Dear Friends,

Instead of posting multiple threads I would like to post all of my problems here. Patience needed

1 - I had been using Linux Mint 7 Universal for the last 5 months. It is great, indeed. With wine it works awesome. One faithful day (Yesterday) I decided to go with Debian 5. I wanted to install Debian 5 i386 32 bit software but the screen was frozen at the very first stage as soon as I restarted the computer. I tried 2-3 times and even though I pressed "enter" key nothing happened, I think my keyboard was also frozen. When I tried to setup from the DVD #1 after running Linux Mint, a message says "Your computer is 64 bit. Try 64 bit software but this 32 bit DVD is also fine".

So from this notice I realized my machine is 64 bit. Intel Pentium Dual Core Inside, built up, 500 GB HD with super multi DVD Drive. I also tried ia64 and same thing happened. I didn't try amd64. Is amd64 good for AMD Athlon 64 bit? In short, how can I install Linux Debian 5 in my machine, please?

2 - I am having hard time when trying to open/exctract .rar and/or .zip files. Any Linux programs/applications to solvbe this problem?

3 - I also tried to install Debian 5 and today Debian 4 after reformatting my Linux Mint 7 with Linux Ubuntu 8, but same thing happened and I couldn't install Linux Debian.

Now I am using Linux Ubuntu 8 and at the same time downloading Linux Mint 8 in case I can't succeed to install Debian Linux. But Linux Ubuntu doesn't recognize 2 of my 3 external hard drives while Linux Mint does. I am a bit confused.

Thanks a lot for your precious helps and time.

Serdal

For your Intel 64-bit CPU you'll want the "amd64", not "ia64". See for example Wikipedia on x86_64 for more information. If the 32-bit version won't start, chances are neither will the 64-bit; your problems there aren't (or should I say I do not think they are) related to the amount of bits, but something else. Debian users will be of better help, my guess is that some hardware of yours is not "compatible" with the installer, but typically it only means you'll have to figure out what, then get past it (for example disable it for the time being) and after setup fix it. I've had problems getting X start on many graphical installers on certain graphics hardware, but almost every time a text based install and post-installation configuration has done the trick.

For zip packages you usually use zip and unzip, for rar packages rar and unrar. I know there are some options for rar packages, in the past there were anyway...some worked better than others. Are you sure the packages you are trying to use are "standard" zip/rar packages and not something special (some archive programs *can* create files that you cannot open with any tool around, I've bumped into this in the past -- luckily not many times, though).

You shouldn't erase your OS at least before you know your next OS installer starts good luck with Debian, don't be put off if there are some minor bumps in the road...

Dear Bouncer,

Thank you very much for your precious time.

All right, I will try 86 amd64 softwares. I hope it will work. Ubuntu and Mint I am using are also i386 32 bit but they work. I will download 86 amd64 and I hope this time I will get it done.

Yes, they are in .rar or .zip format and quite often I am not able to open or extract them, almost all the time.

I will keep updating you how the things go.

Very Best Regards . . .

Serdal

Dear Bouncer,

All right, I tried Debian Linux v.5.04 amd64 CD1 and I experienced the same problem: When I rebooted the computer in the very first step when it asked me to "press enter to continue installation or tab key to....." I repeatedly pressed the enter key and nothing happened, in fact the entire computer and keyboard looked frozen. I rebooted and pressed the enter key and this time waited for about 15 minutes with a hope the installation to start but no luck!

This happened, as I mentioned before, with i386 and ia64 as well. And I noticed the screen was shaking vertically.

Now I will go back to Linux Mint but this time v.8. I don't experience such thing with either Linux Mint or Linux Ubuntu. I am unlucky I guess.

very Best Regards . . .

Serdal