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- doolittle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13having a 200+ft run of cat5 is always handy until you can get wireless working :P
- dec0ded, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Just get the net install CD and do everything over the internet. That way it only downloads and installs the packages you want. No bloatware.
If your wireless card is supported in linux you shouldn't have *that* many issues using it to install debian. Although this is linux, not much comes easy. - val1984, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Try the Net install, it's lightweight since it download pretty much every piece of software it installs :
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ - TheAttacks, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11I have always wanted to try out Debian, but I'm always confused on which CD-ISOs I download. . . .there's 15.
- brandizzle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Chances are if you're an average person then you'll only need one. The higher up in numbers they go the less people that need 'em.
Chances are you want intel. I recommend downloading the iso via bittorrent. So here:
http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/3.1_r2/i386/bt-cd/
Pretty much you only need the first one.
If you're using something else then the rest of 'em are here:
http://www.us.debian.org/CD/torrent-cd/ - sbrown123, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Good point. Ubuntu kicks Debian butt because of this. Debian keeps touting itself as the "complete" Linux while it should spend a few minutes in retrospect and think about people actually having to use the damn thing for the first time.
- drag, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Oh, don't bother with the 15 cdrom thing unless you want to install a a machine with dialup access. In that case you buy the cdroms from a distributer. (usually they are very cheap).
You want to do a net install. You download a minimal installation cdrom. It just has the very basic packages included for bootstraping the system. Everything gets downloaded as you need it. So your installing directly off of online mirrors. It's much better then downloading a 4 or more ISO images, burning them to cdrom, installing off of cdrom, updating your system style install.
The current install manual is located here:
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/i386/
It's quite large. It's more likely designed for a administrator who would like to deploy Debian professionally..
More usefull is the Debian Desktop Survival Guide:
http://www.togaware.com/linux/survivor/
That will give you the basic understanding of how to install and configure your Debian desktop system. Including common programs you would want to install and tips and tricks on making the desktop more usefull for you. Very nice stuff.
Also if you have a large number of Debian machines to deploy have a apt-proxy server. It will cache packages as you need them locally so you can do many quick installs with a veriaty of configurations. - hawk_eye, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5With all due respects to Debian (which I have used a few years ago), am just wondering if they have kinda missed the bus for the Desktop users (who _are_ the ones who need an easy install)
Ubuntu rocks it for me ! - hoodedrobin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"having a 200+ft run of cat5 is always handy until you can get wireless working :P"
Yeah dude, I don't have that much cat5... but I got some extra cheap stuff that doesn't lose quality over distance... COAX -hooded - sbrown123, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Why don't they just package a single disc CD image for desktop users and let people use apt-get to install the rest? Is that really that difficult for Debian to do despite their supposed superiority over other distros?
- sbrown123, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Remember the true quality of a operating system goes far beyond how newbie-friendly the installer is.. Although that is the sort of thing people concentrate on most for some bizzare reason."
There are many reasons why the net installer is not a great solution. I won't go through all the various reasons, but will point out that many people just want a CD or DVD to install or reinstall from. The "bizzare reason" people want friendly installers is that they don't want unfriendly installers. Despite the greater options that unfriendly installers may bring, they include more options than average people even want to decide upon. There is an obvious barrier in mentallity where Debian seems unable to understand what average people are looking for and they aim for the tiniest fraction of the computer using populace. In a 80/20 view of things, Debian is aiming for 5% whereas user friendly systems like Ubuntu and Fedora are aiming for the 80% (yes, there is an obvious math miss here). Until that barrier is actually seen, Debian will continue in its path towards obscurity. - drag, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4"Why don't they just package a single disc CD image for desktop users and let people use apt-get to install the rest? Is that really that difficult for Debian to do despite their supposed superiority over other distros?"
That is what the net install is for.
Deiban is used for..
A. Embedded systems.
B. Server systems.
C. High performance clustering.
D. Desktop systems.
E. Unix workstations.
F. Cell Phones
G. about anything else you can think of.
Debian is a general purpose operating system designed to be a actual general purpose operating system. Things like Suse, Ubuntu, or Fedora may have desktop specificly targeted.
Remember the true quality of a operating system goes far beyond how newbie-friendly the installer is.. Although that is the sort of thing people concentrate on most for some bizzare reason.
If you realy want to try out Debian I suggest looking at Debian Desktop Survival Guide:
http://www.togaware.com/linux/survivor/
It'll give a nice overview and give you a good basic understanding of how to install, manage, and use Debian as a desktop operating system productively.
As always different distros have different targets. Debian is all about package quality assurance and overal stability and usefullness in the real world. Other distros do a much better job targetting new users.
If your new to Linux I wouldn't recommend starting out with Debian unless you have some help. Use Ubuntu instead. It's what Ubuntu is good at.
If later on you get used to Ubuntu and want to try something else then check out Debian. Most people who run it for any length of time will end up liking it a lot.
It's a very maintainable system. This is what Debian is good at. Personally I've had Debian installs outlast the hardware I ran on them. For a time I copied my Debian system from harddrive to harddrive as I upgraded my hardware. Lasted about 4 years, I beleive. Worked fine, but I needed the disk for a project and didn't have a handy place to back it up. - Ramble, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I don't see what's wrong with the current installer. The only benefit I see is more advanced features, which could be introduced into the classic version.
The current installer is easy anyway, it should be text based. - dec0ded, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Good point. Ubuntu kicks Debian butt because of this. Debian keeps touting itself as the "complete" Linux while it should spend a few minutes in retrospect and think about people actually having to use the damn thing for the first time."
As much as I agree, we have to remember that there is no ubuntu without debian ! Ubuntu simply uses the power of debains fantastic base and adds the features a desktop user needs, I don't think this is debians goal, which is why the features are not provided. - motang, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Linux is getting better and better.
- Drakazz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1All you need is to download the network installer. Everything else is then downloaded.
Instead of downloading lot of CDs, just try this. :)
This OS soo rulez!!!:)
So easy to setup and just easy :) - Snuffkin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have never seen Debian as an OS that targets the desktop, so I'm not sure why everyone is judging it like it is. Debian is more my choice for servers. It has packages for the desktop, sure, but servers are where it shines.
Anyway, I honestly think graphical installers for Linux are overrated. Their only function seems to lower the chances of newbies running screaming, but if you actually sit down and look at the textual installer, it's extremely easy to use, and I doubt that the graphical installers really make it much easier beyond having to figure out that you need to use the up and down arrow keys. I mean, they're just going to be asking you the same questions.
Not to mention I can get through the textual installer ridiculously quickly. With the graphical installer, I'd spend more time having to fiddle with the mouse, whereas with the textual installer, I can just select the correct option with the arrow keys and hit enter. Very speedy to use. - Jon855, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I would like to see this to improve as I do use Ubuntu/Kubutnu at the moment, I would like to see this to take off. When this does no doubt that there'll be more Debian users :)
- mroberts, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My first distro was Slackware, and even Debian's installer scared me... But then along came Ubuntu!
I'm glad to see the Debian team finally working on this, but I'm afraid it's too little too late. Ubuntu has already built a better Debian.
If you want to talk tough installations: Try The GNU HURD sometime! - neko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It uses AES.
- dhughes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1 Just the first CD is fine. That's all I used and of course apt to update things.
You should download it with jigdo for some reason downloading an .iso from http or ftp sites seems to fail, for me anyway. - mike503, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i noticed the encrypted setup a bit ago. was pleased to see it. even offers two flavors of implementation.
however it would be nice to see a total bootsector+OS encryption (like drivecrypt) for linux... or some total encrypted filesystem that isn't based off loopback stuff. totally encrypted before it's ever committed to the platters.
i thought of doing this in an NFS-like manner, to mount the partition remotely... explained here. wished some better OS type developers + network fliesystems + crypto folks could get on board with something like this...
http://linux-nfs.org/pipermail/nfsv4/2006-May/004277.html - dhughes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1 Regarding their philosophy, you can see why the Ubuntu etc. team went with Debian.
- zerblat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's the same installer, just a newer version. There will (obviously) still be a text-based interface, but they've added a graphical interface. Debian Installer was designed from the start to allow for different interfaces. It's just that so far, there's only been one implemented interface -- the text-based one.
One important advantage of the GUI is that it allows the installer to be localised to languages which use scripts that can't (easily) be displayed in text mode. It also has the potential of making things like manual partitioning easier. Here's a screenshot displaying the language selection (no, that's not my blog): http://www.yepthatsme.com/2006/07/08/debian-graphical-installer-excellent-work-guys/ - baalzebub, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1groovy! :)
i been a slackware user for years, and i do keep debian/gnome installed in an extra disk partition just because i like the distro's philosophy and enjoy keeping informed of debian's progress.
Kudos to the debian developers. - Llan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Will Edgy Eft have Etch?
- AlexMax, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Debian woody....yeah, that's a pain in the ass. But ever since sarge, Debian has been incredably easy to install.
And on a side note, I find that most Ubuntu users don't quite know where Debian ends and Ubuntu begins, and it's a lot closer than you think. - Snuffkin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@vfrex
No. Why would I?
@raada
I don't find it confusing at all. It's very easy to use, and, in fact, I do want to go through (not messy at all, actually) text menus just to install. It's much faster and I don't refuse to use something that isn't vaugely pretty or high-res. It's not like you'd be using X on a server anyway. - jcidiotashram, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@TheAttacks.
first 2 CD's are fine. you get a barebone of OS. then just apt it. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I started on Debian 1.2 rex which wasn't so bad, a few floppies and it was done. This was years before apt, but dpkg made life a lot easier.
- korhojoa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Thing here is, it won't run on computers with less than 64 mb of ram. (well, if it does by now, it won't run well)
Also, I always get the netinstall images, because seriously, why do you need the extra 200 mb of outdated and unnecessary packages? You don't.
I've been using debian some time now, and i find that i like it quite much. Gentoo was too much a pain for me, tried several times, no luck, but hey, if configuring the hell out of everything is your thing, you'll probably love it. Redhat was just plain gay, and suse, well. Childish. - vfrex, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Debian advertises 15,490 easy to install packges. Do you use all of those in your servers?
- fuselage, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Which kind of encryption is it using, luks?
I wonder if the writer got the $100 for writing such a vague article. - raada, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1yeah. lets all go back to not using mouse and GUI... great idea... not!
You don't want to go through messy text menus just to install. Might be faster with text, but very confusing. Do I want to be confused when installing a new OS?
And one kick in the a for Debian since they didn't include the RAID drivers for my server. So much for "server OS". Had to use Fedora instead to make it work, which also has a better installer. - fuselage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0the installer is "easy" if you're used to text based installs. But for the average user its quite frightening when they have no gui.
I personally prefer the textbased, I find it faster and it gives me more control. However, I also think its important to cater for other users who might want a gui install - fuselage, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I find it funny that the HURD uses linux to bootstrap the installer. One imagines Stallman exploding with rage
- acea, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0"Ubuntu - Swahili for 'user too dumb to install Debian'" LOL!! - But truth is the success of Ubuntu is its user friendliness of the interface - and community/promotion - ie money and good management chucked its way. I'm using the 'Ubuntu sourced' Mepis - it's nice to have the stability and community of Ubuntu to rely on - Debian to me is more of a raw ingredient for more experienced users or distro developers to use. Whether an improved GUI installer will do anything to address the repo instabilities is irrelevant...
- TheAttacks, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2I would try the net install, but I don't use a direct link to the internet. I use a wireless connection and moving my computer downstairs isn't an option. . =/
- i440, on 10/12/2007, -10/+0When will they fix the xserver-xorg installation problems?
- brandywj, on 10/12/2007, -10/+0sorry
- brandywj, on 10/12/2007, -11/+0hello
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