Can't get off the ground.

[PeterOD]

I'm keen to learn about Linux, but I can't even get off the ground.

I'm trying to load Debian onto a PC which has an unneeded version of Windows 10.

I can download an iso file OK, but cannot turn it into a bootable disk because I don't know where to get boot info from.

I have also loaded onto a usb stick but a page or so into the installation it stops reading the stick and wants a cd!

I'm completely lost - I've spent hours on it all to no avail.

I would be very grateful for any assistance.

Peter

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Hi Peter

I have also loaded onto a usb stick but a page or so into the installation it stops reading the stick and wants a cd!

This is a common problem, most of the programs in Windows don't know how to deal with modern ISO images properly.

I always recommend USBWriter and it always seems to work:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/usbwriter/

Good luck!

[PeterOD]

Thanks for your reply - but all i got for that was numerous downloads of Kodi and no usb!!

Peter

[dasein]

Not exactly pertinent to your current issue, but I'm going to suggest that you maybe start with a distro designed for folks who are new to Linux.

Most commonly recommended are MX-16 and SolydXK.

There's no shame in using a "starter" distro. Best available data suggest that 5 out of every 6 Debianites started with something else. You'll still have plenty to learn.

[lostfarmer]

Do you need to install in EFI mode on a GPT partitioned hdd ?

[stevepusser]

Not exactly pertinent to your current issue, but I'm going to suggest that you maybe start with a distro designed for folks who are new to Linux.

Most commonly recommended are MX-16 and SolydXK.

There's no shame in using a "starter" distro. Best available data suggest that 5 out of every 6 Debianites started with something else. You'll still have plenty to learn.

I tested Rufus for making a bootable USB with MX on my new UEFI laptop when all it had on it was Win 10. It worked fine for that, but the fancier stuff like persistence requires other tools. It worked fine to just make a LiveUSB and to install from, though. I would expect it to also work well with Debian.

I wonder if the trouble is getting these programs from Sourceforge in Windows, though? A bloated program that also worked in my test is Etcher, and that avoids the Sourceforge swamp.

[debiman]

Thanks for your reply - but all i got for that was numerous downloads of Kodi and no usb!!

sorry but this sort of sensationalist customer review telegram style will not enable us to help you to help yourself.
take a deep breath, and try to properly describe the problem and where you get stuck, from zero.
don't assume that we know which pages you visited and which buttons you clicked.

[phenest]

Thanks for your reply - but all i got for that was numerous downloads of Kodi and no usb!!

Peter

Were you referring to this (from the post before yours):

https://sourceforge.net/projects/usbwriter/

Because I got a zip file containing USBWriter. I don't know what you clicked on.

EDIT: Maybe this link is better:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/usbwri ... t/download

[PeterOD]

Thanks to all for help and counsel - I'm OK now. Somehow getting USBwriter from Source Forge seemed to be a problem. When I circumvented that all was OK and now I have Debian up and running.

Happy Days.

Pete

[Lysander]

Thanks to all for help and counsel - I'm OK now. Somehow getting USBwriter from Source Forge seemed to be a problem. When I circumvented that all was OK and now I have Debian up and running.

Happy Days.

Pete

Are you running Debian live? I would echo dasein that another distro would be better to start with if you're going with an install. Debian can be rather tricky for new users.