Re: help in getting started
On Mon, Mar 19, 2001 at 12:08:05PM -0600, ktb wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 19, 2001 at 09:08:58AM -0800, Nate Amsden wrote:
> > > Amit Ganpule wrote:
> > >
> > > Dear Sir,
> > > I have recently purchased a computer magazine along with that two CDs of
> > > Debian were given, now I bought the magazine for the Linux CDs, but I can't
> > > make head or tail of how to install, run or do anything with the CDs. I do
> > > not know how to partition the hard disc, I am very much interested in
> > > switching over to Linux OS.
> >
> > if you don't know how to partition a hard disk i strongly, honestly
> > reccomend against using linux at this point in time unless there is someone
> > local to you that can hold your hand. i have helped many many people
> > in person from knowing nothing about linux to being able to use it everyday
> > but many of them i don't think would of made it on their own(before giving up)
> > without a lot of help.
> >
> > especially debian. debian is not a userfriendly system to install. if your
> > ready to spend days/weeks configuring it then post your specific questions
> > here. in your case i would suggest getting a dedicated PC and using something
> > like mandrake until you get the hang of linux. then move to debian later.
> > setting up a dual boot can be dangerous unless you know exactly what your
> > doing(honestly the first time i tried with slackware ~5 years ago i wiped
> > out my C: so i speak from experience).
> >
> > i don't mean to discourage you but to save you a lot of effort, your post
> > suggests you are not ready for debian(yet).
> >
>
> I disagree with much that is said here. I see this time and time again
> on many different forums that debian is not for newbies. I installed
> debian hamm after one year of using W95. Slink is much easier to
> install than hamm. I didn't even know which disk to use for
> installation. I posted to the list, asking if I use the binary or
> source disk. I read and understood as much as I could and posted to the
> list about that which I did not know. People were great and helped me
> immensely, still do.
>
> A few months after installing hamm I tried Redhat. The install was
> easier but I couldn't get ppp working for two weeks, there were many
> frustrating bugs and shortly thereafter I went back to debian.
>
> Installing a dual boot system can be done relatively safely by installing
> a second hard drive. A cheap 1 or 2 Gig drive will do nicely. Unhook
> your drive containing windows and install debian. Hook up both drives and
> use a boot floppy to access debian till your confident enough to use a
> boot-loader.
>
> Amit, if you would like to give debian a try there are people on the list
> that will help. I would suggest you start out by reading the
> documentation at -
> http://www.debian.org/
> especially the installation instructions -
> http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/#new-inst
>
> I spent a considerable amount of time choosing the first distro I
> installed. I chose it because I wanted a bit of a challenge, in order to
> learn and because debian is created and run by volunteers. I've tried
> several distributions since and always come back to debian.
> hth,
> kent
>
> --
> From seeing and seeing the seeing has become so exhausted
> First line of "The Panther" - R. M. Rilke
>
>
>
The debian installations system is pretty good. I'd say backup your data , partition your drive, put the boot cd (one of the two - try both :-) in your cdrom , reboot your computer and play. I bet before long you will figure it out.
Though it helps having a book like "learning debian GNU linux" from O'Reilly press. This book is available freely on the internet and at their site.
Sincerely
Balbir Thomas
Reply to: