Got Debian but not sure where to go now...
 

OK first off I have to warn everyone I am a newbi's newbi. I know less than a newbi. I have never run linux in my entire life but I like what I have read about it.

Now I am very used to windows 98/XP but I had an old apple ibook white sitting around doing nothing so I decided to turn it into my toy.

Before anyone flames me I did like OS X. It was beautiful and worked great BUT what I didn't like was how slow it was. I just cannot take that, besides I want to try linux.

OK, Some how I bummbled through it and set up a running copy of Debian. I really had no clue what I was doing but I finally after much tinkering got it installed and running. I have taken advantage and learned how to use the apt-get function to the debian mirror to install all the updates and what not. Even managed to find and figure out dselect to do them.

Now I am at a cross roads because I have hit the limit of my tech knowlege. I want to try and set up on top of it a windows like machine. I know there is something called freex86, then you have windows managers, and then desktop enviroments like KDE or GNOME. BUT I am not sure how to get from where I am to there.

Is x86 a windows manager or is that something I need before I can get a manager. If yes/no what would be a good manager for an apple ibook?

OK, lets assume I need x86 and that is the next step. How do I get it? Can I use apt-setup to manually enter in a mirror for x86? Or do I go through the dselect panael and manually enter it there? See my confusion?

now in your shell
try this as root.
run and master it.

It is one of install manager,

try all of those wm using aptitude, and choose it.
XFCE or Gnome or KDE
http://www.xfce.org/

after installing wm,
if you don't like console type install manager, try this
http://freshmeat.net/projects/synaptic/

Welcome to Linux,
x86 is not a window manager, it is PC architechture. Xorg and Xfree86 are two competing X-server with essentially the same code base. Xorg is newer of the two. You first need to install and configure an X-server before you get any of the desktop environements (KDE, GNOME) or window managers (like Fluxbox).

Depends on what memory you have on your ibook or how fast you want the responsiveness. KDE, GNOME are complete environments but you need atleast 256 MB RAM while Fluxbox, XFCE can go on with less memory. I personally prefer GNOME, Xfce, Fluxbox and Enlightenment...not in particular order.

I don't know much about debian and whether it ships with xorg or xfree86 as I gave up configuring my xserver on it. Instead, I found ubuntu (based on debain) to be a breeze to install and configure with least user intervention.

Edit: I hardly use ubuntu as Slackware is my primary distro (can hardly get out of it :)) but an experienced debian user can give you more info on your queries.

Tux,

Shortest and best answers... here:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=224547
and then here (the Debian forum):
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...?s=&forumid=26

See you there.


"I want to try and set up on top of it a windows like machine."
The Ice Window Manager (IceWM) has a Windows kind of feel to it and is very configureable. It requires very few resources and should probably do well on your machine. Ubuntu uses a recent version of Gnome and is not likely to run smoothly on older hardware.

The great news is that you now have Debian installed, so now installing and removing software should be as easy as A-P-T. :)

Wow aptitude looks neat, and I see it is mirrored off the debian.org site so I should be able to hit apt-get and go. Thanks!

One very stupid question once I install how do I run it? I still haven't figured that one out yet. Do I just type aptitude and it goes? I figured out how to manually type apt-get install etc etc and/or just type dselect to run those two but so far that is all I know. :(

The XFCE reminds me of mac OS's. Very neat. I really like the look of fluxbox. I might have to look more into that. Thanks for the recommendations.

Michapma, WOW I did a search but I guess I didn't search hard enough. Thanks for the link! It looks like I have some reading to do. It might take me awhile to wade through it but it looks like you spelled it all out. Thanks!

EDIT:
BTW I have no disks, I did everything over the cable line. I boot straped the yaboot install using OS X then booted from that to overwrite it then apt to finish the rest. I guess a CD would have been much easier but I didn't have that option. The local computer shop was all happy when I asked for a linux CD but shyed away when I told them it was for a apple machine. They told me it wouldn't work. I should take my working woody debian to show them. lol

Yes you can run aptitude from the command line interface by just typing in aptitude. There is also another GUI program called synaptic you might check out. In any case you ought to read this:
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/ap.../index.en.html

That will give you an idea of what apt-get does. Personally I prefer using apt-get. Aptitude and synaptic are based on APT, and APT is in turn based on more basic package managers.


Heh, I didn't write that. I learned on that.

Since you used OS X to boot and then overwrite, you should seriously consider getting a tool to boot your system in the event that it at some point becomes unusable. A perfect example would be a live CD. If you don't have a CD burner yourself, you can order one cheap for example from the Knoppix site or for absolutely free (not even shipping) from Ubuntu (www.ubuntulinux.org). You don't have to install live CDs to run them, they run from system memory and the CD.

*Definitely.* And tell them that it's even an outdated version. :D

Come over to the Debian forums and you'll definitely get help on how to update your system to Sarge, it's the next stable version of Debian after Woody (since June of this year). You won't have to reinstall, APT gets you around that. APT rocks, it's why I'm on Debian. :D