[Answered] Questions about LInux Mint Debian

[SPMcKinney]

Ok I started on Linux Mint and loved it till I ran into some trouble. On shutdown (a newbie so don't know what it would be called but the point it looks like the terminal) it would freeze and well never turn off (waited 2 hours one day testing how long it would take then got bored) unless I manually did it, so I jumped over to Ubuntu and the same thing happened. I have long given up on Ubuntu but now I love Debian. I have been thinking of switching back to Linux Mint lately (never had trouble watching full movies even on a crappy computer) when LMDE came out I was surprised but I have yet to give it a try.

I see that you can use either the Testing or Stable Debian repositories

1. Does it give you a choice on which to use?
2. Can you install LMDE through text alone? Meaning right now I can't use the graphical instillation with Debian for some reason, so the disk installs the base system, then to install gnome I do: apt-get install gnome-core xorg gdm
   
   1. If so whats the code to use the Debain Squeeze repositories and install gnome (preferable just the core)

Hmm... sadly that's all I can think of right now If I have more I'll post again. O sorry for the rambling I always seem to do that.

Many thanks
-SPMcKinney

[viking777]

Q1 - No. You get only one set of sources to start with, it is up to you to change them to what you want.
Q2 - Unless you mean that for some reason your graphics don't work with Debian, I don't think you will be troubled by this on LMDE. Some Debian install disks are set up to only install a base system and it looks like you have got one of those. The LMDE install disk will give you a full installation from the start with a graphical installer and full graphical login.

NB. You mentioned the shutdown problem you have. It isn't clear to me if your switch to LMDE is motivated by the wish to cure this problem or simply to try LMDE. If it is the former, it may not work. I had a laptop once that would not shut down properly and I tried dozens of distros on it and none of them made any difference. The solution was to sell it to a Windows user and buy another one for myself.

[SPMcKinney]

Q1 - No. You get only one set of sources to start with, it is up to you to change them to what you want.

Are you able to pick between the two (Stable or Testing) during instillation?

Q2 - Unless you mean that for some reason your graphics don't work with Debian, I don't think you will be troubled by this on LMDE.

My graphics work, I don't know how to explain it really actually found a video of everything I have to do Here (The "Terminal" part I mentioned is at about 13:30)

NB. You mentioned the shutdown problem you have. It isn't clear to me if your switch to LMDE is motivated by the wish to cure this problem or simply to try LMDE.

The problem shutting down was the last time I had Linux Mint and Ubuntu, since LMDE is based directly off Debian (and Debian runs great) I shouldn't have that problem right. I had another post Here and people had problems the same (or similar) had something to do with not enough RAM to the swap partition. I dunno I haven't had Linux Mint since Isadora.


I mean hell I can always get the CD and test it myself but as I don't have a cd burner or even CD-R's I gotta buy it to be able to test, and just don't have any money to spend on a disc.

[viking777]

Are you able to pick between the two (Stable or Testing) during instillation?

What part of the word 'no' do you have difficulty understanding

My graphics work, I don't know how to explain it really actually found a video of everything I have to do Here (The "Terminal" part I mentioned is at about 13:30)

That video is for a net install - LMDE is not a net install so I don't think you will have the same problem.

I don't have a cd burner or even CD-R's I gotta buy it to be able to test, and just don't have any money to spend on a disc.

If you own a large enough USB key you can install it to that in order to test it. (Download the iso and then use unetbootin to write it to the key).

Edit. If you don't have a USB key then install qemu-kvm into whatever you are running now (unless it is windows), open a terminal and run something like:

Code: Select all

 kvm -m 800 -cdrom /path to iso.iso

Where 800 is the amount of memory in Mb (put about half of your installed memory in there).

This should boot up normally and allow you to test it, although it will be a little bit slower than a full install.

[xenopeek]

To learn more about the different repo's, check out the LMDE FAQ: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=197&t=91405

[SPMcKinney]

What part of the word 'no' do you have difficulty understanding

I misunderstood, sorry my brain doesn't play nice with me sometimes.

That video is for a net install - LMDE is not a net install so I don't think you will have the same problem.

ahh ok i hope not

If you own a large enough USB key you can install it to that in order to test it. (Download the iso and then use unetbootin to write it to the key).

Edit. If you don't have a USB key then install qemu-kvm into whatever you are running now (unless it is windows), open a terminal and run something like:

Code: Select all

 kvm -m 800 -cdrom /path to iso.iso

Where 800 is the amount of memory in Mb (put about half of your installed memory in there).
This should boot up normally and allow you to test it, although it will be a little bit slower than a full install.

Well my crappy computer cant boot from a USB and I only got 512mb of RAM sure that's not enough to test it. Yes there are computers that crappy used to only have 256mb though

To learn more about the different repo's, check out the LMDE FAQ: viewtopic.php?f=197&t=91405

Thanks I'll give it a read

[LifeInTheGrey]

Do you have any remote shares that you connect to? This is a known problem for NFS specifically, I have a solution if that is the problem. If you could provide an output of where it hangs on shutdown, perhaps we can diagnose the problem. PM me, and I'll do my best to help.

That is very kind of you, but as I said I sold it and bought a different machine a couple of years ago.
BTW I never had any remote shares enabled.
Out of interest, I got some pretty detailed support on this problem from some fairly knowledgeable people at the time, and the consensus seemed to be that it was an incorrect DSDT. I was even given detailed instructions on how to compile my own DSDT, which I followed to the best of my ability, but it never worked.

[SPMcKinney]

Hmm well it looks like I can't get it anyways there is only a DVD version, god I hate my computer.

[xenopeek]

Hmm well it looks like I can't get it anyways there is only a DVD version, god I hate my computer.

No problem, you can install PLOP bootmanager. You can start it from GRUB, or from a floppy, or from a CD, and it allows you to boot from a USB even on computers that don't support this. Some info here; http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 57#p498457

[viking777]

Yeah, Vincent is right, I have a machine that won't boot from usb as well and I use Plop on it - works brilliantly. Mind you I use a CD to run it and you wouldn't be able to because you don't have a burner, but maybe your machine has a floppy drive in which case you could use that instead. The plop boot loader is so small it is a waste of a CD really.

There is also the qemu-kvm solution I gave you earlier where you run it straight from the iso, if you only want to test LMDE (it won't help you with installing though).

The only thing about installing LMDE right now is that you do need to have a good internet connection to update it after the install is complete. The iso hasn't been updated for a long while now and requires a very large number of updates to make it current.

[SPMcKinney]

I can try the PLOP manager think I can burn a CD somewhere. How much space will the iso take up I only have a 2gb flash drive, will that be enough?

I'd try out the qemu-kvm solution you mentioned viking777 but my computer only has 512mb of RAM would that be enough to do it. O and I do have a good internet connection so updating won't be a problem for me, kinda sucks the iso hasn't been updated though

[viking777]

Ah yes only 512mb of ram will probably make virtualisation impossibly slow - forget it

Also a 2Gb flash drive is pushing it a bit as well I think, I don't know if that is enough, it should be, just.

If you can find somewhere to burn an iso then burn the iso for LMDE, not Plop.

Do internet cafe's allow cd burning? I don't know, but maybe this is a way to get around it.

[SPMcKinney]

I already have PLOP written to my GRUB, don't have a bootable usb yet I'll try to write LMDE to my flashdrive hope its enough

[SPMcKinney]

ugh can't write it to my USB drive for some reason o well guess I'll try LMDE later hopefully getting a new computer within the next couple months