Configuring an new (old) PC for linux only
 

Hi Guys (& Ladies),
Looking for help in loading Linux in a newly built machine. First, a bit of background.
I recently built a PC for gaming. The redundant bits, case/mobo/athlonII/ 60GB SSD I used build a Linux machine. This has USB ports, a reformatted SSD, but no floppy, or cd, or dvd drives. Decided to use a memory stick as initial boot (I used a SD card in Rasp Pi which is similar). Copied software to USB using unetbootin found on this forum to 4GB USB stick with no problems.
Meanwhile, I did the necessary (RTFMs) in particular Debian Install for AMD64. It seemed simple enough, just like Win7 on DVD a few months before but now on stick.
OK, I configured the PC to boot from Cruizer stick and disabled all other sources. Connected to internet via cable to router. Switched off, inserted stick, and switched on again. Great activity! After a couple of hours watching and waiting for the indicator bar to exceed 30% decided to re-read the manua; to speed things up. After five hours and still not 50% and dinner waiting I aborted.
In review, I omitted to connect the SSD to SATA; this seems to dictate whether boot displays ‘Cruizer’ or ‘Removable device’. Should it have been connected? This is my dicotomy: one is to down load all onto stick then copy over to SSD. Or, twoshould I have copied initially from stick to SSD and then download to SSD. And, what about partitioning?
Any guidance gratefully accepted.

The SSD should definitely be attached, otherwise how are you going to install to it? What is this progress bar that was taking so long? What stage of the installation were you in?

The basic steps are:

Set up the USB with the install image
Reboot, setting the USB as the primary boot device
Debian should prompt you to start the installation
At that time you select your partitioning layout for the SSD and what packages you want to install
The installer will partition the SSD and load the necessary files off of the USB
You will disconnect the USB and reboot the machine, then finish the final steps (setting time zone, keyboard layout, etc)

All in all it's the same process as installing Debian from a DVD, same process as installing Windows even.

i would try a few live-usb's and install the one i like.

Many thanks Suicidaleggroll!
Ugh! Thought as much, very grateful. Silly me.
I do get confused from time-to-time with no soundboard. Not as simple as the old straight-eight (PDP8) though.
Again obeisance to seniority and something else for me!