[ale] Debian. Grr.

[Joe Knapka]

Hi Bjorn,

I'm going to try your recipe and see if I get any joy.

Thanks,

-- Joe

Bjorn Dittmer-Roche <bjorn at sccs.swarthmore.edu> writes:

> On Sun, 22 Feb 2004, Joe Knapka wrote:
> 
> > I'm trying once again to install Debian. My last attempt was in maybe
> > '98 or so, and ended in frustration before I even got the machine to
> > boot. This attempt is on the verge of ending in frustration, though
> > the machine *has* booted a minimal Debian system from the HD.
> >
> > The main problem I'm having is that "tasksel" and "dselect" seem to be
> > user-unfriendly in the extreme.  So far I have not gotten "apt" to
> > install *anything* but the minimal system. I boot the machine, run
> 
> 
> okay, the simple reason for that is that dselect sucks. You should avoid
> it.
> 
> If your machine boots, I think you are done with base-config, but even if
> not, my advice is this: skip doing any software installation from
> base-config if it forces you to use dselect, because, as I mentioned,
> dselect sucks. Instead, install by hand using apt-get later, because
> apt-get rocks. Here's how:
> 
> 1. edit your /etc/apt/sources.list to point to the internet, not the CD's.
> If you don't know how to do this, I'm sure someone on the list will offer
> you their file. (The one I use is on my laptop which is off right now.)
> You can probably skip this if you really want to do your initial install
> from CD's, but you should check your /etc/apt/sources.list file to make
> sure it includes all your CDs.
> 
> 2. run
> # apt-get update
> You will have to swap each CD in, but that should be the end of that until
> you do the actual install.
> 
> 3. use
> # apt-cache search WHATEVER
> to figure out the package names of the software you want.
> 
> 4. run
> # apt-get install package1 package2 ....
> to install the stuff you want. dependencies are handled automatically. If
> you're doing a CD install, you shouldn't have to swap a CD in and out more
> than once.
> 
> 5. After editing your sources file to point to the internet, routinely run
> # apt-get update
> # apt-get -u upgrade
> to keep your system up to date.
> 
> Finally, if all else fails, you can use knoppix as a debian installer
> (although I *THINK* that forces you into unstable, which is a major
> bummer. Anyone know if you can use it to install into stable or testing?
> that would rock.)
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> 	bjorn
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> 

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