Or if you don't use Gnome (to do it the debian way) remove the CD/DVD lines from /etc/apt/sources.list and then update your sources with apt-get update. Just be sure you have the repos so you can install softwares in the future from the internet.

I enjoy debian, I use the Debian Sid with Sidux and the du-fixes-h2 script for updating and other fun activities like getting the latest graphics driver and installing a new kernel, because it is self updating distro you never have to install over it with a new release, the release is the same as your up to date distribution upgrade and is done with the script in init 3, this is confusing to new users of this fine distro but once you understand how much simpler it is to use the script to keep your install up to date you won't want to use anything else.
I really enjoy Etch but it is too slow moving and my itch to try something new all the time just doesn't get satisfied with it.

I said earlier that one of the reasons I wanted to support Debian was because of the work that the developers do to make it great. I want to quote an extract that appeared in the French magazine Linux+ a couple of months ago with Julien Blanche, president of the French Debian Association. This interview was one of the things that motivated me to switch to Debian. I'll quote it in French first, then I'll provide a translation:

Here is my translation:

Of course, this is only one interview, but I found it worrying. I don't take back anything I said earlier: Ubuntu is excellent, and I would always wholeheartidly recommend it, especially to beginners. But a lot of this excellence, if not most of it, comes from Debian, and it seems very unfair if it's true that Ubuntu doesn't give something back in return. After all, that's what's Linux is about, isn't it? Mutual aid rather than profiteering. At least, I thought it was.

I have bounced around different distros over the past couple of years. I seem to have an affinity for the Debian derivatives. I installed 4.0 as soon as it came out and then recently ran across Kubuntu feisty (hate their names). So far I love it and use the Debian dvd as a software source. BTW, not being an expert I did run into some hassles trying to install some "non-free" packages (realplayer, etc)in Debian.

Just add the non-free repo to your sources... Like so:

/etc/apt/sources.list

Debianites can get into fierce arguments about whether or not the various "releases" (Stable, Testing, Unstable) should be mixed.

It is universally understood that mixing .deb file across Distros (Debian, Kubuntu) will sooner or later create an unrecoverable mess.

'Tis very true. I've used Ubuntu package son Debian, and Debian packages on Ubuntu and they worked just fine, until one day one or the other distro does a major upgrade (like Etch going stable) which will cause the other distro to go flying out of control. True story, happened to me.

great thought IMO :-)


well, Ubuntu is super-friendly OS (like Windows) whereas Debian is user-friendly OS. Ubuntu is derived from Debian so Debian is Father :-) i used Sarge for 6 months, with GNOME running on Debian, you can find all those point-and-click GUIs like Network-Administration, Printing (nearly all sysconfig)

easy to configure --- YES
stable --- ?

my experience says Debian is one of the extremely stable and reliable OSs you can find on this planet :-)

i am a copyleft lover and i ditch Suse for M$-Novell deal, deal is enough to kill users like you.

can't help you here but i am UNIX user from a long time and i am sure this nVIDIA problem is not a big one :-)

well, i found Debian a user friendly distro and as i said less friendlier than Ubuntu.

James, you have used GNU for some some time and i think you are ready to take on a Debian ride. just download netinst CD of Debian Etch and ride on :-)

Just found this thread, and very interesting it is too!

My trusty Linux machine has 11 partitions and 7 different systems on it.
Windows is still there (but never used). I dallied with Mepis for a while - quite nice, but no support for my SCSI kit unless I mess with packages from other distros.
Fedora has been good. (k)Ubuntu seems a bit basic by comparison with Fedora and Debian. I have Debian stable and unstable on separate partitions. SuSe is there but unused.

I've been stunned by the amount of supremely competent software for Debian, to be had for the minimal effort of a search inside Kpackage. Windows doesn't come close, and costs vastly more for stuff that's no more competent.

My conclusion: I like Kpackage and what it can do immensely. There's nothing like that for Fedora, hence Debian wins the beauty contest for me. Others will think differently, no doubt.

Thanks for these replies arnuld and Keithj. Actually, they come a bit late because I took the decision to install Debian on my machine a couple of weeks ago. I did have some problems at the beginning, but they're mostly sorted out now. My conclusion thus far? This is by far the best Linux distro I've tried, and, as it stands, I really can't imagine myself using anything else.
I agree with what you said about Suse, arnuld: I always had these copyright issues at the back of my mind while I was using it. Novell did, after all, sign a pact with the devil not that long ago. I think a lot of people in the Linux community, myself included, will never forgive that.

can you use ubuntu packages on debian?

My statement goes both ways. I've done ubuntu packages on debian and I've done debian packages on ubuntu. Sooner or later, one of those distros are going to have a major upgrade, and from my experiences, the one that didnt get upgraded will break.

Also, it's usually harder to get an ubuntu package to install onto debian mostly because ubuntu uses newer packages int he repo which debian does not have yet. Last time I tried it I tried getting xorg-driver-fglrx from ubuntu onto debian and I ended up having to upgrade a LOT of debian packages from experimental just to get it to install. Not worth the hassel.

Debian's beautiful and a kitten. It's only the installer that's unfrienly.

I don't know when all you people installed Debian the last time but to me the installer doesn't look any different than any other installer out there.

install gentoo :-) NOT using the gui