Hi All,
I've been using Linux for around 4 years now, and I've played with several
distributions but my main machine has always been running Redhat or
Mandrake (currently it is Redhat 6.2). I now have two weeks before I leave
for work in London, so I'd like to use some of this time to upgrade the OS
on my box (a no-name P200). On my "server" (a ICL P60, with a massive 140Mb
hard drive and what seems to be an almost bombproof case - it weighs twice
as much as my no-name) Debian was the only distribution that I could get
installed and since then the box has happily been running. This fact and
recommendations from others have persuaded me to install Debian on my main box.
Getting Debian is easy, but from experience of my server I know that Debian
doesn't do as much for you, compared to the Redhat and Mandrake installers.
So what I am looking for are hints and tips, I have a few specific
questions but I would greatly appreciate and general help.
It might help if I specify what I need from this computer. This is where I
do most of my work, so it is a general purpose system. So I need X and a
window manager (the machine is not exactly fast so I use Xfce at the
moment, but I could use others), and plenty of programming tools C, Perl,
Python etc.. and anything else that would be of use to a Computing Student
and geek.
My specific questions regard things that I have not tried on my server, but
that I need on my main box.
Firstly I need X, and Redhat's sets up GDM and the X server all by itself,
but with Debian do I have to do this manually?
Also I need to print via a shared HP 1100 on a Windows machine, again
Redhat did an excellent job of setting this up with ghostscript, so all I
have to do is type "lpr filename.ps" and it will use ghostscript convert it
to HP PCL and then use Samba to send it to the printer, by way of a huge
shell script. Can Debian do the same without me having to recreate a 376
line shell script.
As well as these questions I am sure there are many problems I will
encounter so I would appreciate any information/links that you think will
be useful.
Although I've used Linux for quite some time, since I am new to Debian I
think a book would be a good idea, particularly one explaining the Debian
specific features like apt and dselect, which seem powerful tools, but
dangerous to those who don't understand them (I would be in this category).
So I am looking for a recommendation of a good book for someone like me.
Thanks in advance,
Steven.
--
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
web: http://www.murdomedia.net/
PGP/GnuPG keys: http://www.murdomedia.net/keys.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.lug.org.uk http://www.linuxportal.co.uk
http://www.linuxjob.co.uk http://www.linuxshop.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------
