Debian

[trigggl]

It took forever for me to get it loaded, but I'm really starting to like Debian. It took forever for me to get it installed, but I'm going to stick with Gnome this time around because sound works, my scroll on the mouse works, just about everything works now.I'll probably stick with Slackware for a while longer while I get the Debian setup polished.

[réjean]

Hi Greg!Did you have to do anything special to get passt the "Window Manager"stage, or even to get to the boot loading graphics? This is as far as I managed to go with the trial version but I cannot even pass the konsolle stage with the CD install 1. I downloaded the 2nd CD but it stopped half way through thr burning process. Don't know what else to do but giving up on Debian. Really, I won't even comment on its vertue.

[Dard]

It took forever for me to get it loaded, but I'm really starting to like Debian.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly what's so great about debian?I installed it back in January 2000, and while it was OK, I just found them to be way behind the curve. Actually to far behind the curve for me.Anyways, I hope that it works out well for you Greg, you are a brave man.

[Bruno]

Hi GregCongrats !! Glad the install worked for you :DHi DardMany things changed since 2000 . . . . . Debian got an installer and Sarge has KDE 3.3 and is not really far behind on other distros at this moment. Bruno

[trigggl]

The installer still needs some work, but when I finally convinced it to ask for the second disk, it loaded the X window manager. It loaded Gnome by default, but I'm starting to think KDE is crippled without it anyway. So, I'm sticking with Gnome on this one. I've already done a few things that I couldn't do in Slackware, such as record audio from the soundcard input. As a matter of fact, some things are working too well. I haven't figured out how to turn X off. I tried the usual commands, but it won't go away so I can load the nVidia driver.

[trigggl]

...because sound works, my scroll on the mouse works, just about everything works now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly what's so great about debian?I installed it back in January 2000, and while it was OK, I just found them to be way behind the curve. Actually to far behind the curve for me.Anyways, I hope that it works out well for you Greg, you are a brave man.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You realize they just put out a new release, right? I always wanted to try Debian, but I was waiting for them to put out a new release. 5 years is an eternity when you're talking about an OS that grows as fast as GNU/Linux. Debian has so many programs and options, I know I won't have the problems I had with Slackware. There are 17 cd's of programs for Debian. Slackware has 2. You want Open Office? Too bad. You want Digikam? Happy compile effort. nVidia? What fearure do you prefer to lose to get it working? Mouse scrolling? Depends on the kernel version. Sound? How many commands must I use to make my preferred settings stick? Recording? I still haven't figured that one out and it was the straw that broke the proverbial 'camal's back'.Now to start copying things like my Firefox and Thunderbird settings over. At some point I plan to get the DVD playback. There's a game called Scorched Earth that I'll be wanting to install. I did manage to get it installed on Slackware using 'rpm2tgz'. Well, I better start working. Edited June 13, 2005 by trigggl

[tranquilo]

You might try switching to runlevel 1 from a console, as root.telinit 1Additionally, you can configure one of the other runlevels to start without X. I believe runlevels 2-5 have a similar configuration by default, with 2 being the default runlevel.Good luck.

[sunrat]

Congratulations on the installation,Greg!While I'm keen to try Sarge, I may wait a bit . Been using SimplyMepis for a while, and can't go past it's "just works" kind of seamlessness in recent releases that I haven't found in most other distros. And with xfce desktop it's fast too.Must be the easiest way to install a Debian based system!

Edited June 13, 2005 by sunrat

[Bruno]

Hi GregMaybe I should share a few notes with you :0 . . . . . about extra sources I added and software I installed: ( seeing you wrote about getting DVD playback )I was able to apt-get install these packages:flashplugin-nonfreemplayer-386 mplayer-fonts mozilla-mplayer w32codecs libdvdcss2After I added these extra sources to /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb http://debian.jones.dk sarge miscdeb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/ unstable maindeb ftp://ftp.nerim.net/debian-marillat/ testing main

Also I did apt-get install ( from the "default" sources . . . if you want me to post them let me know ):sun-j2re1.5 streamtuner gstreamer0.8-pluginslocalepurge aptpt-listbugskofficekoffice-i18n-nlaptitudedpkg-doccdrdaolshwalienartwiz-cursorThen, to get the 2.6 kernel:apt-get install kernel-image-2.6.8-2-386apt-get install kernel-headers-2.6.8-2-386To get cups:apt-get cupsysapt-get cupsys-clientAnd realplayer the usual way ( not apt-get ) from http://software-dl.real.com/139d504010e0d6...layer10GOLD.binCommands: "chmod a+x RealPlayer10GOLD.bin" and "./RealPlayer10GOLD.bin"And finally I made 2 scripts . . . .: A small "xhost +" script in ~/.kde/AutostartAnd a rdate script in /etc/init.d/rdate ( to sinc the time to atomic timeserver) If you want me to go into details about those 2 scripts let me know ;)Have FunB) Bruno

[trigggl]

Thanks for the links Bruno. I would like the links to the default sources.Also, the atomic timeserver would be good, please.

Edited June 13, 2005 by trigggl

[Bruno]

Hi Greg,Here is the info you are looking for . . . The default content of the /etc/apt/sources.list:

deb ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/os/Linux/distr/debian/ sarge maindeb-src ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/os/Linux/distr/debian/ sarge maindeb ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/os/Linux/distr/debian/ sarge contribdeb ftp://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/os/Linux/distr/debian/ sarge non-freedeb http://security.debian.org/ stable/updates main contrib non-free

( Does not have the "extra' sources I posted yesterday )Next, the atomic clock part:

# apt-get install rdate

# vi /etc/init.d/rdate

This is the content of the rdate script:

#!/bin/bashrdate -s clock-1.cs.cmu.edu && hwclock --systohc

( will set the hardwareclock as well, better try the command first in a terminal to see if it gives errors . . . unlikely, but if it does leave off the part after && ) Make it executable:

# chmod 755 /etc/init.d/rdate

Link it to the rcS.d directory:

# ln -s /etc/init.d/rdate /etc/rcS.d/S80rdate

That should do the trick :'( Bruno

[havnblast]

Debian is nice, but the always behind in everything is what made me change from it. The package manager is great and there are many other good things about it. I'm sticking with slackware tho.Slackware is stable and rock solid for me since I went to the 2.6 Kernel. I use it primarily for a server and media streamer. My home stereo is hooked up to my slackware machine and it rotates thru my music collection. I also use it for a web server. I do some html work with it by using quanta plus and of course the gimp for graphics. So please don't be negative or have bad feeling against Slackware, it's a great distro.Good luck with Debian, I'm sure you will enjoy it. I don't know too many people that actually do not like Debian.

[trigggl]

Debian is nice, but the always behind in everything is what made me change from it.  The package manager is great and there are many other good things about it.  I'm sticking with slackware tho.Slackware is stable and rock solid for me since I went to the 2.6 Kernel.  I use it primarily for a server and media streamer.  My home stereo is hooked up to my slackware machine and it rotates thru my music collection.  I also use it for a web server.  I do some html work with it by using quanta plus and of course the gimp for graphics.  So please don't be negative or have bad feeling against Slackware, it's a great distro.Good luck with Debian, I'm sure you will enjoy it.  I don't know too many people that actually do not like Debian.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not totally down on Slackware. It's still technically my main system. I'm not switching over till I can get all my favorite programs on Debian. Ironically, I can't seem to get Scorched3d to load on it. My mail and personal data is still on Slackware. I'm just saying my hardware works a lot better and on the first try with Debian. Maybe I should surrender and just go to Fedora for hardware AND software. RPM seems to be king.

[trigggl]

Next, the atomic clock part:

# apt-get install rdate

# vi /etc/init.d/rdate

This is the content of the rdate script:    ( will set the hardwareclock as well, better try the command first in a terminal to see if it gives errors . . . unlikely, but if it does leave off the part after && )  Make it executable:

# chmod 755 /etc/init.d/rdate

Link it to the rcS.d directory:

# ln -s /etc/init.d/rdate /etc/rcS.d/S80rdate

That should do the trick ;) Bruno

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, Bruno. Now I can't wait to get home from work and I just got here.I just realized this morning why I couldn't get anything to install with 'aptitude'. I finally figured out about "+" and "-" but it still wasn't working. For some reason, I guess because of a num lock setting, the plus and minus on the number pad wasn't affecting the install status of programs. If there's not a tip for aptitude, perhaps I could write one once I get more familiar with it. It's a powerful too, so, of course it's also a dangerous one if you don't know what you're doing. I downloaded 900Mb last night by accident only to not install it. I tried to fix 2 broken programs and that's what caused it. I haven't deselected all those files yet, because I ran out of time this morning.

[rolanaj]

Does this atomic clock take care of the problem with the time always being wrong? Do you have to adjust anything in the bios to get it to work right. I just notice that windows has the correct time and actually so does my debian install, I think I told it during install that the computer was set up to local time. What is the best way to set up the time with your computer based on GMT time or local time?

[Bruno]

If you multiboot multiple distros you better have it set to ¨local time" . . . . .and for rdate to work at boot you need to have a netconnection started at boot as well . . . so for dial-up this is less suited ;)You can sync your time after you have dialed in though, see: http://forums.scotsnewsletter.com/index.ph...14&t=503&st=234 Bruno

[trigggl]

Well, I finally got around to this. I ran /etc/init.d/rdate as root and my time changed to the right time AFAIK. I know my wrist watch is 3 minutes fast and now my computer time is 3 minutes less than my watch. I tried to run it as greg first, but of course, that didn't work.

[mhbell]

Maybe I should surrender and just go to Fedora for hardware AND software.  RPM seems to be king.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Trigg I would not say that any RPM based distro is any better than a Debian based distro for detecting hardware. Over the years I have found that Most Debian based distro's Like Libranet, Xandros, Ubuntu, Linspire. were much better at detecting hardware with a minimun of trouble. Note I said Debian Based. Not Debian itself. The 3.1 and Sarge versions of Debian do a much better job than in the past at detecting hardware, But you still have to know your hardware pretty good to get everything working right. With the exception of the latest version of Fedora and core 3, I have always had problems with the redhat products trying to detect hardware. Suse for me has been great with Yast and YOU. I guess it is different strokes for different folks. YMMV.I just did a Net install of Debian Sarge which I am using now with the Epiphany Web Browser. it is fast and working smooth. much faster than Firefox, But without the Bells and Whistles. It took 5 hours on this slow Wireless connection called Blue Sky to get it installed so I just went to bed and let it download. Got up this morning and here I am. the only thing I had to do so far was to change the sync rate for my monitor and tell it to use NV instead of vesa for my Fuzion GeForce MX4000 Nvidia AGP card. Mel

[trigggl]

Hi Trigg I would not say that any RPM based distro is any better than a Debian based distro for detecting hardware.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I refer to RPM's, I'm referring to apps not hardware. So far, I've had to use an RPM for loading my favorite game. I had to do the same thing in Slackware. Dependencies will kill you when you're trying to compile from source. So far, I'm not having too many problems doing anything I've been able to do on any other distro. I have officially made it my main system. I only switch to Slackware to do updates.By the way, would anyone like to take that over? Slackware aint bad, but I found a new love.

[Bruno]

Woooow . . Greg . . you are serious about this . . . . . you even changed your sig !!! . . . I thought you would be the last to be unfaithful to Slackware :PB) Bruno

[BarryB]

I dunno, I can understand how Greg feels....Debain is nice( I almost don't boot into SuSE very much anymore...though I can't really give a reason for the alure of Debian

[rolanaj]

I notice that debian's default is id:2:initdefault not id:5:initdefault so when adding the nvidia drivers do you still switch to run level 3 or is that different too?

[Bruno]

Hi RolanaSarge indeed did behave a bit odd on the "init 3" command ( did not react at all ) . . . also the Lilo-Trick did not work in level 3 or even 2 . . . . :'(So what I did was: boot up the usual way, then do Ctrl+Alt+F2, log in as root do the install of the drivers and backed up the XF86Config-4 file before I made the needed changes to the original XF86Config-4 file . . . after that I typed "reboot" and saw that the drivers were installed correctly :DB) Bruno

[trigggl]

I notice that debian's default is id:2:initdefault not id:5:initdefault so when adding the nvidia drivers do you still switch to run level 3 or is that different too?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, it's time to learn to do things the Debian way:How I managed to install the nVidia driver.Debian uses

#telinit 1

[Bruno]

Debian uses

#telinit 1

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dang !! You are right Greg !! I forgot about that one ! Bruno