Re: Installing Debian Linux the hard way...HELP!
> I saw your reply to Bert Conliffe an was hoping you could give me similar
> assistance.
:) I'll try. I'm only a newbie myself...
> Personal background:
> I've learned computers by sitting in front of them and struggling my way
> through them. Currently I use WindowsNT at work with Lotus notes 4.5 for
> E-Mail and Netscape for surfing.
Thats' how I learned most of my `computing'
> (Don't laugh, Its my first attempt to EVER set-up a PC from scratch):
> Pentium processor
I'm running a 486 dx4...
<snip spec>
> My problem:
> I can't connect to the Net to download the packages for the rest of Debian.
See other replies about this. I'm on a college ethernet, so I just
installed NFS. All the debian packages (even just for i386) is a lot of
space...
> I know NOTHING about Linux/UNIX
It's hard to give general advice. Programming in C is fairly easy - once
you've downloaded emacs from wherever, simply write the file, then type
gcc filename
This reports any obvious bugs, and then compiles the package as a.out,
which you can then run and/or rename. A useful guide is published by the
Cambridge UCS at:
http://www.cam.ac.uk/CS/Docs/Leaflets/U5/
which is 30 useful unix commands... :)
If you would like simple advice on a particular issue, then ask. I can't
try and write everything I know in one email... ;)
> I want to copy ALL of the Package sub-directories from Debian to the
> Windows machine and use the null-modem cable to install what I want/need to
> the Linux box.
<snip man>
> could you give me basic, step by step instructions to establish a
> connection from the Linux box to the Windows PC so I could hopefully use
> dselect to install the packages I need/want from a sub-directory on the
> Windows PC? Also, is there a quick was to copy the packages directories
> from the debian site to my Windows machine rather that clicking them one by
> one for download with Netscape? Do you know of any good beginning
> Linux/UNIX book I could get from the Web so I can start to learn my way
> around this machine? and last ( for now) how can I set-up my second Hard
> Drive to boot into DOS from Linux?
That's quite tricky. You have to first make the W95 box let the linux
machine access its hdd. I would do this by making your own ftp site
temporarily - (find a free www/ftp server on the web + install it on the
W95 machine), then put the debian files in the ftp server's directory, and
point the ftp option of dselect at it. It will be tricky. You're almost
better moving a hdd or cd between the machines, or using a pile of
floppies.
FTPing a mirror site (whichever you were using netscape from) and
dowloading the directories -
<assuming you're in the debian directory>
hamm/hamm/binary-i386/
hamm/contrib/binary-i386
hamm/non-free/binary-i386
> I know this is long winded but, I am hoping you could get me started as I
> want to get involved in the Debian Linux project, I just need some help
> with the learning curve. Thanks in advance for any assistance. I've posted
> to the users list but it seems they tend to forget that not everyone knows
> how to use commands like getty or stuff.
Well, that's the best I can do. I don't know really enough about
networking to be really helpful, but I've tried. Any specific Linux
problems, then do ask (but at least cc the user list - there are some
linux wizards out there)
I do Hope that helps,
Matthew
--
Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo
Steward-elect of the Cambridge Tolkien Society
Selwyn College Computer Support
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Chamber/8841/
http://www.cam.ac.uk/CambUniv/Societies/tolkien/
http://pick.sel.cam.ac.uk/
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