Is there an easy way to get debian started with programs like mandrake installs?
 

When I install fedora or mandrake it works out of the box, codecs, xmms, dvds, fonts are nice, and overall everything works.

With debian, sure its nice with the apt-get but it seems like id be doing that forever to get most of everything i need. Things like gxine not working even though i did apt-get gxine, can't get out of kde and into init 3, can't get a mozilla icon for some reason, missing a lot of programs, grub won't boot my 98, java, flash will not work yet.

Can anyone recommend like a list in order of what to apt-get for the typical desktop system.

It's hard to explain. Fedora and Mandrake work out of the box, debian doesn't. I just want a guide/list to make debian work like mandrake and fedora.

Thanks

debian woody is awesome for the mission-critical server, but it sucks on the desktop...

a debian-based distro might be a better idea for a desktop debian system... some examples:

http://www.libranet.com/

http://www.mepis.org/

http://www.knoppix.com/


if the main thing you like about debian is apt, note that you can install an apt clone on lots of distros... for example:

fedora, apt4rpm: http://yarrow.freshrpms.net/rpm.html?id=1047

slackware, slapt-get: http://software.jaos.org/



you might also be interested in something like bonzai linux... it's a low-fat debian woody with a few nice tweaks to the installer (hardware auto-detection among other things), and a full-blown kde out-of-the-box... it all fits on a 180mb cd... the cool thing about bonzai is you end-up with a more "pure" debian... it's not so much a debian-based distro, it's more like a modifed debian woody...

http://developer.berlios.de/projects/bonzai/


some bonzai reviews:

http://cahtech.beigetower.org/reviews/bonzai32.php

http://technotux.com/html/modules.ph...rtid=55&page=1

Re: Is there an easy way to get debian started with programs like mandrake installs?
 

i am runnning debian right out from the box.......the main difference is that debian is really not a beginners linux.....i have been using linux for years....started with RH5 and fininished with fedora.....all were good...but debian runs flawlessly....and never had a problem with recompiles.......only problem i had was installing nvidia video card.....i had to manually tell debian the location on the bus for the card...no big problem....

i have abandon RH / Fedora.....too much like M$oft marketing stategy....:)

you will only learn linux by using it...and not by letting it install itself....:rolleyes:

Thanks for the replies. :) I will try it for a little while longer, few weeks to a month I guess. Then if I don't end up with a good desktop debian system, I will just switch over to suse or mandrake, or a debian based distro.

Thanks again.

let us know how it goes, anything you need please don't hesitate to post here!!!

=)


also, consider Slackware, LQ's Member's Choice Awards Distribution of the Year...

=)

You might like Mepis.I do.

2004.05 beta 3 Mepis is great! I've dumped my 2003.10 Mepis system for the latest beta because it works better than the nonbeta and I now have the 2.6.4 kernel with kde 3.2.2 working perfectly together and all my hardware detected. Before I could never get my printer to work and it was recognized right out of the box with the new beta. Also, sound and ethernet worked out of the box with the 2.6.4 kernel where before whenever I wanted to install and use that kernel, I could never get the sound at least to work. Try the latest beta of Mepis if you want an out of the box debian unstable based distro that works great, at least it is for me. :D

Ok, I am trying debian and I just have a few questions.

When I do apt-get remove mozilla, how come mozilla still works?
I did apt-get clean mozilla (hope that didn't brake anything..) Do I have to delete the folder?

Also, when I do apt-get install gimp, I don't see the icon in the kde menu. Is there a way to put it there?

How do you install .deb files?

Thanks

In terminal try ; man dpkg
I have the beta 3 also and I'm in hog heaven!!!

so using apt-get it would be:

apt-get install pkg <name>.deb

I tried that but it did not work.

I also tried

apt-get install <name>.deb

with no luck

Try apt-get update and then
apt-get install synaptic then type
synaptic
let me know what happins,david

Debian isn't really easy to setup if your used to distros like mandrake. I just switched to debian a while ago (used to use mandrake). There's a lot to learn but it's worth it. Debian is far superior imo.

I usually start with just a base install and then use apt-get for everything. I download these: vim, x-window-system, gcc, g++, linux-kernel-headers, module-init-tools, kernel-kbuild, locales, xfonts-base, xfonts-base-transcoded, xfonts-75dpi, xfonts-75dpi-transcoded, xfonts-100dpi, xfonts-100dpi-transcoded, libmikmod2 (for xmms, otherwise it won't work), cdrdao, make, irssi-text, alsa, alsa-base, alsaconf, alsa-utils, xmms, vorbis-tools, gnome, grip, k3b, mplayer-i586, xine-ui, ssh and the newest kernel-image. Then you might want to use bastille for automatic security hardening. If something doesn't work you can reconfigure the package by typing dpkg-reconfigure packetname

And check /etc/rc[enter a number here].d <-- the service links are there. You can edit those. The default initlevel is set in /etc/inittab. I for example prefer to have my system boot to the command line mode, and then manually start x. Much easier to install nvidia drivers etc then.

This isn't really a good guide or anything but I hope this helps :) Also you might want to check out distros like MEPIS

edit: about apt-get: you don't have to type the .deb. First add good sources to /etc/apt/sources.list and then run apt-get update. After that you can install software by typing apt-get install xmms , for example. (and remove with apt-get remove xmms)

to apt-get install any package, all you need is the package name without the.deb at the end.

For example:

apt-get update (do this first!)

apt-get install mozilla

apt-get install mozilla-firefox

apt-get install (any other name of a package that you want)

If you want to install whatever upgrades are available do:

apt-get upgrade

or

apt-get dist-upgrade

To remove packages:

apt-get remove mozilla (or any package name you want to remove)

I believe you can also use

apt-get remove --purge mozilla

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong...I have just used the apt-get remove command and had the package removed.

Thanks, I was refering to installing a .deb file that I downloaded. I use apt-get for everything else though.

Also, thank you for the small guide vrin. Is there a site that tells you what most of the programs you mentioned do? I would think the xfonts give you new fonts. G++ is a compiler. K3b burns cds.

Although I am not sure what some of the other stuff like alsa, ssh, vorbis-tools, inux-kernel-headers, module-init-tools, kernel-kbuild, locales.

There also seems to be a lot of stuff that has the word font in it. Is it to make the fonts look better?


Other than that, all is well.
Only thing is the nvidia drivers. Not sure why those don't want to install when 53.36 linux driver says it supports 2.6 kernels. Anyone else have these installed?

And the dual boot with 98 on the other hd, which just says whats posted in the grub config file i think it is. Which is chainloader +1 and whatever else is in the file.

vorbis-tools helps you when you want to work with ogg audio files. alsa is a sound system module that you can use with your sound card. linux kernel headers will give you the headers files for your kernel, mod-init-tools is what you need to install if you are upgrading your kernel to 2.6 series.

if you already downloaded the deb you want to install, use dpkg...

dpkg -i example.deb


apt-get uses only the package name, without the ".deb" to start downloading and installing what you need... for example:

apt-get install example


and NOT:

apt-get install example.deb

"vim, x-window-system, gcc, g++, linux-kernel-headers, module-init-tools, kernel-kbuild, locales, xfonts-base, xfonts-base-transcoded, xfonts-75dpi, xfonts-75dpi-transcoded, xfonts-100dpi, xfonts-100dpi-transcoded, libmikmod2 (for xmms, otherwise it won't work), cdrdao, make, irssi-text, alsa, alsa-base, alsaconf, alsa-utils, xmms, vorbis-tools, gnome, grip, k3b, mplayer-i586, xine-ui, ssh "

vim = vi improved, a text editor. Type "vi filename" to open a file, then press "insert" to switch to edit mode. After you've made your changes press "esc" that you can type :wq to save or if you want to quit without saving type :q!

x-window-system = the graphical environment, you also need a desktop environment like kde or gnome, or a window manager like fluxbox. This will also install xfs = x font server, which you will need in order to get X working.

gcc = compiler, you need this to install stuff from source code.

module-init-tools = to be honest I'm not quite sure what it does but it seems to be necessery for 2.6 kernels :)

kernel-kbuild/make/g++ = related to compiling, you need at least some of these (propably all, not sure) in order for the nvidia driver to work, for example make isn't at least in the default sarge base install.

locales = sets the language/keyboard settings, I need to reconfigure this to get öä working. If your keyboard works and you get no errors while installing packages you can ignore this.

xfonts-base/xfonts-100-dpi/xfonts-100-dpi-transcoded etc = fonts for the XFS (x font server) I'm not quite sure what these individual packages contain but after I install them all the fonts work great.

xmms + libmikmod2 = xmms is a winamp style program, and it needs the libmikmod2 library to work (at least mine did, not sure why apt-get didn't download it as a dependency.

cdrdao = k3b needs this, this is the program k3b uses to burn CD:s (as far as I know).
K3b = in my opinion the best CD-burner software there is. It's a qt program (KDE)

irssi-text = irc client, ie, internet relay chat. A chat program that works even without X (the graphical environment). So if something doesn't work you can always come to irc and ask for help.

make = needed to install software from source/compiling, also the nvidia installer needs this.

alsa, alsa-base etc = advanced linux sound architecture I think? This is the linux sound system. It's standard for 2.6 kernels as far as I know

alsaconf = after you've installed all the alsa stuff, you can configure alsa with this. Just load the necessary modules and then run alsaconf, it should autodetect your card and set it up. After this you need to run alsamixer in order to unmute your sound.

vorbis-tools = needed for .ogg files, and contains tools for them. For example ogg123 is part of this package, which lets you listen to .ogg files even without X.

gnome = gnome desktop environment, most people prefer kde, you can apt-get that too.

grip = CD ripping tool, you can convert CD:s to mp3/ogg with this.

mplayer-i586 = i586 (pentium?) version of the popular media player

xine-ui = another media player, very good looking and "it just works" :)

ssh = ssh server, if you want to log on to your system from another computer. Be sure to configure it correctly, the config file is /etc/ssh/sshd_config. You might not need this program at all.

about the nvidia drivers: I have them, and works fine with 2.6.5 standard debian kernel-image. You need to download make, gcc, g++, kernel-headers for your kernel and the kernel source in order for it to work. Then just edit the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file.

I'm propably wrong about some of these, so please correct me if you see anything that isn't right, still learning debian myself :)

Vim has its own tutorial,in terminal type vimtutor and practice,david

Thanks, that helps a lot. I will be sure to install those packages.

To get info about an interesting program you've heard about, do "apt-cache search <keyword>". For more info about the available options for apt-cache, do "apt-cache --help".

To find out what packages are already installed to your computer, do "dpkg -l | more". For more info about the available options for dpkg, do "dpkg --help".

You can find out the available options for any command by doing "<commandname> --help".

well, i was going to post something here...but saw that it was pointless...

"Thanks, I was refering to installing a .deb file that I downloaded. I use apt-get for everything else though."

Read the sticky:

Debian Configuration Post-Install

at the top of this page.

Re: Re: Is there an easy way to get debian started with programs like mandrake instal
 

Actually, I think Debian should be THE beginner's linux. When you install Debian, you are forced to custom configure it by virtue of it's install methid and apt. This is what lured me to Debian in the first place. I had started with Mandrake with no prior Linux knowledge and got frustrated by not knowing what was going on under the hood. I then tried Redhat but didn't care to have everything including the kitchen sink installed (I didn't know what to tell it not to install). I tried Slack - didn't get far on the install (more my fault than Slack's I'm sure). Tried Gentoo -liked it but consistently broke the networking after the install and didn't have the knowhwo to fix it. Then tried Debian and was hooked. This was the perfect Linux distro in my opinion. I had to build from the ground up. I have often times said that I should try Slack again or really learn Redhat but just never do. I'm a Debian man.

To install a .deb
dpkg -i file.deb

To search for a package
apt-cache search package