I already know that the g1 has a dumb linux on it. So how can I make it "smarter" I'll used debian but it doesn't work for me. What else do I use?????

I'm not sure, but it seems like you're in a little over your head. Do you mean that you tried to put Debian on your G1 and failed (I have no clue if one can even do that), or tried it normally on a computer and ran into problems? What are you trying to do with your G1?

I got debian to work on my g1. I want to do is get debian and the android linux to work togther. So if I reboot my phone I can choose between the android or the linux. If I learned how to do this I can probably make at g1 a full linux supporter... I wanted to know how to make debian to the current linux.

Googled this up for you. Have you tried that? Looks exceedingly complicated, though, and some of the information is dated enough that you'll need to find new workarounds.

Are there packages to send/receive calls and text for Debian on the G1?

No doesn't replace the android. It is downloaded in a different folder in your g1.

In later models the telnetd 'software flaw' has been sorted out, and that trick no longer functions, from what I read.

Did anyone simply hack the android source, e.g. putting in a known password for root?

Editing the source code will take forever and creates a lot of problem...I think we should dualboot debian on the g1

I think that's what we all want to do. It's just that the telenetd trick doesn't work on the newer phones, so you can't get root. I have the HTC Hero, and telnetd does not work on this. There is need for a new way of getting root, without bricking the phone. Hence my query.

I wish this thread didnt die short its a great idea i too have an android and in my mistake i some how eneded up with debian on my andoid but just in terminal x was not configured and over wifi i could not get apt-get to install nor alot of other features. If anyones interested we can all chat n try to accomplish this. I have just the standard g1 atm its 1.0 fw and i gotta reflash the recovery to get my nandroid back up back in lets just say i screwed something simple up.

Well, I can update you a little. I now have my phone rooted.
If you hold down camera as you power, you get the versions of essential programs in fastboot mode.

My Spanish Telerfonica Movistar htc dream responds like a Canadian 'Rogers Dream'. I have Cyanogenmod loaded instead of the basic OS
http://www.cyanogenmod.com
and we are in business

Debian, afaik, is a completely separate system more akin to windows/linux dual boot. Have you a link for their project on the android? Do they have one?

As for wifi, what does 'iwconfig' show?

Atm the phones in the box i bought it as an experiment on a two year contract bummer. I am planning to reinstall cyanogens newest mod asap. I just hold the two buttons to put it in re overy mode and boot the cyanogen mod it installs then i install my typical apps and it starts running slow. Anyway around this?

What Cyanogen Mod? It's up to 4.2.5 now.

Once installed, I boot straight into cyanogenmod. Because google got narky with him, it is now distributed as
two zips
1. Bits under licenses other than gpl
2. Cyanogen's stuff which you install on top

http://www.cyanogenmod.com/wiki

Well update had a little problem doing the update zip. When I last wiped my sd card and phone it wiped my moded recovery tool with nandroid and apply any zip. Now when I rename cyanogens mod to update.zip (I tried them all) I get an error at line 5 bootloader.sh I think. Ill reflash the recovery if I can I don't know if I can do that with out a rooted phone. It might also be cause my sd cards formatted to ext2 and fat but that might have nothing to do with it and cyanogens newest updates ate only available with cmupdater so you'd already have to have it installed then update. I really like his with the themes to that intergrate to his mod instead of the stupid home after market junk you gotta pay for.

I hit that too. Often, a wipe solves it (alt-W in recovery mode). It's also handy to have adb or fastboot around.

Android hackers are the most verbose set of people on the planet. You'ss find PLENTY (TOO MUCH imho) written alreqady, and every conceivable question is already answered several times.