About Debian Installation
 

I read from the net,
it says that CD1 and CD2 would be enough to cover most popular softwares, right?

You wont need 2CDs. You dont actually even need CD#1, installing from the 'netinstall' .iso works.

The only reason to get CD#1 and CD#2 is if you were going to do a multipule installs, or offline installs, or have a very slow internet speed, or a small max download quota.

My internet at home is slow.
Normally I downloaded it in office, just click the download by 5pm and leave it until tomorrow morning and I will get the *.iso files I want to burn.
Debian is very awesome, so many CDs and DVDs too.

Most of the time, I dont even need to use CD#2.

You could probably just get CD#1. Or if you want to get a bit more, and save yourself 'insert disc #2' hassle you could just get DVD#1.

I for one would download CD1 and install, then have a look. It already contains a lot.
In case that is not sufficient (in case you miss applications you need), you can go here:
http://www.debian.org/CD/jigdo-cd/
scroll down to "Search content of CD images", enter the name of the app and will get to know on which CD it is.

This link is a bit old, but it might help you anyway:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=56275

Debian looks very simple gui, not beautiful.
Can we make it stylish and beautiful, using themes?

You can actually do more under Debian than you can under Ubuntu.

Ubuntu spends their time and energy on eye candy.

Debian spends theirs on trying to have the OS work. They figure you can do your own eye candy.

Look through the themes in the repos. Check out http://gnome-look.org/.

Background for grub is as simple as dropping a .png or .jpg into your /boot/grub file and running "update-grub".

Gdm background is found in /usr/share/images/desktop-base. The config file is /usr/share/gdm/greeter-config/10_desktop-base and 20_debian.

I put in a new directory "holding" in the desktop-base directory and dump all default stuff in there then add my images to desktop-base.

The config files have other options in them too that you may be interested in.

Ubuntu figures you are an idiot. Debian figures you are a Linux user.

Have fun with it.

i will run debian live cd

There's nothing wrong with a Live CD, but installing the NetInstallation or CD1 and then using
is all you really need.

Aptitude requires an internet connection and unless CD1 or the NetInstallation (NetInstall definitely doesn't) have a wireless network manager, then you'll want to hook up your internet via ethernet and then use that to get a wireless network manager.

Just so you're warned, NetInstallation comes with very very little. It's meant for you to customize what you want with aptitude.

What is that for a mess?
- no idea why one would compare a live-CD with an installation CD
- "apt-get install package" is one method to install a package. It is not specific to any installation medium.
- per default Debian does not use sudo, and it is usually good to keep the defaults
- aptitude doesn't require internet connection, CDs would work too.
- a netinstall-CD is meant to ... well.. install via the net. It will install what you tell it to install. It is not smaller or bigger in the result if one chooses the same packages.

As a matter of fact I can't stand sudo. I like a root prompt myself.

The net install is usually smaller as most folks that use it are trying to keep bloat down. That said, mine tend to be bigger as I install my own bloat (of course it is not bloat because I installed it - right).

I do prefer apt-get to aptitude (or using dpkg straight up, never fooled with deselct) but aptitude has its attractions (keep-all to break up meta packages is sweet - I haven't broken anything with it. Yet.).

My main reason for using net install is that I can install very fast and then go back to my usual OS and finish the install from there (chroot) and run boinc and listen to tunes and anything else that I may want to do.

Personally, I prefer installing with the DVD. It has everything one needs, and if up-dates are downloaded during installation, only a few up-dates are needed. (Only a few minutes, even with a slow connection.) CD1 has fewer files, so there is more to download, either during installation or after.

Like that I will download the DVD1, 4.3GB, awesome to me due to my internet is slow, 1 day is needed for downloading. :(

---------- Post added 08-07-11 at 08:46 AM ----------

Can you tell me why do you prefer Debian rather than Ubuntu? What are the advantages?

No. It is not true. You need the first DVD or CD of the set to do an install (or a netinst CD).

Yes. If you use this along with the first DVD or CD to install, then some of the packages installed may be newer. A full install with just the update DVD is not possible, however. You can also use all eight DVDs along with the update DVD to install Debian, which will give more potential variety, and some newer software, then will just installing with the first DVD (aka DVD1). However, no install is possible unless you have either DVD1 or CD1 (IE, even if you have DVD2 to DVD7, along with the update DVD, you still would not be able to install due to not having DVD1.

Your best bet is to either order Debian DVDs online for mail delivery (which is what I did), or to go to an internet cafe or library with internet access and download it from there.