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Re: Installing Debian



On Fri, Aug 07, 2015 at 11:54:20AM -0400, Abe Sternberg wrote:
> Folks - I admit that I am a complete dolt.  I have read the Installation
> HowTo for Debian twice and am still baffled at how to download and install.
> 

Write down a checklist of what you've already got:

Model of laptop

Whether 32 or 64 bit capable.

Amount of RAM

Size of hard disk

Can the laptpp boot from a USB stick?

What drivers/manufacturers Windows 7 System reports for:

Video card, sound card, WiFi card - this to find out whether you will need non-free firmware to be installed.

This should help in debugging issues if they arise.

> First, I plan on installing Debian on a laptop that is currently running
> Windows 7 and I am not interesting keeping both operating systems.
> 

Do you have another laptop / desktop available to you? If you do not have prior experience
using Linux, I wouldn't advise that you jump wholeheartedly and immediately to Linux.

Do you have a Linux using friend / local Linux user group who can help and advise if called on for general advice?

It might be worth using a Live CD to try out Debian first without changing anything on the existing
Windows install (see below)

> I am completely unfamiliar with Linux, Bit torrent, or using iso files and
> don't understand any of the shop talk about how to download and install.  I
> have sent e-mails to two of the sites that are supposed to provide CDs/DVDs
> but no one has responded to me thus far.
> 

A CD or DVD image containing software can be written in a recognised format: the images ending in .iso are raw images
to be written to a CD or DVD by your CD/DVD writing software.

There may be an option to "write image to disk"

The Live CDs

http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current-live/amd-64/iso-hybrid/ 

Under the link CD/DVD/USB are files you can download (in
a web browser if you have to).

This link has images around 1G or over for a full desktop so will need a DVD-size medium if you write to physical media rather than USB stick.

There are various images with the different desktops to try.

> Is anyone out there willing to talk me through this one step at a time in
> very simple terms?
> 
> Thanks for listening; I hope someone can help.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Abe

This for a start - will follow up dependent on response.

All the best,

AndyC


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