Hello,

I just installed debian and its my first time using linux. When I log on its just a black screen, not pritty at all? How can I change this so that it will look noice, you know... with windows and stuff??

I do have a CD with debian on but im not sure what to install from it and HOW to install anything at all...

any help would be greatly appreciated!

Run 'startx' (assuming the ugly screen is a command-line)
I think the command in Debian for installing stuff from cdrom is 'apt-cdrom' or similar.

Hi!

ok, its my first time using linux here so im going to ask many questions

First of all, nothing happens by just typing 'startx' in the command-line... did i miss something?

and apt-cdrom only gives me a screen with cd option flags...?

What do you mean by nothing? It had to do something, even if it wasn't very useful. What did it say?

Well I don't use debian, so I don't know how to use apt-cdrom... try 'man apt-cdrom' or 'info apt-cdrom'.

Debian hem It has been a long time... Let's see if I'm still sharp. After installing Debian and going to the command line, you've to first type:

XF86Setup

You will now answer a bunch of questions, answer then the best you can . If it fails, try:

xf86config

see if it helps. It's good to know very well all your hardware, specially monitor and video card when running it.
At the end of either of the above configurations, debian will write a XF86Config file at /etc/X11. Try now typing startx and see if it starts. If it fails, you will have to go back to xf86config and XF86Setup until your hardware is 100% well configured .

Debian is tough mate, but it's great . Even Slackware should be much, much easier to setup then Debian... Another alternative, if you really wish to run Debian is Libranet 2.7 Classic Free Edition. It's 100% Debian, but does all the dirty job for you

http://www.libranet.com/

Regards!

EDIT: the main difference between XF86Setup and xf86config is that the first one is graphical. graphical is recommended, indeed . If it fails, use the second one...

Thank you for your reply!

Allthough both commands fail when i type them into the command-line?
Am i seposed to be in a specified folder?

Thanks!

It said "command not found" when i type startx

Are you root? Does startx even work in the first place (even if it fails)? And when you say something fails, please post the error message.

Did you install X during installation?

dont think so, never came across something just called X..

How about XFree86?

that aint working as a command either "command not found", and i dont think i installed anything with that name...

See this: http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=2016&page=9, specifically this part: http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=2016&page=9

Also: http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/ap.../index.en.html

Edit: More links:
You will need to make a sources.list file to get apt-get working. Then you can use it to install XFree86 (see the osnews guide), then you can run 'startx' or use the configuration tools suggested earlier:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/debia...k/appc_05.html

Hmmmm... maybe you have to try reinstalling it . Or, boot debian, when you are at the command line, try:

apt-get update
apt-get install xfree

With Debian disk on the drive. Let's hope that you have enabled Debian's APT to check the CD during install . If nothing happens, go into

/etc/apt

and edit the file called source.list or something like that. See if there's a line there commented out (with a hash # symbol) related to the cd-rom. If so is the case, comment that line out (remove the # symbol at the beginning of the line). Save the file and run again:

apt-get update
apt-get install xfree

Note: this is a wild guess... I'm not sure if xfree could be installed like that.. but that's what I would try to do

Come on guys quit running him around in circles.

You don't have the xfree86 server installed so no graphical display. login as root and type this:

apt-get install kde

This will get you started with a basic KDE install and you can go from there.
Honestly though, Debian might be a little daunting if you're completely new to Linux. I love it but it does take some underlying understanding of internal systems to administer correctly.