Debian's daunting installation

By Joe Barr, LinuxWorld.com | Software Add a new comment

March 20, 2001, 4:49 PM —

Debian. Neophytes run for their lives at the very mention of the distribution. This is hardcore stuff -- the install from hell. You must have Biblical familiarity with every IRQ and device on your system to even dream of installing Debian. Better to stick with Red Hat, SuSE, TurboLinux, or Caldera than to risk stubbing your ego on a Debian install.

Hey, a lot of people think that. When I saw the boxes of Debian GNU/Linux that VA Linux was giving away at the LinuxWorld Expo, I decided it was a challenge I could no longer ignore. Of course, I wasn't sure if I would ever write about the experience -- especially if I failed. But here it is, the story of one man's rite of passage and the toughest install Linux has to offer.

I slid the removable IDE drive containing SuSE 6.4 and Soldier of Fortune from my system, then replaced it with a brand new 20-GB Fujitsu. I was as ready as possible; I knew the hardware fairly well, having installed SuSE and Red Hat multiple times on that same box over the past few months. I changed the BIOS to
boot from the CD and began my journey to the Promised Land.

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