Hi, I have installed Debian before but my network card never seems to be able to connect when setup from a booted install cd so I could not get past the text based system. I have been told that now you can install a complete system from as many as 8 cds. Is this possible, and if so can someone advise me on what cds I need and how to avoide any configuring pitfals I might stumble into. I am interested in the Sarge version or later.

Unless the network card is very obscure then the net-installer should handle most of the common types. When you have booted the cd enter linux26 at the prompt to get the 2.6 kernel. If it's still not installing the driver for the card then I suggest buying a very cheap Realtek 8139 based card as it is guaranteed to work.

Thanks I will try what you advise.

and about the cds you only need the first 3 cds max. as they contain the desktop environment packages (kde , gnome , XFree86)

Well; I downloaded the 2 dvd set, and they are with the extensions .iso.bin. Forgive me but i have yet to find a way to open a .bin file with Linux. Isark in windows extracts it but in a mess of files and folders, (might try simply extracting to a folder and burning the contents to dvd) any way I renamed it dropping the .bin extension and the burned iso seemed to work and i was able to boot into the Debian dvd, however there soon came an a problem in that files could not be read from the disc. Can someone please advise me on haw to extract the iso from this .bin file? Thanks in advance.

You need to burn the ISo as an image, you do not extract the files. If you want to install from dvd, you can run apt-setup, and insert your dvds when it asks for them.

Yes agreed, I know however how to burn an iso image, it is the .bin extension I am confused on, the file is debian 3.1.iso.bin. I assume that the iso is compacted in this .bin file, and I need to nkow how to extract the .iso from the .bin. Thanks in advance.

It is a pity your network card does not work when setup from a cd install, because from the official site you just download a minimum bootable with a base system, and is just an .iso file w/no .bin extension....

Juanja.

Yes it is, I would realy like to have a debian system, I have tried knoppix and fell in love with apt, however it would not allow me access to my dvd drives. Currently I have xandros 3.01 that came with a Linux magazine I purchase off and on. However installing software to this Debian based distribution, from Debian doesn't always work, k3b and Amarok will not install. But I will not give up untill I am able to get it to work.

Yes it is, I would realy like to have a debian system, I have tried knoppix and fell in love with apt, however it would not allow me access to my dvd drives. Currently I have xandros 3.01 that came with a Linux magazine I purchase off and on. However installing software to this Debian based distribution, from Debian doesn't always work, k3b and Amarok will not install. But I will not give up untill I am able to get it to work.

The file should be a plain iso file. You can find the dvd repository here . Make sure you do a md5sum check on the file once you have completed the download. You should also do the initial install using the 2.6 kernel by entering linux26 at the boot prompt.

---Fantastic, TigerOC !!! I would not have explained it better...

Randrake: if you get this .iso file -with no .bin anywhere- you will be in the way of doing it the easiest way....Hope that you get it done....keep posting if in doubt...

I think I shall eventualy, it is something in my xandros system I suspect that manages compressed files and firefox that is simply adding the .bin extension, konqueror works but adds .part ??. I thought this Xandros was going to be an easy sarg install, but it has no Amarok and that is bad enough but even worse, do you know they do not even include k3b, no k3b? I think that is the worst I have ever heard, i have found k3b.deb packages but xandros will not install them. It is I suspect because this is a free release and Xandross uses it's own burning app that they limit to burning to 2x unless you payfor an upgrade . Their right to do so no argument, but I wish all distros would include all that comes with kde and not limit apps to better thier interest (how Microsoft of them). I can not wait to get a debian install working. I am sure i wil eventualy. thanks to all.

---I have not heardb never in my life of true Debian GNU doing like that....Though I downloaded the K3b thing and up to date I have not tested it yet....but I don't think they do so....

...So as you point; it seems that Xandros is not 'pure GNU'' free spirit....since it doesn't allow you to perform whatever task may you want without building a debt for it.....

By the way, Randrake: Could you post what message does appear when you try to install amarok and k3b...???

If you have a working Knoppix livecd, why not just install it? It will give you a working Debian system.

I ran Xandros for about 2 months even paid the $39 for the Network. Never could get things to work right. Primarily extensions with Firefox.

Ubuntu is a good Debian distro.