Re: stupid, but I have to ask it - how to start it up once installed

["John Gay" <jgay@Celestica.com>]

kdm is the KDE-type X-login manager similar to xdm or gdm. As you have a 'clean'
install, then obviously your system is booting into console mode. At some stage
while installing X or during the install task-kde, The system should have asked
you if you want to boot directly into X. dpkg --reconfigure (I think) can be
used to re-configure a package. I'm just not sure which package to re-configure
to enable booting directly into X, if this is what you want to do. You might try
what ever X-Server your system is set-up to use. This will be based on your
video card type. Once you have the system booting directly into X, if you get
the xdm login instead of kdm, then just re-configure kdm the same way and select
it as your default login manager.

If you don't want your system to boot directly into X, I'm not sure what command
you can run to get kdm, but once that is up, you can then select kde2 when you
login and off you go.

As for why Debian, apt-get install xxx is enough reason for me. I've never had
any luck using .rpm's. And the new task packages make it that much easier.
Unfortunately, the configuration can be more difficult to get your head around
for non-UNIX types, but once you get used to it, it is much more powerful and
stable than anything I've ever tried.

I realise that this is too vague to be a lot of use, but hopefully someone else
can fill in the blanks I've left to get you started.

Cheers,

     John Gay