Toying with the idea...

[Kooldino]

...Of updating my Mandrake 9 box at home with Debian. As most of the people who post in this section know...I'm ok in linux and can get around, but I'm no expert.

I just really love knoppix...and being that it's debian based, I figured debian can only be better.

So what do you guys think? Is it for me? Or is it more of an "elite" linux user thing?

[leech]

Well, two points on this (since can speak from experience. I used to run Mandrake 9 and have run Debian on and off since I've ran linux (since about '97)).

1) Debian simply rocks, though is still a pain to install... unless... you use the Beta4 net installer. It works GREAT (at least the time I've had to install it, of course it didn't detect my Parhelia, but that's to be expected.)

2) Have you tried just installing using Knoppix? The 3.4 installer works great, and will resize NTFS drives and has the Captive-NTFS driver as well (the driver you need for write privileges to NTFS partitions).

If you'd prefer the method of starting with a simple distro then installing what packages you want, I would HIGHLY recommend getting the debian Sarge Beta4 installer. (it even has an installer for the 2.6.5 kernel). Also, the net install is just that... it's 110mb for the ISO and for a lot of stuff, you'll be needing a fast internet connection.

If you'd prefer a KDE desktop and a bunch of stuff installed right away, then the Knoppix installer is for you. One issue I had with Knoppix though is that the /etc/apt/sources.list has some issues. Namely all the Non-US repositories are not set up right, but you can easily tweak that to the proper ones.

http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/

Leech

[TnT]

I was only okay, regular user with Linux and Unix until I tried LFS and installed Gentoo. Now I can figure out a bunch of problems on my own. So installing Debian or whatever would be great if you want to now take the next step and learn some more. If you aren't using Linux to learn the OS, but just to use a nice OS then, as leech said, you can just stick with Knoppix.

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by leech
Well, two points on this (since can speak from experience. I used to run Mandrake 9 and have run Debian on and off since I've ran linux (since about '97)).

1) Debian simply rocks, though is still a pain to install... unless... you use the Beta4 net installer. It works GREAT (at least the time I've had to install it, of course it didn't detect my Parhelia, but that's to be expected.)

Can I download debian with this installer all in one ISO?

2) Have you tried just installing using Knoppix? The 3.4 installer works great, and will resize NTFS drives and has the Captive-NTFS driver as well (the driver you need for write privileges to NTFS partitions).

Reeeealy....Do I download a different ISO if I want to "install" knoppix then? And does the newest version of the CD knoppix sport the NTFS write driver?

If you'd prefer the method of starting with a simple distro then installing what packages you want, I would HIGHLY recommend getting the debian Sarge Beta4 installer. (it even has an installer for the 2.6.5 kernel). Also, the net install is just that... it's 110mb for the ISO and for a lot of stuff, you'll be needing a fast internet connection.

Where can I look this stuff up?

If you'd prefer a KDE desktop and a bunch of stuff installed right away, then the Knoppix installer is for you.

You got me pegged.

One issue I had with Knoppix though is that the /etc/apt/sources.list has some issues. Namely all the Non-US repositories are not set up right, but you can easily tweak that to the proper ones.

<---doesn't know what sources.list is.

http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/

Ahh, lemme check this out.

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by TnT
I was only okay, regular user with Linux and Unix until I tried LFS and installed Gentoo. Now I can figure out a bunch of problems on my own. So installing Debian or whatever would be great if you want to now take the next step and learn some more. If you aren't using Linux to learn the OS, but just to use a nice OS then, as leech said, you can just stick with Knoppix.

I DO want to step it up...

Hmm...

[leech]

Ok, in Mandrake you had a sources file for your repository, basically running either the Mandrake Control Center and the package management stuff would download/update from these places.

The /etc/apt/sources.list is the exact same thing, it's the ftp or http sites that have debian packages.

A quick example;

deb ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/ sid main contrib non-free

This would have all the packages that are in sid (also known as unstable branch) in the Main, Contrib and Non-free category. So depending on the license, then it'd be in one of those three categories.

Now if you need something that isn't in the official debian archives, such as mplayer, you'd need to add a repository line in sources.list file. Like so;

deb http://marillat.free.fr/ unstable main

Then you can just 'apt-get install mplayer-586' for the Pentium 3/4 optimized one..

As far as the Knoppix install... with the 3.4 version that came out not too long ago, you can simply open up a terminal and run (as root) 'knx2hd' and it'll start up QTParted, to re-partition your harddrive.

That 110mb ISO basically will detect your hardware and I think it'll install XFree86 4.3 (I'll look into that and post again, or edit this one...)

Hope that covers it pretty well. If not, ask more Always glad to help a person convert to Debian, it's definitely the easiest linux distro to maintain, and it has the largest repository of any of them!!

Leech

[leech]

Reeeealy....Do I download a different ISO if I want to "install" knoppix then? And does the newest version of the CD knoppix sport the NTFS write driver?

The newest version of Knoppix does (haven't tried installing with the older one). The newest one being the 3.4.

I know it automatically mounted the NTFS drives by default, but only in read mode. Uhm... off of memory, you have to click on the K, go to Knoppix on the menu, then under tools, or something like that. It's there, and called "Captive- NTFS" Also, I have found, if you decide to go with just the standard Debian, that you can install debian packages for that as well.

http://www.jankratochvil.net/project/captive/

As you can see, there are Debian packages there for easy installation.

Leech

[Kooldino]

Does knoppix (the full install) have apt get?

[leech]

Yes, it has apt-get. Knoppix is Debian-based, and you just don't find debian without apt-get. Apt and Debs are pretty much like Laurel and Hardy or Cagney and Lacey...

As a side note, there is a Release Candidate 1 of the new Debian Installer out.

It's on the same site as before... haven't tried it yet... but should be pretty good. Hopefully Sarge is released soon... Debian has an extremely long release schedule (compared to the major players that is) but that means that Debian 'stable' IS STABLE. Knoppix runs a mix of Testing(Sarge) and Unstable(Sid). I run Sid with some packages from Experimental. Though most of the packages from Experimental are now in Unstable (namely Gnome2.6) and are quite stable, actually.

I would still probably suggest Knoppix... unless you want to start with a distro that isn't bloated at all, and build it up yourself with what apps you want. Then the 110mb debian installer rocks for that.

Leech

[Kooldino]

Ok, so i found the knoppix installer

http://debian.tu-bs.de/knoppix/installer/

Now what exactly do i do here?

[Six Of One]

Excuse me butting in...

The installer is already on your Knoppix CD. If i recall correctly it even has an entry in the Knoppix Menu.

BUT i strongly advise you to either go SID immediatly after Knoppix installation or start with Debian Sarge in the first place. Installing Knoppix and trying to use it like vanilla Debian is begging for trouble.

If you really want to learn GNU/Linux, go the Debian way. If you master that (and you should, it's not hard) and you still want to know more, go Slack or Linux from Scratch. There you will learn the inner workings (less with Slack, more with LFS). Contrary to popular belief Gentoo is not very educational. It's basically a slightly inferior Debian for people with time ;-) *SCNR*

[TnT]

Originally posted by Six Of One
Contrary to popular belief Gentoo is not very educational. It's basically a slightly inferior Debian for people with time ;-) *SCNR*

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by Six Of One
[B]
BUT i strongly advise you to either go SID immediatly after Knoppix installation or start with Debian Sarge in the first place.

SID?



I might just do that.

[leech]

I have tried many different distros (though never got around to trying out Gentoo or Slackware yet...) but I've found standard Debian to be the best so far. Mainly because they have just about everything packaged.... all that software available with a simple command. It's quite nice.

Leech

[TnT]

It's basically the same for Gentoo, except you get to choose what is compiled into the package and other compiler options.