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Considering switch to Debian

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aicardi
Posts: 388
Joined: 2009-11-18 01:30
Location: Chicago

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#31 Post by aicardi »

oOarthurOo wrote:This thread is a gong show. Here's the hilarious summary:
1. Hi, I'm thinking about switching from Ubuntu to Debian. Will it be hard?
2. I should be quite happy with Lenny (Stable). Will I have problems with 64 bit flash?
3. I've got Debian installed. How do I get the sidebar in Nautilus?
4. I've decided to run Testing and xorg is now broken, I can't start gnome! Can you help me fix it if I don't post any error messages / logs?
5. I've decided to compile my own kernel to fix the issues I'm having, but I can't extract the tarball. Any help please?
6. I'm not sure how to use the console (except for ctrl+c), can you tell me how?
Entertaining at best
Jessie/Xfce

Tribulation
Posts: 23
Joined: 2008-11-13 01:15

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#32 Post by Tribulation »

oOarthurOo wrote:This thread is a gong show. Here's the hilarious summary:
1. Hi, I'm thinking about switching from Ubuntu to Debian. Will it be hard?
2. I should be quite happy with Lenny (Stable). Will I have problems with 64 bit flash?
3. I've got Debian installed. How do I get the sidebar in Nautilus?
4. I've decided to run Testing and xorg is now broken, I can't start gnome! Can you help me fix it if I don't post any error messages / logs?
5. I've decided to compile my own kernel to fix the issues I'm having, but I can't extract the tarball. Any help please?
6. I'm not sure how to use the console (except for ctrl+c), can you tell me how?
http://bandcamp.tv/linux-demotivators/debian.jpg

Why is it that some people think that everyone should automatically know everything there is to know about any given thing? I come from Ubuntu, I already told you that. Obviously, things will be harder for me. I'm trying not to ask "Hey guys, how to I do everything?" If I'd done that this thread would be a lot bigger, I'm only asking when I get stuck and can't find the answers myself. As for your ridiculous points:

1. I never asked if it would be hard, I just asked for any tips that people wanted to share because I knew it'd be different from Ubuntu, I like to go in somewhat prepared.
2. What's wrong with asking if 64 bit Flash sucks or not?
3. Because when you can't figure something out you simply give up.
4. That was a long shot, I decided to see if I could get some answers while away so I could work on the problem when I got back home. Maybe it was a common problem, maybe, just maybe, someone knew what I was talking about. In all honesty I didn't expect it to work.
5. Again, why is asking questions when I run into a problem that I've tried to fix but failed so bad?
6. I'm very interested in where you got this from.

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nadir
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Re: Considering switch to Debian

#33 Post by nadir »

Tribulation, why don't you use the repo-30-kernel from squeeze. is it that it doesnt work?
if thats the case check on the first page of the how-to for RollingStones how-to compile kernel for newbies.

type one command (hit enter) after the other. that might be the easiest method for now.

i don't think upgrades lenny to higher is big fun atm. might be just me. i for one like lenny.
"I am not fine with it, so there is nothing for me to do but stand aside." M.D.

fsmithred
Posts: 1873
Joined: 2008-01-02 14:52

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#34 Post by fsmithred »

You're still using the lenny kernel. To get the squeeze kernel, do

Code: Select all

aptitude install linux-image-2.6.30-2-686
then reboot into that kernel. It'll be the first one on the boot list.

oOarthurOo
Posts: 544
Joined: 2008-10-25 12:00
Location: Canada

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#35 Post by oOarthurOo »

These threads will make your time here more profitable and enjoyable:

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=47258

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=47078

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Bro.Tiag
Posts: 1924
Joined: 2007-06-02 19:14

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#36 Post by Bro.Tiag »

Tribulation wrote:
oOarthurOo wrote:This thread is a gong show. Here's the hilarious summary:
1. Hi, I'm thinking about switching from Ubuntu to Debian. Will it be hard?
2. I should be quite happy with Lenny (Stable). Will I have problems with 64 bit flash?
3. I've got Debian installed. How do I get the sidebar in Nautilus?
4. I've decided to run Testing and xorg is now broken, I can't start gnome! Can you help me fix it if I don't post any error messages / logs?
5. I've decided to compile my own kernel to fix the issues I'm having, but I can't extract the tarball. Any help please?
6. I'm not sure how to use the console (except for ctrl+c), can you tell me how?
http://bandcamp.tv/linux-demotivators/debian.jpg

Why is it that some people think that everyone should automatically know everything there is to know about any given thing?
Go on, give us the whole link, bandcamp.TV. OH & btw, Please Read.. What we expect you have already Done.

Cheers

refracta
Posts: 1234
Joined: 2008-10-26 01:46

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#37 Post by refracta »

Tribulation wrote: I come from Ubuntu....
A clear example of exactly what ubuntu does for debian, attracting new users to linux. I am told we should be thankful for that.

Instead of taking offense a much better response would probably be to laugh a little at yourself since it was an honest summary... :lol:

as far as how to enter those commands....
you open a terminal
you type in the first command
you hit enter
you type in the second command
you hit enter
you type in the third command
you hit enter
and so on....

If it takes a while for the computer to perform the action then you need to wait for it to finish rather than breaking it with ctrl+c

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nadir
Posts: 5961
Joined: 2009-10-05 22:06
Location: away

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#38 Post by nadir »

Bro Tiag wrote in another threat about the theory)
Oh, welcome to the Big Leagues, learn to like the cli. Embrace the cli. Love the cli. Be The CLI!
Tribulation wrote in this threat about the empiry)
Image

my xterm-cli gives us an apology)
m1arkust@Refracta:~$ ls -l /bin/sh
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 4 2009-11-29 23:28 /bin/sh -> bash
check the right-settings: all are allowed everything.
its an assignment, we are innocent.

i think that was funny.
at minimum it was the beloved 3! again
"I am not fine with it, so there is nothing for me to do but stand aside." M.D.

oOarthurOo
Posts: 544
Joined: 2008-10-25 12:00
Location: Canada

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#39 Post by oOarthurOo »

It appears I've been issued a warning. Allow me to apologize to the OP. It is verbotem to suggest to you that untarring the kernel source is the hard part; That it is all downhill from there. That would be sarcasm. Instead, I should say in a very calm and polite voice that if you cannot figure out how to untar you are not ready to try compiling your own kernel. It actually doesn't get easier from there. I have total confidence that you are a sufficiently developed and aware human being to accomplish such a task, but I advise you to wait until you grown stronger in body and mind.

It is also verbotem to try to hint that jumping around from topic to topic in one thread, not waiting for any answers, is not the best way to proceed to learn how to use Debian. I must state it explicitly. Politely. You should ask one question in one thread. One subject. And wait for answers. Had you done so, it is likely you would never have tried to compile your own kernel.

Finally, I should not attempt to point out the ... interesting nature of going from "should I switch to Debian" to "I'm having trouble compiling my kernel" in about four posts. Even if some people find it humorous, I shouldn't hinder your discovery of the joy that a broken and unusable computer can bring.

I hope you found my apology satisifying and your self-esteem restored; I shan't be visiting the Stuart Smalley Section again.

JohnDeere630
Posts: 632
Joined: 2006-09-02 02:01

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#40 Post by JohnDeere630 »

oOarthurOo wrote:
Finally, I should not attempt to point out the ... interesting nature of going from "should I switch to Debian" to "I'm having trouble compiling my kernel" in about four posts. Even if some people find it humorous, I shouldn't hinder your discovery of the joy that a broken and unusable computer can bring.

I hope you found my apology satisifying and your self-esteem restored; I shan't be visiting the Stuart Smalley Section again.

:lol: :lol: That is too funny! I have also experienced the joy of discovering that my latest attempt to fix something fubar-ed my machine. :lol: BTW, who is Stuart Smalley....oh wait, let me run in a terminal :lol: "man Stuart Smalley"

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hazel
Posts: 135
Joined: 2009-08-01 16:34

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#41 Post by hazel »

Tribulation wrote:Unfortunately xorg is broken so I'm forced to use the command line. I tried your suggestion and separated the commands with semicolons but all that does is move my cursor down to a blank line. I can type all I want but I've never understood what to do with it... I have to use ctrl+C to get back into a normal command line in which I can actually use commands again.
OK. So get back to a normal command line, then go to your home folder (if you aren't already there) by typing cd. Copy the tarball over from wherever you downloaded it to with cp path/to/tarball ~. Then give the commands to unpack the tarball, with a RETURN after each command. You should end up with a directory tree containing your kernel source.

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stevepusser
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Re: Considering switch to Debian

#42 Post by stevepusser »

I'm a bit mystified about why the heck you need to compile a new kernel anyway. Install the latest one from the Squeeze repo as suggested, that one is new enough to run the graphical interface of the latest xorg. The problems you are having is due to udev still being the Lenny version. Possibly it was held back due to the older Lenny kernel. I would concentrate on solving the udev problem, then any other packages linked to xorg such as hal.

I know it's possible to upgrade to the Squeeze xorg from Lenny, but I was running a self-built 2.6.32 kernel first. I changed to the Squeeze repos, and upgraded for my Intel graphics xserver-xorg-video-intel and libgl1-mesa-dri. Those upgrades are enough to require the rest of xorg be upgraded to the testing version along with them, without anything being held back.
MX Linux packager and developer

linuxguy2009
Posts: 15
Joined: 2010-01-28 15:43

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#43 Post by linuxguy2009 »

I started using Linux with Ubuntu8.04 and stayed with it till 9.10 came out and I finally got fed up with unreliability and endless breaking and fixing. When you finally get it working right they release the new version and you start from square one all over again. I got tired of it pretty fast. Theres nothing that I miss from ubuntu at all. It feels identical except that it just works and works very well. Love the fact that Debian has images to download the whole repo. I actually let my netbook download all 5 DVDs while I was at work. On my netbook here and my desktop machine, I set both up to mount the ISOs at bootup and added them to the source list. When I install a program it grabs right off my own hard drive, not the web so its VERY fast.Very convenient on my netbook cause I can install programs without internet access, at any time. And it never breaks. I'll never go back to Ubuntu, they can bite it.

Ahtiga Saraz
Posts: 1014
Joined: 2009-06-15 01:19

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#44 Post by Ahtiga Saraz »

Tribulation wrote: Is there any other tips or information that anyone would like to share about the switch from Ubuntu to Debian?
One other thing which apparently wasn't mentioned before the thread was... diverted:

Ubuntu, as I recall, lays great store with sudo. Debian (and other linuxes) do not. Until you get used to the Debian Way, try for example

Code: Select all

su -c "ps -ef"
Of course, if you really want to use sudo, that can be arranged, too: you need to use visudo to edit your sudoers file. It's been a while since I used Ubuntu, but as I recall, Ubuntu doesn't require this prepatory step.
Tribulation wrote: Why is it that some people think that everyone should automatically know everything there is to know about any given thing? I come from Ubuntu, I already told you that. Obviously, things will be harder for me. I'm trying not to ask "Hey guys, how to I do everything?" If I'd done that this thread would be a lot bigger, I'm only asking when I get stuck and can't find the answers myself. As for your ridiculous points:
I've only been here since last June, in fact I've only been a Debianite since last June, but for what it's worth: I have the impression that you fell afoul of a kind of "culture war" here between those who would like to see the forum become more useful/welcoming to new Debian users, and those who want to maintain a... unwelcoming atmosphere, embodied in frequent repetition of the phrase "RTFM!". That's how I see it, anyway.

If it helps, I can't see anything strange if anything you said or did, in fact, it seems to me that your willingness to plunge right in, experiment freely, and break and repair things, is very much in the spirit of open source.

If it helps, when I first arrived, some posters who knew something about this and that, expressed disbelief that I could know more than they did about this, yet know almost nothing about that. I guess some people have a hard time recognizing, much less embracing, the diversity of experience, interests, and views to be found among the entire community of Debian users, and may even exhibit a tendency to belittle anyone whom they suspect does not closely resemble themselves.
Ahtiga Saraz

Le peuple debout contre les tyrans! De l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours l'audace!

Tribulation
Posts: 23
Joined: 2008-11-13 01:15

Re: Considering switch to Debian

#45 Post by Tribulation »

Sorry I haven't responded lately, I've been busy for a few days.
I'm a bit mystified about why the heck you need to compile a new kernel anyway. Install the latest one from the Squeeze repo as suggested,
I tried, but the package manager was bitching at me because I was still using the Lenny version. I couldn't seem to update it no matter what I tried. Likely I was doing something wrong or not doing enough.

For now though I just re-installed Ubuntu 9.04 as a temporary measure, I'll probably try installing Debian again next week.

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nadir
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Re: Considering switch to Debian

#46 Post by nadir »

Tribulation wrote:Sorry I haven't responded lately, I've been busy for a few days.
I'm a bit mystified about why the heck you need to compile a new kernel anyway. Install the latest one from the Squeeze repo as suggested,
I tried, but the package manager was bitching at me because I was still using the Lenny version. I couldn't seem to update it no matter what I tried. Likely I was doing something wrong or not doing enough.

For now though I just re-installed Ubuntu 9.04 as a temporary measure, I'll probably try installing Debian again next week.
you could add the 30-kernel from backports:
http://www.backports.org/dokuwiki/doku. ... structions
add the repo:

Code: Select all

deb http://www.backports.org/debian lenny-backports main contrib non-free
apt-get update
add the key and install it:

Code: Select all

apt-get install debian-backports-keyring
apt-get update
apt-get install -t lenny-backports linux-image-2.6.30-bpo.2-686 
"I am not fine with it, so there is nothing for me to do but stand aside." M.D.

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stevepusser
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Re: Considering switch to Debian

#47 Post by stevepusser »

Yes, the Lenny-backports kernel should work. You could search the forum here for the link to the Lenny compatible version of kernelcheck I built, which is a automated GUI for kernel building, if you get a hankering for a new kernel. The Old Ones here did not approve of the way it builds kernels in /usr/src, though.

I also wonder what packages made the upgrade to Squeeze necessary, though. The reason the older packages in Lenny just work is that almost all the bugs have been worked out of them. If you do want the latest, shiny releases, it's not too difficult to rebuild many packages from unstable against the Lenny libraries, though it does involve some use of the CLI. For example, I just backported gnome-mplayer and gecko-mediaplayer to see how they worked in Swiftfox (pretty well, actually) So far, the GIMP is completely portable, too. Getting the new audio and voice capabilities working in Pidgin 2.6.X was quite a hassle, but finally did it; the lenny-backports version just disables that in the configuration.
MX Linux packager and developer

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62chevy
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Re: Considering switch to Debian

#48 Post by 62chevy »

Wow that's a lot of installing. I'm surprised no one suggested you use the debian-testing-i386-netinst.iso. Of course if you don't have Internet or a slow Internet that may not be possible. By using the testing disk you will lose the great opportunity to learn Linux. I'm also wondering if you read the release notes on testing.

Hope this helps.
Debian Buster

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stevepusser
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Re: Considering switch to Debian

#49 Post by stevepusser »

>>>>I tried, but the package manager was bitching at me because I was still using the Lenny version. I couldn't seem to update it no matter what I tried. Likely I was doing something wrong or not doing enough.<<<

Hmmm---You weren't uninstalling the Lenny kernel you were running at the same time, were you? That'll sure make the PM complain. Keep your old kernel as a backup to boot to.
MX Linux packager and developer

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