Distros : Debian - Location and Network

When you boot from a Debian network install disk you will be offered a number of choices including -

Graphical Install: I used this to get the screenshots below. On a laptop I found the touchpad a bit jumpy but on a PC the mouse was fine. Also you get more info about the installation process.

Install: No GUI here, use the Keyboard to navigate your way through the installation process.

Help: Ten short pages of useful info, use the F1 and F10 function keys to scroll through them, type menu to return back to the initial menu.

Choosing Graphical Install and the first screen is...

Debian Install: select your Language.

Select your Language then click on Continue.

Debian Install: select your Location.

Next your Location. Choose other if it is not listed.

Debian Install: select the Keyboard Layout

For the UK and Ireland it's normally the British English layout, you can always tweak this when the installation is complete.

Debian Detects, Mounts and Loads Software from Installation Disk and then Detects the Network Hardware displaying what it has found.

Debian Install: select the Primary Network Interface

Brill, thanks to using a non-free ISO Debian sees the laptop's Intel Wireless Network Card, naming it as wlp11s0. I am using the Ethernet Connection eth0 as the Primary Network Interface as wired is better than wireless .

Debian Install: Enter a Hostname

debian is the default hostname, its easy to change later, so Continue.

Debian Install: Enter you Domain Name, if you have none, then leave blank.

For home use just leave it blank, Continue.

So far so good, if you want to pause the installation hit the Go Back button instead of Continue this brings you to the installer main menu and your current step is highlighted...

Not sure if the image burnt correctly onto your CD/DVD or USB Key? then Double Click Check the CD-ROM(s) integrity which will run a md5sum check on the Installation Medium.

Debian Installer

Unsure about continuing with the installation, click on Abort the installation at the end of the list, If you haven't made any changes to your hard dive, ignore the warning, remove the Boot Disk and your system will reboot as normal.

For experienced users during installation doing a Ctrl+Alt+F2 will open a Virtual Console and hit the Enter key to start to use it. (Ctrl+Alt+F3 will open a second one!!)

This is BusyBox a stripped down command line environment. If you go there, type in ls /bin and ls /sbin to see the commands available, pipe the output to more ls /bin | more if there is more than one screen of commands.

And there's more .. Ctrl+Alt+F1 brings up messages from Xorg, the Display Server and Ctr+Alt+F4 brings up various system messages so if things go astray you may find out whats wrong there.

Ctrl+Alt+F5 will bring you back to the installer...

Right back to installing Debian and the next step is: Set up users and passwords.