woohoo!
I just got sarge installed for the first time - thanks LinuxQuestions.org!

I managed to DL iso1 and install it through the part the netinst disk had already set up.
It all just booted ok i think, a lot of writing went past too fast for me to read.
I told it to unpack as a server and i guess it did.
I ended up with a black screen and a prompt like this:
howard@Logan:~$

ok I typed help, and also managed to log out, the came back here. For the time being the Linux pc is stranded from the internet, so i have to use xp on my original box to post here...

So...what do i do next? Can you tell me the command that will bring up useful installation info? I didn't exercise any control over which kernal got installed.
I figure i need to know this to continue with the Debian Configuration Post-Install threads information.

i hope you can tell how green i am at using linux/debian/sarge
thanks in advance for any replies
howard

ps it the :~$ at the cursor normal?

welcome to debian!

the $ sign indicates that you are a normal user, not root. root (the administrator) has a # sign. and ~ stands for your home directory. so after logging in you are in /home/howard/ by default.
if you read how-to's you'll see that often commands start with a # or $ sign to indicate the required user privileges for that command. some commands can only be executed as root (e.g. #apt-get).

$startx will start the x server (assuming it is already installed). it is recommended that you do not start the xserver as root.

last things first....yes the ~-$ is normat for non-root logon...

now a few questions....do you want a graphic desktop....( ie windows type )?

what type of internet connection do you have?.....(dialup or broadband...)

how did you acquire the install CD's....

the first thing u wana do is always update the kernel.
apt-cache search kernel-image

apt-get install kernel-image-xxx

and reboot.

followed by installing KDE;
apt-get install x-window-system kde kdm

And last but not least, if you want to set things after installing the x-server (mouse, monitor resolution and lots of
other things you will have to use this :

Enjoy Debian !

Thanks, that was actually very useful.

I'll try $startx because i want that, and it'd be nice show show the family something other than a blank screen!

howard

hi there,
sorry - here goes:
I downloaded a netinst cd from the debian site, then iso1 because i couldn't get the box online.
I definately want to try the graphical desktop, as i hope to convert a few other people from various windows OS's, although personally I want to learn this whole 'type stuff in to make the OS do things' approach.
I have an adsl connection to the web via another pc running xp. I've been learning html,css, apache and a little php on it, and hope to (eventually) self host some web sites. Apache is pretty complex in itself, so i may as well learn it in situ, in linux.
Installing debian was easier for me than getting php to work right on xp.

Basically i need to learn a few commands, and install more software (probably) and i guess i need the equivalent of xps My Computer and Control Panel. I was advised to install kernel 2.6 to make my sata drives supported, do you know how i can confirm this?

Thanks for the replies!

hi

Can i assume that i replace the xxx with the no. of the kernal i want?
If i downloaded the iso, wouldn't i have an up to date kernel?
Does updating a kernel mess with the files in the hdd at all?

Thanks for your assistance, I'm slowly getting this!

Do i not have to put a # at the front of root commands?

howard

Thanks Samael26,

thats another one written on my pad in front of me. I'm gonna give this lot a try in a mo.
As it happens the horizontal hold or equivalent was slightly off during installation. The text on screen seemed to need to all shift on character to the right. Haven't even tried the mouse yet!

howard

you can also run #tasksel - and to chooseinstall X Windows System - it will give you most of needed packages for work.

If you have 1st ISO then I assume you'll get X Windows + gdm (display manager with graphical logon - no more black screen) + Gnome Desktop (good, solid desktop environment). If I don't mistake for Open Office Suite and KDE you'll need 2nd ISO. Or you can setup Internet and...

You can see the kernel you are running with:

uname -a

You would probably want a 2.6.x kernel.

Just a silly question....

What do you need to update kernel for?

I use 2.6.8.... why do I need something else... what do I gain taking risk when installing something new over something that works correctly?

One more - I've seen that I use currently 2.6.8-2-386 kernel... I have Sempron 2400...
Will installation of kernel-image-2.6.8-2-k7 will be ok for me?.. What do I gain from it?

Thanks

I don't know if they changed it but you used to have to type 'linux26' at the net-install boot prompt to get a 2.6.8 kernel, otherwise you would end up using a 2.4. But maybe they changed the 2.6 to default now, I don know.

I think the TS didn't use the net-install and I have never used a sarge .iso install so I wouldn't know what kernel he got.

I have a Sempron 2800 and I'm also interested in the k7 kernels. Do they work for semprons and is there any 'noticeable' speed increase?

Yeah, xxx is the number of the kernel. there are different numbers for intel n amd.
You dun really put # in front of root commands. U become root to run root command.
type su
and u will get #.

I do not haf SATA, but I know for sure kernel 2.6 n udev can autodetect ur USB devices.

well, the default installation is still 2.4 for me.
i had to update to 2.6.8-2-686 manually, thats why i am assuming howard has 2.4 too.