Debian 4.0

JoeDude · Post by **JoeDude** » Thu May 10, 2007 8:53 am

I am posting from a fresh net install of Debian 4.0.

It looks pretty for now. Allow to delve deeper...OOPS!

It immediately updated to 2.6.18-4-686, and that wqas the only update to catch it up.

All I selected was destop, printserver and basic system...So this is pretty crisp.

It took a little bit, when it started, it had to download 673 packages, but that was all that took a while. I'll let you know how it goes!

here's a screeny of the default desktop:

JoeDude · Post by **JoeDude** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:36 am

OK, first. I'm impressed with the speed difference. This is an old computer (celeron 466Mghz, 128 Mb RAM), and though it's no drag rail, it's deffinately much better than a 120 year old man, with 2 broken legs on a Zimmer frame...It's like it's brand new baxk in 98 again!

I've removed epiphany and evolution and replaced them with iceweasle and icedove (FF for Debian) and installed automatix2.

Ive used automatix2 to install java jre, macromedia flashplayer, some codecs and various plugins. So far, it's great.

Void Main · Post by **Void Main** » Thu May 10, 2007 5:52 pm

Cool, I'm going to install it right now and check it out!

JoeDude · Post by **JoeDude** » Fri May 11, 2007 2:42 am

I forgot to say...

The most complicated portion of the install was the formatting of the hard drive.

It was all graphical, I can't remember what prog it used. But the options were powerful and allowed you to control every aspect of the format and partitioning. Boot Flags to partition type, it was all there. It was a bit intimidating for a moron like me, but I managed it fine.

I set it up as follows:

/ = hda1 (5Gb) ext 2
Swap = hda2 (1Gb) swap
/home = hda3 (24.8Gb...huh?) ext2

for some reason, it really didn't like ext3 (probably because it's for journalling, but I did want to try it, maybe next time).

insomnia · Post by **insomnia** » Fri May 11, 2007 7:10 am

That is strange ...
Ext3 is the default, you normally just have to press Enter.
In the AMD64 version, ext2 isn't even supported.

Did you let the installer do the partitioning?
Resizing existing ext3 partitions with the GUI installer isn't possible.

JoeDude · Post by **JoeDude** » Fri May 11, 2007 10:11 am

It wouldn't even allow me to set the partitions under Ext3. It kept giving me errors (can't resize errors). When I went to Ext2 everything went fine.

BTW, |I forgot as well, when I took the screen shot, I had all ready moved the application bars to the left and right. I have a 15 inch monitor for this one and it gives me a longer reading surface that way. Also, I changed the clock to show date as well. But that's actually all I had done to it to that point.

Sorry, I just realized I never actually answered your questions.

No, I did a manual format and partition as there was a Ubuntu 6.06 all ready there. But, all I really use this computer for is downloading my favorite TV episodes anyways. So, I quite regularly use it to try other distros. If it works on this one all right, then it should be great on any of my other computers.

All of the previous partitions were set up pretty much the same from Ubuntu, except they were ext2. I tried ext3, didn't work for whatever reason (to be honest, I didn't put that much effort into it) so I went back to ext2. To be honest, I didn't even have to reformat and partition as that is the exact same partitioning Ubuntu was under.

insomnia · Post by **insomnia** » Fri May 11, 2007 11:12 am

JoeDude wrote:It wouldn't even allow me to set the partitions under Ext3. It kept giving me errors (can't resize errors). When I went to Ext2 everything went fine.

All of the previous partitions were set up pretty much the same from Ubuntu, except they were ext2. I tried ext3, didn't work for whatever reason (to be honest, I didn't put that much effort into it) so I went back to ext2. To be honest, I didn't even have to reformat and partition as that is the exact same partitioning Ubuntu was under.

That's probably why it didn't work.
Some ext3 tools(like all resize stuff) are disabled in the installer (cause they didn't work yet).
You could still leave the installer and do everything manually though.

From http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/debian-installer/

Resizing of existing ext3 partitions may fail

The installer is currently not able to resize ext3 partitions that have the dir_index and/or resize_inode features enabled. This includes ext3 partitions created with the Etch installer.
You can however manually resize an ext3 partition during installation. Proceed until the partitioning step, use the <Go Back> button to exit to the main menu, start a shell, and resize the file system and partition using the commands available in the shell (fsck.ext3, resize2fs and e.g. fdisk or parted). If you start partman again after completing the resize operation, it should show the new size of the partition.

If you install it in "free disk space" (or don't change existing ext3 partitions at all) and allow the installer to create the actual partitions, it should normally work (ext3 being the default option).

Apart from the lack of some options in the installer, Etch is IMHO the best distro out there. It makes the *buntus look like crippled kiddy toys ;)

Ice9 · Post by **Ice9** » Fri May 11, 2007 2:16 pm

Apart from the lack of some options in the installer, Etch is IMHO the best distro out there. It makes the *buntus look like crippled kiddy toys

Those Antwerp guys always know best, that's a well known fact in Belgium!

JoeDude · Post by **JoeDude** » Sat May 12, 2007 11:14 pm

Ok, just out of curiosity, I reinstalled and during th partitioning, I reset it to ext3 and it did just fine!

But, I have a new problem.

I use synaptic to upgrade the kernel (see above, same as)
then used automatix to install Java JRE, Flashplayer, audio and video codecs, FF (iceweasle), TB (Icedove) and that's pretty much it...

But now, I rebooted and I can't get passed the log in. I log in, then the screen changes over, like X has started, but the desk top doesn't load. Nautilus failure? I just have that Debian blue screen and that's it. No pics, files, application bars, nothing. It just stays n that blank blue page staring at me...it's doing it right now...like it's waiting for me...

Ice9 · Post by **Ice9** » Sun May 13, 2007 1:53 am

Can you hit CTRL+ALT+F2 and look at /var/log/messages?
What I would try first is an apt-get update followed by an apt-get dist-upgrade.

JoeDude · Post by **JoeDude** » Sun May 13, 2007 6:53 am

I did go to tty2. It had some stuff on there, but I don't remember what. I'm at work, it'll have to wait until tonight.

Update...brilliant...I should have thought of that. I'll try that as soon as I get home. I should probably do build-essentials as well.

JoeDude · Post by **JoeDude** » Sun May 13, 2007 11:04 pm

I just went through all of them...this is officially getting frustrating....

tty1 = last entry says start periodic command scheduler: crond There is no evidence of error or intewrrupted operation...

tty2 = nothing

tty3 = nothing

tty4 = for some reason it's gone to all caps, says the usual generic blurb about deb and it's packages, then, mysteriously says "1 FAILURE SINCE LAST LOG IN."

tty5 = nothing

tty6= nothing

tty7 = of course, back to the blue gray screen....

I'm stuck...

BTW: apt-get din't work either...

Ice9 · Post by **Ice9** » Mon May 14, 2007 1:05 am

What I meant was going to tty2 and

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tail /var/log/messages

JoeDude · Post by **JoeDude** » Mon May 14, 2007 1:59 am

oh, duh!

BTW: what I meant by apt-get not working was not that it actually didn't work. Rather that it did what it was supposed to, but everything was all ready updated so it didn't fix anything.

JoeDude · Post by **JoeDude** » Tue May 15, 2007 2:01 am

last message:

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May 15 08:43:27 debian --MARK--

previously there was 1 other message which wasn't exactly the same:

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May 15 07:36:20 debian syslogd 1.4.1#18:  restart.

hmmm...maybe I'll just reinstall and reboot after each step in the updating/installing stuff to see which one it is. I know...it's a sin in Linux, but this is a play around box.