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Re: Lost on new insatallation



Note, you should really have sent this to debian-user@lists.debian.org,
our user support mailinglist. I Cc'ed them, please replies (if any)
there.

On Mon, Sep 11, 2006 at 08:27:52PM -0700, Sam Franc wrote:
> I just bought Debian 3.1 i386 Rel R2.
> I know absolutely nothing about Linux.
> I have been a MS user for 20? years.
> Never used a password with MS.
> Just booted right up.
> Now with Debian I am Password bolluxed up.
> Installation insisted on a password a couple of times.
> I don't even know the terms but I guess it asked for a password for ROOT 
> and USER.

That's correct.

> I think I need a text book to read up on the terms.
> I bought "LINUX from Scratch" By Gerard Beekmans.
> But that is no help at all to me.
> They problem to start is I can't even get booted up.
> I run through a couple of password requests.
> I don't know if they are user or root.
> After many trials I can get past them and the following shows up:
> FRANC@DEBIAN:~$_

That means it worked (note that it's probably in lowercase, not
uppercase)

> I have no idea what to enter here or what it is?

You've reached the "shell", which is the basic user interface of a Linux
system. Your system is fully functional, although I suppose it's not
doing what you expected it to do :-)

If you would like to have a graphical user interface, then what you
should've done is install the "desktop" task when prompted; this will
give you the required components to do this.

It's not too late to do that now. The easiest way to get there is if you
install the packages "mdetect" and "read-edid", and then install the
desktop task. You can do this as follows:

* Log on as the "root" user, with the root password you entered. Note
  that Linux is case-sensitive; everything should be entered in
  lowercase.
* Install the two packages; run "apt-get install read-edid mdetect"
  (without the quotes)
* Run "tasksel" (without the quotes), and select the desktop task.
  Confirm your choice; when prompted, allow the system to autodetect
  your hardware.

The installation should now work, and give you a graphical UI. If the
above procedure does not work, or you find it impossible to understand
somehow, I recommand you just reinstall; there are other ways to fix
your installation, but if you do not understand the system, a reinstall
is often the easiest way to fix the system.

> PS:I just want to get Debian installed from the DVD.
> I can't depend on downloading anything as I get only 26.4 on a regular 
> basis and that cuts out on me.

That should not be necessary, at least not for the initial installation.

-- 
Fun will now commence
  -- Seven Of Nine, "Ashes to Ashes", stardate 53679.4



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