Unfortunately the install side of things i have found to be rather rough at the edges myself. Installed debian over a year ago. And dumped the other OS.
Ive been trying to create potato cd's from a copy on my HDD using "debian-cd" package. Finally mamaged to get it to a state where it creates images. They boot ok but the install seems to have some problems ( may be due to my modifying "debian-cd" trying to get it to work.) Anyway ive given up. Which is unfortunate as ive got 3 mates who now have redhat / mandrake installed. <sigh> and ive got a copy of potato on my HDD bugger. I dont see much point giving them my slink CD's :(. Anyway DEBIAN rocks :) keep up the great work guys. cheers aphro wrote: > On Mon, 14 Feb 2000, Darrington, John wrote: > > john.d >OK, so after 5 years of playing with slackware and Red Hat, I decide > that my > john.d >next OS will be Debian --- I've seen the web page, and like the > philosophy > john.d >and want to get started. The usenet reports that Debian is so > difficult to > john.d >install can't all be true can they? Unfortunately I've found they > are. > > if it makes ya feel any better my first debian install took 3 long days, 1 > day was wasted because of a broken CD(curropted files i will never order > from cheapbytes.com again) the second day was wasted because of a broken > FTP mirror(at the time, metalab.unc.edu i think since the debian mirror > there was removed it was missing at least half of the distribution) the > last day was successful because of a good CD :) > > john.d >I take another look at the Debian Web Site. I see that the words > `Official' > john.d >are reserved for the set that the Debian team produce so I decide > that I > john.d >ought to be getting these. I phone around my home town, but no-one > has a > john.d >set of Debian CDs with the word `official' on the cover. Indeed the > guy on > john.d >the phone seems to think I'm a bit wierd for insisting on this. > After about > john.d >an hour of acute embarrassement I give up and have another look at the > john.d >Debian web site. > > yeah... i think even cheapbytes may be an official distributor, but their > CDs were so broken, and they never replied to my emails or > phonecalls. bastards.. linuxmall.com has good stuff, sofar anyways. > > john.d >There's a list of recommened books which come with CDs. That's what > I > john.d >really need thinks I. So I phone around the technical bookshops and > low and > john.d >behold one of them has a product that I think will get me going: > john.d >Debian GNU/Linux: Guide to Installation and Usage > john.d >Author: John Goerzen and Ossama Othman > john.d >Publisher: New Riders Publishing > john.d >CD Included: one CD > > haven't tried that one, but the one from O'reilley (sp) www.ora.com is > good, step-by-step instrucitons, even an online version available. very > good quality cd. > > john.d >I don't know where that is? I see there is an option `list' which > john.d >automatically detects it so I try that. Apparently it's not there. > Back to > john.d >my other machine, and do a "find" . Sure enough it's not there. > What do I > john.d >do now? I press <F1> like the start up screen told me. nothing > happens. I > john.d >turn to the book. No hints. I spend the next 2 hours rebooting and > trying > john.d >every possible path though the menu. including mounting the CD > manually and > john.d >pointing the install process to the archives. It still wants this > john.d >non-existent file. > john.d >It's time to conclude that perhaps my hardware has some funny > configuration > john.d >which this CD doesn't support. So, I borrow a machine and try again. > Exactly > john.d >the same symptoms. > > bad cd. since debian is non commercial theres no gaurantee made that there > are all good CDs out there, which is too bad at times, it happened to me, > it happened to you..im sure it happens to a lot of people. > > john.d >So after 2 days and $65 I have not managed to get even a login > prompt. For > john.d >that price I could have got RedHat 6.1. > john.d >It's quite a demoralising experience. Are these problems common in > Debian > john.d >installation or is it just me ?? > john.d > > > i wouldn't go so far as to say its a problem with debian, their ISO images > are freely available to download and there are scripts to build an ISO > based on specific packages. clearly some vendors download curropted files > and/or burn bad cds, or burn incomplete CDs. It can cause a major > headache. I have downloaded many debian ISOs since i had access to a fast > net connection and every single one burned perfectly. vendors don't take > enough care(some do, seems linuxmall does) in ensuring that their CDs are > of good quality. > > i have bought 2 copies of the book from www.ora.com and highly reccomend > it. i have done many many installations with those CDs and it goes great > everytime. it is backed by both ORA and VA Linux, and the profits go to > the debian project(it runs about $40) or you can get a good cd from > linuxmall(it was good last time i ordered) for about $2. i dont know if > they ship overseas. > > nate > > ----------------------------------------[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ]-- > Vice President Network Operations http://www.firetrail.com/ > Firetrail Internet Services Limited http://www.aphroland.org/ > Everett, WA 425-348-7336 http://www.linuxpowered.net/ > Powered By: http://comedy.aphroland.org/ > Debian 2.1 Linux 2.0.36 SMP http://yahoo.aphroland.org/ > -----------------------------------------[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ]-- > 10:43pm up 178 days, 10:59, 1 user, load average: 1.01, 1.06, 1.02 > > -- > Unsubscribe? mail -s unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] < /dev/null