[TAG] Debian Installation

[Kapil Hari Paranjape]

On Tue, 24 Oct 2006, Rick Moen wrote:
> You're making the common error of confusing a distribution with an
> installer.  There are actually dozens of very distinct installers that
> can produce a Debian system, some of them droolingly simple and GUIfied.
> See:  http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Debian/installers.html  (in need of
> updating, but it illustrates the concept)

The new "etch" installer for Debian has (at least) the following "features":

1. Can install from USB|CD|floppy|hard-disk. The former is really
useful when your SATA controller doesn't combine with "linux" to give
access to your CD-ROM.
2. Has a GTK/X/VESA install for those who need it.
3. Can create LVM|Raid|Encrypted file systems at installation time.
4. On-line as well as off-line installation. Can help if your network
card is so new that the driver has not been integrated with
"linux".[*]

As you say "install" is an over-rated aspect of Distribution
comparison.

What Ubuntu *could* do for those Debian users who wish to track
"testing/unstable", but not worry about random breakage, is to give
them a system that they do^H^Hshould not need to update too often.
Unfortunately, Ubuntu haven't quite achieved that goal, since the
number of updates, that follow an base install *before* the next
release, is similar to the number of updates that one makes by running
"testing" even with bits from unstable. At least this is my experience.

Regards,

Kapil.

[*] What is the correct capitalisation rule for "linux"---the kernel?
The problem with using "Linux" is well-known---one set of people think
you are writing about the system as a whole while another set thinks
you are one of the first set and so set about correcting you.
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