Debian desktop

[smith at missioncriticallinux.com (Jeffry Smith)]

Ron Peterson said:
> Anyone have any advice about how to /elegantly/ install an up-to-date
> desktop on Debian?  I'm thinking stable/potato, but I could probably be
> convinced that woody is far enough along to consider also.

If you want the Ximian stuff, install potato, then 
add:
deb http://spidermonkey.ximian.com/distributions/debian unstable main

to /etc/apt/sources.list. After that, run:
apt-get update (to update the packages list in your system)
apt-get install tasksel
tasksel (brings up an ncurses gui)
Choose the task-helix-gnome, and click finish.

It will automatically install the Ximian Gnome desktop.

(Note:  there's probably a KDE equivalent, but I'm a GNOME person, so 
that's what I know).

I'd also recommend running an:
apt-get update
then:
apt-get dist-upgrade
or
apt-get dselect-upgrade

to get the latest potato packages out of security.debian.org (assuming 
you're installing from CD-ROM).

> 
> I don't yet have a lot of experience with Debian.  I'm trying to convert
> from Red Hat.  I'm contemplating installing Debian on a pool of
> workstations used by the Math Department at Mt. Holyoke College.  I know
> I could configure a nice setup for them using Red Hat.  I like Debian's
> package management tools better, though.  The problem is, the
> stable/potato desktop packages are rather out-of-date.  In fact, I'm not
> sure the stable xfree86 will even work with the new hardware we'll be
> using.  There are newer .deb's available, but if I start getting too
> tricky with the package management, I'm obviating the advantages that
> sold me on this solution in the first place.

Potato should work on most new HW, but you may not get the great new 
features of the latest/greatest soundcard/video card.  However, Potato is 
upgraded on a routine basis to add in new modules that are compatible with 
the base install (I believe it's up to R2 now).

The other option is to run Woody/testing.  I'm doing that, both at work 
and at home, and 99% of the time it's stable.  However, it IS testing.  
Stable is rock-solid, testing is leading edge, unstable is bleeding edge.

> 
> Any advice?

see above.

jeff

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffry Smith      Technical Sales Consultant     Mission Critical Linux
smith at missioncriticallinux.com   phone:603.930.9739 fax:978.446.9470
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thought for today:  creep v. 

 To advance, grow, or multiply inexorably.  In
   hackish usage this verb has overtones of menace and silliness,
   evoking the creeping horrors of low-budget monster movies.




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