&gt; Whoa, that was wierd, everything was all out of order... &lt;/edit&gt;

[ 01 May 2001: Message edited by: Bradmont ]

[FoBoT]

i don't think it should be done via cdrom, debian is better when done via ftp over broadband, just my $0.0002 ;)

[Tyr-7BE]

But once you get it up it's soooooo worth it. X tends to be a common problem in Debian. I had X problems. However, of all distros, RedHat and Mandrake had problems detecting my network card, but Debian did it just fine. Everyone's experience is different. And yes, the menu install can be a little intimidating, but it's no big deal.