Re: Enough time wasted, moving on

["Paul Smith" <pausmith@nortelnetworks.com>]

%% Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> writes:

  >> You can try installing a base potato system, then dist-upgrade to
  >> woody.  This has worked for me on several systems.

  hp> A couple of posters have mentioned a network install.  Where are
  hp> the details spelled out?  Are we talking installing from a running
  hp> machine? Already network enabled?  My situation is that I have 2
  hp> desktops before me.  A full well used redhat 7.1 on one machine
  hp> and A solaris x86 on another.  The solaris (intel) has a second
  hp> disk that had a skeleton install of Redhat on it before I began my
  hp> adventures.

  hp> I wanted to install Woody in its place.

This is how I installed Woody on an old laptop just a few weeks ago.  I
did it in less than two hours, including download time (it was at work
so I have a good net connection :).

Go to www.cheapbytes.com (or similar) and dish out $5 or so for the
Debian 2.2 (if you don't like the name "Potato" :)) CDs.  I've always
been very happy with them and I get their stuff within a few days, max.

Pop in the CD, and install the most minimal 2.2 system you can get away
with; no X, no printing, no Samba, no Apache... just the kernel, base
packages, and the network.

If you have problems with the network, post; but it should work without
too many problems.


Then, set up APT; edit /etc/apt/sources.list and put these two lines in
it:

  deb ftp://ftp.us.debian.org/debian woody main contrib non-free
  deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US woody/non-US main contrib non-free

Or you can pick other mirrors; there's a list at debian.org

Now run "apt-get update" to download the latest table of contents for
Woody packages, then install the latest version of apt first:

  # apt-get install apt apt-utils

Once you've got that, you can install the rest of the updates:

  # apt-get dist-upgrade

Now you should have a completely Woody-based basic system.  Use "apt-get
install" to install everything else you want, or else install a possibly
more user-friendly tool like aptitude to install the rest of the
packages you want.


HTH!

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Paul D. Smith <pausmith@nortelnetworks.com> HASMAT--HA Software Mthds & Tools
 "Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist
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   These are my opinions---Nortel Networks takes no responsibility for them.