Help with Debian 3.1: Switching from Command Line to Graphic User Interface

[antoniogloria]

I recently got Debian 3.1 sarge for PowerPC installed in an iMac 500 (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/stats/imac_500_indigo.html), though I could only get it to run in the comman-line interphase. However, I'm not too versed in text commands, so I would like to know how to change from the Linux command-line interphase to a graphic interphase. Do I have to execute a certain script to get the computer to read the other 13 CDs or something? This computer can't be connected to internet, so at least I'm certain net-install isn't an option.

[mrrangerman43]

[1st:] Log in as root
[2nd:] cd /etc/apt
[3rd:] cp source.list source.list.bak
(3 is to backup your source.list so if you mess up you can just copy it back.)

[4th:] Edit your /etc/apt/source.list with a text editor, nano vi, if you use nano, the command would be nano source.list if you are within the apt directory nano /etc/apt/source.list from outside the directory, at the top of the list should be a entry for cd-rom, it will be commented out with a # sign. Uncomment it and save.

[5th:] apt-get update

This should prompt you for the cd's and it will store a list of what packages are on each cd. then after apt is finished you can install xserver and all the packages for a gui desktop.

Do some searching on this site or google.com/linux for installing xserver and gnome or kde.

[mrrangerman43]

Well I was going to Edit my last post, but for some reason it wouldn't let me.

Before you try the above commands, log in as a user and type startx you didn't say if you had installed xserver or not.

[antoniogloria]

I'm not sure if xserver is installed. How can I find out?

[mrrangerman43]

Read above post,

You can also type the command dpkg -l xserver linux is case sensitive the -l is a lower case L. if you get no return, you don't have x installed. When I get home tonight, I'll post a list of packages you will need to install.

[happybunny]

or just type X (capital)

that will start just the X server, not gnome or kde or nothing...just X.

If it works, X is installed.

also, for some reason X is not a dependancy for gnome, so apt-get gnome will work, but gnome wont since it wont also install X...you'lll have to do that seperately.

[antoniogloria]

Well I was going to Edit my last post, but for some reason it wouldn't let me.

Before you try the above commands, log in as a user and type startx you didn't say if you had installed xserver or not.
I now have xserver installed and tried startx as both a user and as root, and my screen blinks a few times and then reads: "error: no screen detected". Also, when I installed xserver and kde, at the beginning I would get a line that says: Package read-edid has no installation candidate. Is this related? If so, how can I fix this?

[happybunny]

sounds like your /etc/xorg.conf is not setup right.

i'd run through dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg again

[mrrangerman43]

Sorry it''s taken me so long to get back to ya, I have a list of howto's on installing debian sarge, but for the life of me I can't find them. I did find this (http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=2016) link to a good howto. Look at 9 and 10 and it should give you a list of needed packages to install.

[antoniogloria]

Thanks for the link! But now I have a new problem! After following the directions from the link, I try startx and now the screen shuts off, so I "kill" the X Server and the screen comes back on, now displaying a message that says ERROR: No DFP detected. But I'm running it on a CRT, and during the configuration, I specified that it's NOT an LCD monitor. What's going on now?