So I've been using Slackware for the past decade-and-a-bit. Recently I downloaded a set of Lenny isos to try Debian. I was very impressed by the installer overall. It has come a long, long way since I first tried Debian in the late 90's.

Anyhow, there are 6 DVDs in the set, but I was never prompted to swap discs, except for the part where the package manager wanted to "index" them. So how do I tell it to install everything? Do I really have to look through the whole list and decide what I want, package by package?

But you don't want it to install everything. Do you want and Gnome and KDE and XFCE and LXDE and Fluxbox and [insert 400 other window managers here]? The DVDs only exist so you can have a local repository in case you can't go online (or if you are trying to set up your own mirror of the full package archives).

The reason that the DVDs were "indexed" is that you can now tell aptitude or apt-get to use the DVDs rather than downloads. But frankly, you may find that approach rather irritating. Imagine responding to "package foo requires DVD bar. Please insert it and press OK to continue.", package after package... That's why most prefer using just the first cd or even the minimal install cd and use the internet from there.

Yes I do. I set aside a 125gb partition and all...
Yes.

How do I do it?

I take it you have no internet connection available?,hence the reason you are installing from the dvd's.
AFAIK there is no one 'install everything' command for Debian,you do realize that Debian has something in the region of 25,000 packages in its repositories.

What have you installed already?,did you install using the desktop option from the installer?.

Well: You have asked.
There is no install-everything option, so open Synaptic and install
gnome-desktop-environmnet
xfce4
xfce4-goodies
kde
lxde
Smash in some window-managers, say
fluxbox
icewm
e16
awesome
ratpoison

Once that is done have a look and re-think if thats really what you want.

Like said: You can't install all of the ~25000 packages. Some exclude others.
You can install all of the environments (kde,gnome, xfce,lxde) and a lot of window-managers.
It doesn't make any sense in my eyes. As an example you will end with several editors (leafpad, mousepad, kedit, kwrite, gedit...) which all do the same.

What I typically do with Debian installs is this:

Burn a NET Install Disc - This requires an internet connection to install from it, hence the name, net install.

Once you go through and format your drive, write the filesystem to disc, and the base system is installed, you will be presented w/a menu (if you chose the gui of the installation) that lets you select by hitting the space bar after highlighting the item "Desktop Manager" or something very similar - which by default, it installs Gnome.

There are several other options, such as web server, database server, mail server etc. There is also a typical system setup option, or something similar. Regardless of what I want to use my install for (web server, whatever) I choose only the essential packages in order to get up and running. This saves on download time for the install.

So if you're looking to install a web server - wait until your GUI is installed then use apt/aptitude to install. That's how I do it anyway.

Unless of course, you don't care for a gui on the server set up.. You get the idea.

If you're running a newer system w/newer hardware like a network printer or plan on using wifi, I would suggest installing Squeeze as opposed to Lenny. Lenny is stable, but so is squeeze. Squeeze offers much more than Lenny, as I recently upgraded and am loving it.

[edit]
If you do decide to go with squeeze - wired networks are not managed by network manager by default. It even tells you that which I think is pretty dang cool. You have two options in order to get your wired connection up and rolling.

What I did was this:
open /etc/NetworkManager/nm-system-settings.conf & change managed=false to managed=true
This is what the file should look like after edit. Remember to bk it up first "just in case".
The reboot your system or restart network manager.

The other option; Which i can't recall off the top of my head, can be easily found by a simple google.com/linux search.

You can't install everything. Some packages conflict.

Anyway forget about windowmanagers, what about all the different MTAs, web servers, database servers, telephony, firewall scripts, every single language, support for hardware you don't have, compilers, libraries, headers, documentation (in languages you don't read) ... the list goes on.

Could you tell us why you want to install *everything*?

Evo2.

Why not?

What better way to gain exposure to a wide variety of software packages?

Maybe I don't want absolutely everything. Is there a way to install an entire "series" of packages, eg. compilers, games, etc?

Having something installed won't teach you about it: configuring and using it will.

You could have a look tasksel. However, my suggestion would be to get into the habit of using "apt-cache search" and "apt-cache show", then install/configure/use whatever interests you.

Evo2.

... and you can configure and use something that's not installed?

So, basically, what you're telling me is that I have to look through the whole list of 25,000 packages and manually pick what I want. Doing this in my spare time, it'll take weeks if not months...

While most things have been covered here, and don't take this wrong, I love Debian but have you any idea of the pure amount of disk swapping that you are going to be doing? That is simply going to take hours just from swapping disks, seriously!! Unfortunantly, Debian's install algerithems do not just fetch the packages needed all at once off each CD/DVD incerted.

As pointed out, installing multiple packages that do the same thing is really unnessary. Further more, and asside from listed conflicts that will stop you from installing "all" packages, the reprocussions of installing multiple DHCP clients alone will likely leave your system unable to connect to anything else. Although you can install more than one http server, doing so will mean that several of them wont work until you have configured them to use differnt ports than their defaults. FTP servers will be the same way, etc, etc.

Never the less, if you "insist" you can open aptitude in UI mode, scroll down to the availible tasks and tick each one off. While not installing anywhere near "everything" it will automate a good chunk of the install process giving you "most" of the "most common" GUIs and their common apps/packages. Likewise you can go through and tick off each section using the plus (+) key to select the rest of things. Aptitude is very good at handling package dependances and conflicts, you may still have to do some manual package management but it will handle "most" of it for you. Enabling the online repos will reduce "some" of the disk-swapping nightmare you will be facing as it will pull any newer/updated packages straight from the net. You will get any security updates or other package updates so that would be a good thing.

Might I also suggest... Why stop at just the 20,000+ packages in just "main"... You might as well add contrib and non-free repos to your capabilities. Also, Debian Multi-Media has an aditional bunch of extra packages you could get as well.

I use to have this mind-set back when I used RPM distros of "Install Everything" during the install. I am not sure of your reasoning but mine was that I had real trouble installing any aditional packages once the system was installed. "RPM Hell" it was dubbed by the "Masters" of the time. Debian freed me of all that and today I can make as minimal install as I want and still be able to install "WHAT EVER I WANT" later. It is "Liberating" to now have this freedom. I can pick and choose at will and at random or even "on a whim". It doesn't matter anymore as I am "truly free" now.

I will suggest one other thing, most claim unnessary, if you are going to use Gnome and KDE on the same system, create a differnt user account for them. since you have been using slack (a good solid distro IMHO) then if you have used the same pholosify, then my mentioning this was likely unnessary.

Good luck and have fun,
AM

Instead that we all discuss it here just install what i have told you above. Configure it.
Then post back how it is going.
If you know what you want and all, why do you ask?
The only reasonable advice is:
Install one environment and get used to it (configure it, etc). That is still an overkill. Many, many people start from scratch, install xorg, install gnome-core and add what they need.
If you want a second environment go for dual-boot (in case its full gnome/ full kde, mixing others is not that much of a pain)
If you don't know what you need simply installing "as much as possible" still won't tell you what you need. It will simply be a mess.

So: did you already install a wee bit, or is this just a bit of chatting? Bit of "what was if...?"

@Absent: i fully agree, of course. You also added some insight in further problems. Nice to see you around here

Thanks for all of the input guys. It is much appreciated.

At this point, I have the "standard" installation off the first DVD, plus KDE and a few packages.

I am determined to build this into what I want, regardless of how long it takes, because it is only going to be an experimental installation at this point. I'll report back if there are any problems, but I don't think that there will be.

Thanks again for the suggestions and input.

Mhhh...
When i install kde its much more than "a few packages".
Anyway, add the next environment:
apt-get install gnome-desktop-environment.

Have a look
Then go on. In case you still think thats what you want. Next step: xfce4 and xfce4-goodies.
Next step: lxde. Next step: e16, fluxbox, icewm, awesome, ratpoison...

Once that is done you can add packages you need: wireshark, openvas, jack, smartools, testdisk, live-helper, tiger, ftp-server, http-server.
Configure them.

I for one don't do such stuff, but all those apps are rather difficult. So: as long i am not able to handle, example, ssh, it doesn't make much sense to install a second package i am not able to handle too.
Ok?
Not sure if my point is clear.

Good luck and have fun.
Serious.

I'm saying learn to use the packaging system as it was intended to be used.

Also, assuming you do install "everything" how do you decide which of your installed packages/programs you will tinker with? It's pretty much the same story, except that now you'll have a bunch of inappropriately configured services running on your machine for no good reason.

Evo2.