I'm a Slackware junkie, but would like to download and give Debian a shot. However, imagine my surprise and dismay when I saw downloads of 14 (!!!) ISO images! Slackware is 2. This leads me to believe that many of the Debian CDs are intended for very specific applications or circumstances, but I wasn't able to find anything in the FAQ or documenation on debian's site about which CDs are for what.

What CDs should I download to perform a fairly complete installation on a commonplace x86 box? All 14?

The 14 CD set contains all of the software and sources that could possibly be installed on a Debian system. Slackware's packaged CD set contains 4 disks, so they both offer more than is necessary to just install a desktop envrionment. The best way to install Debian is to use the Net-Install CD. This CD contains the base system and the initial configuration scripts. The remainder is downloaded based upon what type of desktop you would prefer.

If you are on dial-up or don't have an internet connection, then you really only need the first two ISO images. However, you may still need to download some updates and other applications that you find necessary.

Debian Installer Download Page

Cool- thanks for the help Xian. (I could imagine the people at work if I were to download 14 ISOs; they're POed enough with 1 or 2... I've got a T1 at work, but dial-up at home, which is where I'd be installing, so a net install is out of the question.)