Re: Debian

["Thomas Schmitt" <scdbackup@gmx.net>]

Hi,

courtneyxshort wrote:
> I am a Computer Science Masters student and part of my degree involves me
> downloading Debian on my Mac.

In normal times i would advise you to seek contact to local Linux users
at your university or school.

Nomenclature:
I guess you are supposed to "install" a Debian GNU/Linux operating
system. "Downloading" an installation disk-or-filesystem image is one of
the early steps of installing.

The general procedure is:

- Get a machine where the existing operating system shall be overwritten.
  In your case i would propose to create a virtual machine on your Mac,
  if this is acceptable to your teachers.
  (There is the possibility to add an operating system as neighbor of
   the existing ones. But such coexistence as boot alternatives can be
   tricky.)

- Identify the Debian architecture which would match your machine.
  This is mainly about the CPU type. Most popular is "amd64" for 64 bit
  x86 CPUs, which should match a Mac that is not too old (PowerPC) or
  too young (M1).
  So if you use a virtual machine, let it emulate 64 bit x86.

- Download the matching installation medium. Given that you use a Mac
  i propose you offer it an ISO with all non-free firmware that you can
  get from Debian:
    https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/11.1.0+nonfree/amd64/iso-dvd/firmware-11.1.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso
  (With a virtual machine it might be feasible to use purely free
    https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/release/current/amd64/iso-dvd/debian-11.1.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso
  )

- Offer the downloaded .iso image file to your virtual machine either as
  virtual CD-ROM or as virtual hard disk.
  If you install on a real machine, burn the .iso onto a DVD
    https://www.debian.org/CD/faq/#record-mac
  or copy it flatly onto a USB stick
    https://www.debian.org/CD/faq/#write-usb

- When the machine starts up, check for the offer to boot from that
  virtual or real medium. (I have no experience with the firmware of
  Macs. You will have to find out yourself.)

- When you have managed to start the Debian installer system from the
  medium, it will offer you the option to install Debian on the virtual
  or real hard disk of the machine.

If you get that far and have questions, then ask here for more info.
If you get stuck at some step, provide more info about your Mac and
ask here. (I guess MacOS can list you the hardware components of your
machine somehow.)


If you ask again, better subscribe to the list at
  https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/
Some answers to your mail will only go to the list and not to your
mail address directly. (I conclude that you are not subscribed from
the "X-Spam-Status:" header, which the list server added to your mail
before sending it out to all subscribers.)

Alternatively you may watch the follow-ups of your message
  https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2021/10/msg00799.html
and their follow-ups, or look for the thread "Debian courtneyxshort" at
  https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2021/10/thrd2.html


Have a nice day :)

Thomas