Hello Bert! On Tue, May 12, 1998 at 12:39:24PM -0400, Bert Conliffe wrote: > > Now that I have the basic Debian installed what do I do?
This heavily depends on what you want to do with Debian. Please note that Debian can serve as a development system for various programming languages, it can serve as a workstation for hundreds of users, too. It can even be a web server or a graphic engine. However, maybe you want some "first steps" instructions, and you already found them in teh HOWTO's you can find in the doc-linux package. The DOS-to-Linux-HOWTO is an excellent but very basic starter. I assume you already are familar with its content. Learn to use the Unix Power Tools, as find and grep. They are very helpful in daily work. > Configuration - How To. At last, I can get started on configuring > and learning to use Debian Linux! Much configuration is done in /etc/ directory. There you can find the customization files for the packages. It requires some knowledge and a text editor to modify them correctly. The knowledge you mostly find in Howtos or documentation under /usr/doc/<package-name>/ dir. > Now frustration sets in. Guido's document does not refer to the > Debian system's structure. I am at a lost to relate to where to > find the files on my Debian system. I try seaching directories > for help, again leading to more frustration. Find files with the file command or with the the command "locate". Try the man pages for the commands you don't know, type: "man <command>" for example "man find". > Debian is not user > friendly, it is "novice frutrating", is there a special reason for > this? To get you interested :) No, seriously, Unix *has* a steep learning curve. If you need an environment that does not offer you much of a choice, use Windows or OS/2 or Mac instead. There is nothing wrong with this. Debian/Linux has another philosophy, it offers you much of a choice, and this is more confusing, you are right. The reason is, in the end, the power of Linux as well as any other Unix system. (Don't point me at Windows NT. It is a nice bag with just air in it). > The "plain vanilla Debian Linux" offers nothing for the "novice" > linux user. Would it have been too much to expect: It offers a lot, but not directly. It does not point with red arrows on it, this is correct. > 1. A document telling the "novice" what to do next. /usr/doc/*/* contains a lot of instructions, but this is not what you look for. You already found the HOWTO's. You also want a good book on Linux or Unix in general. Or read the books from the Linux Documentation Project (LDP) online (well, ps format, I think). > 2. A set of instructions on how to configure the system. What do you want to do? Try "pppconfig" (only in latest Debian release) for Internet Connection via modem, try installing the X packages for Graphical User Interface. Try installing apache for a webserver, and smail+mutt for a mail system. Ask specific questions, and we are happy to give you specific instructions :) > 3. The simple basics required to administrate Debian. Read the System Administrator Guide from the LDP (see above). It has some stuff. If your computer is not on 24x7, install the anacron package and the system will update the internal databases and log data from time to time. A basic Debian system doesn't need much administration. > 4. Having manuals operational so that, one would have some > type of reference. This is hard to do, as software is developing fast and development efforts are not centralized. Most documents are out of sync with the current situation. Ask on this list if you are suspicious. Hint: Some documents mention /dev/cua?? for modem. Don't use them. Use /dev/tty?? instead. This is just one insider you should know. There are a lot more. Try surfing the archive of the debian-user mailing list for hints. > 5. Just plain old "guidance". There's hell of a lot documentation in the web. The hard thing is to find the good stuff. I already gave you some pointers. The mailing lists are also good adevice, you already found it :) > If I am a novice who is just being oriented, dselect at this time > is a bit too much. What do I know about the requirements for package > installation. Even if I did download a package, how could I be sure > if I should have selected MSDOS or i386 items? After all I am You should only use MSDOS section if you need the short package names. The packages in MSDOS and i386 are identical, only the name is different. Use i386 when possible. Dselect can automagically download packages for you, if you have your modem configured. Please read the dselect help pages at least once carefully. You can install packages manually with "dpkg -i <deb-filename>" > coming from a MSDOS sytem. That I should download packages.gz or > contents.gz. You don't need them. > Please help me to walk (configure the system I just > installed), before you start " clocking " me for a 3:50 mile > (updating a system I can even configure, or access its reference > material). > > Why couldn't the system be distributed with the documentation and > resources to implement LILO as the boot manager for dualbooting > MSDOG (as guru(s) fondly refer to the Bill Gates software). It is shipped with extensive documentation in /usr/doc/lilo/. Read *.gz files with "zless". For a starter, you can try boot=/dev/h??? # linux partition, see below compact install=/boot/boot.b map=/boot/map vga=normal delay=10 # the next one is the linux thing image=/vmlinuz root=/dev/h??? # linux partition, for example hda1 read-only label=Linux alias=l # now windows other=/dev/h??? # Windows partition table=/dev/h?? # if windows is /dev/hda?, try just /dev/hda here. label=Windows alias=w The first entry is the default entry (linux here). > Hey, I'm a "dummy", please treat me like one. I'm not writing > " C " programs at Berkley, MIT or Dusseldorf; I'm a beginner, > trying to get started. Please recognize that we're in a state > that requires " debian linux nurturing ". We want to learn to > use Debian, please help us, don't push us away. (Speaking for > other novices who fail to communicate their plight). Every new beginning is hard. You will enjoy Debian more and more over time, when you learn more. > Yes, I've read about "O'reilly" books and all that stuff. But, > in this world, there are no Amazons or Barnes and Nobles on > every street corner. In Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Nigeria we > have a bit of a problem locating B&N and Amazon. If you give > us enough guidance to start with, we can play "catch up" later > on. The " first step " starts the journey. Okay, but you really should get a good book on Linux. It will help. There is a Debian starter book online at www.linux-press.com (or was it www.linuxpress.com). It is written by Dale Scheetz and is Debian specific! > Now, I know that Debian is a "freebie" organization and it depends > on volunteers. But, if you groom your "novices" properly, you may > just have your own " farm system " of volunteers down the road. You are welcome to post your questions here. Most of the time, there is someone ready to help you, but please have patience with us. Sometimes somebody is overlooked, or nobody has an answer. We hope that this does not happen too often. There are other forums, too. I never needed those, as the Debian lists are so wonderful! > If you showed me how, I would even be willing to help you setup > what I stated in 1. thru 5. I don't even know your system, but, > I am willing to help. You are welcome to read other posts and try to help them! Trying to solve other people problems is a good way to learn something new, and is a good way to share experience and support the Linux way of making the world a little more friendly. Marcus -- "Rhubarb is no Egyptian god." Debian GNU/Linux finger brinkmd@ Marcus Brinkmann http://www.debian.org master.debian.org [EMAIL PROTECTED] for public PGP Key http://homepage.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/Marcus.Brinkmann/ PGP Key ID 36E7CD09 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
