I got debian sarge (3/27/04) to install w/o needing my dialup info (see thread on install issue) - by adding the cdrom manually to /etc/fstab as soon as root user was created.

It was ugly - but the first CD went through to package selection just fine - and I skipped that. Then I rerean base-config for each subsequent CD (I have five of them) - and the installer hung at the part where it tells me it has commented out entries in /etc/apt/sources.list - but DID add the CD to the sources.list. I Ctrl-C to move on for next CD. Once all five CD's were added - I used aptitude to start installing packages.

I didn't install all at once, but did it in chunks - pick some and install and then pick some more and move on etc.

Then I ran into a problem - I got a message stating "verification of package blah-de-dah.deb failed"

Now that is all aptitude will do.
I rebooted - debian boot process hung at the mouse loading (kernel 2.5.25). Rebooted again this time into 2.6.3 - and it booted all the way.

Ran aptitude again and the problem is still there, no matter what packages I select for installation.

I'm guessing there's some bug somewhere that borked the ability for apt to verify the packages. Anyone know how to fix this?

there is no bug the site you selected may/might not be available.
vi /etc/apt/sources.list blablabla
use apt-setup to correct it
man apt
man aptitude

It is a bug.
It's a configuration bug.

The problem is the package debsig-verify sets it up to require signed packages and debian doesn't (yet) sign their packages.

Once I removed that package - everything (sort of) went fine.

The gnome desktop is *mostly* working - but the web browsers (mozilla and epiphany) will not let me input text into any fields. Thus I had to boot off a live CD to respond ...

for mozilla it is a known bug

go to preferences advanced mouse keyboard navigation etc...

unclick all

It's a moot issue.
Once packages would install again - I got gnome installed and it worked. Except for the mozilla issue.

But Debian's package management sucks.

I installed some libraries using aptitude - and gnome then failed to start. As any users.
I installed KDE via aptitude and it also fails to start - gets stuck at the damn wrench.

Once I got an error message about ksmserver not starting.

I gave debian the boot. When it takes over 24 hours and still not have what I can get with almost any other distribution in under an hour - it's not worth my time. Sorry - it just isn't.

I'll try debian again when Sarge is stable. Maybe. If by that time the packages aren't old and crusty like every other debian release by the time they get to stable.

They seriously need to drop their fetish for having a zillion and three packages, and fix the basics.
Stop taking any new packages until they have a system that works. In fact - cut out packages so they can focus on a basic system that installs and works.