Think about that second scenario for a second...
Anyway, if there's a debian package repository for something, you can install whatever is in it with apt without any problems. But the main debian package repositories are obviously the biggest ones. The unstable branch of Debian right now has over 14,000 software packages in it, for example.

I will answer with a question: want does rpm install? just rpms or any software I can think of?

the installed software must be packed as a debian package (aka deb file), but unlike rpm, it takes care of the dependencies automatically and pulls from the sources (specified in /etc/apt/sources.list) the depending packages if they fulfill all the criteria of the dependency

eg.: application xxx depends on libxxx version 3.2 or bigger and on libxxy 2.2 or bigger, so if he libxxx and libxxy are available and not installed, and have a version number that is correct- >=3.2 and >=2.2 - then they are also installed, if there is a conflict if libxxy 2.2 is installed together with libxxz, and libxxz is installed on the station, libxxy will not be installed, neiher will xxx and an error message will appear on the screen to inform you of the problem.


and don't forget there are lots of apps, and you can find almost any app you want already packaged for debian.
if you find an app that is not debianized then you can still install it through alien ( and that is simple and recommended)

So apt-get uses debian packages then. That's all I was asking (I think )
Doesn't gentoo kind of work like the second scenario because it installs from source? Waiting for days to compile kde doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun though.

If you convert and install a package with alien is there any sort of automated dependancy checking?

compiling from source is no fun. It has its advantages but the disadvantages far out weigh the pros. I used Gentoo for about 2 to 3 weeks... and when I went to upgrade from mozilla 1.4 to 1.6, it took more that 2 hours! I was in class when I was upgrading.... the class was over and it was still going. Sorry, on a laptop I use everyday and for school... that is just no feasible.

I have looked at the list of mirrors for debian... impressive.

What would be a pro and con about installing from a Live CD...say Morphix or Gnoppix?

That is what I am talking about...14000!! That is what it needs to be... after 10 years of developing it should be a great distro. IMHO this is not true of Slackware. It is sad to see it trying to keep up with the others, but it is a minimialist install... that is the intention.

Reallly? I have found grub to be easier, but it is probially just what you get used to. I have been using grub and like the "perrty" splash image you can add. Plus Grub does not have to be run every time you recompile your kernel. I have also found that grub is more flexable and easier to read the config file... not a lot of commented lines... just my opinion. Does not make it right.

According to my experience, the unstable branch may have some broken dependencies sometimes, but other than that, yes, no problems.

I have a problem... I downloaded sarge (1-8 ISOs) and burned them... went home and put in the cd. Enter a couple of times and I get to a prompt. No problem, I will look at the install-en that I printed off. Mmmm it does not really tell you how to install debian in a step by step fasion. I have no idea what to do....
any ideas?

There is also a splash screen for lilo, too...
I have a big debian logo....

Not having to run grub on every kernel compile is what wories me....

if the filesystem is not avialable, the system will not boot into "other" OSes...

and if u change the config file, then what is it so hard to run lilo also...
u need root to change lilo.conf/grub.conf also you need it for lilo/grub...

if, somehow, grub.conf gets corrupted or worse grub itself then i'm screwed.

This is the time when somebody calls me a bozo and corrects me....

I installed Libranet 2.8.1, not really impressed. Wondering what I need to do here.... I cannot find where you would install DHCP. What is some good places to read about to futher understand about debian.