> > 1. Will a Zip Drive work with Debian Linux? When I attach it now the PC > > refuses to do anything. No memory count, nothing. This may be a hardware > > problem, but if you know something please let me know. > Yes (is the answer to the first question. .... The second issue is a bit > more puzzling. ... I assume you are rebooting when you attach the Zip > drive (How? are you doing a warm --reset-- start or driving the maching > from scratch. Not that this should make a difference.) > It sounds like there is some bios confilct arising from the inclusion of > your zip drive .... Weirdness 1000!!! I always thought that the machine > did a mem check before it began probing the different ports? > ... Ah ha is there a short on the zip drive? Check if the same thing > happens on a different machine. I know from bitter experience that as > brief short in your machine can force it to reboot ... if the connection > is not transient ... will it restart at all? see also >
I concur; I've seen weird boot problems after a device had been plugged in go away when the device is unplugged. Don't only suspect the zip drive; suspect the lpt port also. Did you have a printer plugged in? If not, and you have one, plug it in and see if you get a similar lockup. You might be able to fix the problem simply by reseating/moving the lpt card. > > > > 3. I would like to install X next. But have no clue what files I need. I > > have downloaded the entire X11 directory, but sine I have to install from > > floppies I need to know which files I need first, and how to install them. > If I fully understand you, you have the X-set, x1, x2, ... x?? on > floppies. What you need to do is to (logged on as root) stick the x1 > disk into the floppy drive and run 'setup'. Follow the instructions on the > screen (target, source media, etc ) and you should be fine. I haven't done > this in years so I cannot give you a blow by blow. But I think you would > manage alright (much disk changing and pray that all the disks are > intact). > > Another thing you might try is to get your network running (in textmode) > and then do an nfs install with dselect. It is more straightforward than > it sounds. > (a) Get ppp working, (b) mount the source directory (sunsite or > wherever ... the instructions as to how to do this? .. If you are > intersted, and stuck, I could dig them up for you. I know that > sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk has a page on how to connect to their ftp achives > which gives the information) nfs (c) run deselect > Happy singing and dancing ... Again, I concur. Once you have your network running (either dial-up ppp or on an ethernet connection, etc), you can use dselect, which is Debian's "installer/deinstaller". I think you'll find it to be easier than trying to manually download/install/configure apps.
