Help with Debian

[-=iMpAcT=-]

I have installed it and when I boot it up a dos like box comes up, i login to root or my user and it log's in with this sign,
myname2@myname:~$
or
myname:~#
what command do i now use to boot into debian linux?

[voidmain]

That *is* Debian GNU/Linux that you are in. I think you might mean "what command do you run to start Xwindows" which is the graphical environment. If so type "startx". That will only work if you have Xwindows installed though.

No offence but I have a feeling this is your first time with Linux. If so, I might suggest you start out with a little more user friendly disto. Not that there is anything wrong with Debian, in fact it's one of the best and is actually *the* best in a lot of areas. Friendly to new users is not one of Debian's strenghts. Not to discourage you, and if you really want to get started with Debian first then more power to you. Here is a link to the user manual:

http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/users-guide/users-guide.en.html

If you want to try something a little easier for the new Linux user I might suggest RedHat 8.0, SuSe 8.1, or Mandrake 9.0.

Good luck and welcome to the MES and welcome to Linux!

[ November 29, 2002: Message edited by: void main ]

[Calum]

i remember when i was in this exact same situation maybe a year and a half ago. i had read a book about linux, but then trying to use it was quite scary.

I wouldn't say you need to ditch debian just yet though, sometimes using the most user friendly version might not be the best way to learn the new environment.

(however i wouldn't go so far as to disagree with void main here, many people just want their computer to work, and if that's the case, then i agree you might want to try a more 'mainstream' distribution of linux.

[voidmain]

You are right Calum. If he is in the mood to learn then I would say stick with Debian. He will learn the most from it. But if he is expecting something more... er dare I say... Windows like, or maybe Mac like would be closer to the truth, then yes, one of the 3 others I listed. And by more Windows like or Mac like I mean more graphical oriented, from installation time on.

[ November 29, 2002: Message edited by: void main ]

[LorKorub]

When you see those signs (it is called the prompt, by the way), you are logged in.  What you are trying to do is launch the X Windows Server, and, at the same time, pick a flavor.

If you haven't configured X, read the following carefully:

First, you have to have installed it on your initial installation.  debconfig would have asked you to install X, and which window manager you wanted to use by default (kdm, gdm, or xdm.)

If you didn't do this, run /usr/sbin/base-config as root, and set it up.

Hopefully, you already did as listed above. Now onto making X work.

You have to run /usr/X11R6/bin/xf86config as root.  Follow the installation process on the screen, and make sure you have some info on your hardware handy (your monitor's horizontal and vertical synch range to be specific.) Enter in all of the pertaining information.  When you reach the final screen, xf86config will ask you where to write the configuration file. ANSWER NO TO THE FIRST THREE QUESTIONS.  When it asks you where to write it, type in /etc/X11/XF86Config-4. Debian, at leat v3.0 (woody....what I am using) uses a configuration file that is a little different than most version of Linux. (I must have ran that friggin thing twenty times before I figured this out.)

once you write the file, type startx at the Prompt and you should be good to go.  Debian will load X by default, from the moment it is configured properly (unless you edit /etc/inittab to do otherwise) so once you get X running, it's all gravy.

And welcome to the world of Debian.  You have chosen wisely.

[-=iMpAcT=-]

Ok thanks LorKorub / BOB,
Ill try that soon, but im not to sure if that will work because I may have the same debian linux cd as you but I cannot install anything off it. For example I type "tasksel" and try to install a few important files and this message comes up

Error:Illegal request -- (Sense Key=0x05)
Illegal mode for this track or incompatiable medium -- (asc=0x04, ascq=0x00)

So I cant install anything, then I try this "apt-get install kde or any package like that and the same message comes up. So do I have to install all these packages off the internet?
I think there could be something wrong with the CD, its not damaged or anything but this is just not usual.
And YES I am very keen to learn how to use this OS, I cant be bothered using Mandrake or Redhat if they are not the best, and if I cant get help from people like you there's no pint in it.
Post back and tell me how I should install these.
Thanks

[LorKorub]

hmmm...

Tasksel should run fine.  You are running it as root, I take it?

You might have a corrupted CD-Rom if you are getting  an error message about the medium that you are using.

Taskel needs to be the first thing you run because that it what installs the X window system.  When you try to run X, do you just type startx at the prompt? If so what happens?

If you already have X running, then it is just a matter of configuring your internet service and adding some apt sources to /etc/apt/sources.list.

Try to run X and post the error message that you are getting, if you are getting one.

[LorKorub]

quote:Ill try that soon, but im not to sure if that will work because I may have the same debian linux cd as you but I cannot install anything off it.  

Shit...sorry man, I didn't read the first statement too cleary.

All you *SHOULD* have to do then is configure /etc/apt/sources.list. You're using Debian 3.0 Woody from www.linuxiso.org? If so, just use my sources.list file:

#deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free

#deb http://non-us.debian.org/debian-non-US stable/non-US main contrib non-free

#deb http://security.debian.org stable/updates main contrib non-free

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 r0 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-7 (20020718)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 r0 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-6 (20020718)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 r0 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-5 (20020718)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 r0 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-4 (20020718)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 r0 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-3 (20020718)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 r0 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-2 (20020718)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main

deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 r0 _Woody_ - Official i386 Binary-1 (20020718)]/ unstable contrib main non-US/contrib non-US/main

I commented out the first three, as those are net sources (you can fuck with those later, once you get a base install going.)  Just edit /etc/apt/sources.list and put in all of those CD-Rom entries. Then do apt-get update, so apt can build its database list.

Once that is completed (it will probably have to scan all of your CDs), you can then do an apt-get install KDE2 or apt-get install afterstep, or whatever desktop environment you want to use. Even if X isn't installed, I believe apt will solve any dependency problems (correct me if I am wrong, anyone...) That is part of the beauty of Debian. The packaging system crushes anything else out there.

When you run apt-get install, it will just ask you for the respective cd. Just put it in, hit enter, and you should be rolling. If it installs X, which I think it should, then you have to configure X as listed above.

[ December 01, 2002: Message edited by: LorKorub / BOB ]