As I recently pointed out, Sun finally changed its license so that distros like Debian can include the Sun JRE. Thanks, Sun! Here's the command you need to run: apt-get install sun-java5-jre sun-java5-plugin sun-java5-fonts sun-java5-bin That'll do it, fair readers. (Check out all of our posts on Sun and Java.) ...

Due to Sun's licensing of Java & the JRE, the Debian project can't include the JRE in the default APT repositories, which is a PITA, to say the least. However, I found a really good write-up of the best way to install the JRE in a way that uses dpkg. I've tried it, and it works very well. Now I have my own .deb that I can use on any of my other machines, and life is good. For the whole poop & nothin' but the poop, see "Java: Sun JRE/JDK Installation on Debian". If you use Debian, you'll be glad you did. ...

Wanna find out more about Debian? I mean, a lot more? A whole heck of a lot more? Got questions about Debian that you need answered? Then you need to hie thee over to the Debian FAQ, a document that attempts to cover high level Q's about Debian (On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run? [How] Does Debian support Java? How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system? How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?), often pointing users to other, more in-depth Debian docs. (Check out all of our posts on Debian.) ...

Sure, you can use GUIs to set up your networking on your Debian box, but is that how your pioneer forefathers & foremothers would have done it? Hell no! They used the command line & edited the config files manually, & that's what you should do too! Read An introduction to Debian networking setup to learn what to do & how to do it … & be sure to read the comments below. (Check out all of my posts on Debian.) ...

If you want to take the big leap & move up to Debian, or you've been trying to but are having problems installing the distro of all distros, then read these articles. They'll help ya. I promise! Installing Debian Sarge 5 good pages, & printable to boot. And this printable page is just that - printable! - with no huge logos, animated images, & other crap that doesn't belong on a print-friendly page. This guide is pretty simple, & is more of a hand-holding than a troubleshooting help. Installing Debian It's from O'Reilly, so you know it's damn good. And it is! Detailed instructions, screenshots, & even sidebar comments! Awesome! Debian-Installer pre-rc2 Screenshot Tour Yeah, I know it's old, but it's still really useful. If you're a visual learner, then you'll like this set of 93 (!) screenshots detailing every step of the Debian install process. (Check out all of my posts on Debian.) ...

Yes, hell has frozen over, & if you're planning to place any crazy bets, today might be the day to do it: Debian has finally released Sarge! Holy mackeral, there's finally a new Debian stable! Amazing! Incredible! Let's hope that the new Debian management keeps up the pace & releases Debian on a more reasonable, modern rate. Please! Software includes kernel 2.4.27 (yes, it's old, but this is stable, & it's childsplay to upgrade to 2.6), KDE 3.3 (upgrade to 3.4 using experimental, if you feel like it - I use it, & it's fine), GNOME 2.8 (same thing for GNOME 2.10), Firefox 1.0.4, Tbird 1.0.2, Apache 2.0.54 (1.3.33 is still available, for those running that version - I do!), PostgreSQL 7.4.7, XFree86 4.3 (but a switch to X.org is imminent), GCC 3.3.5, OpenOffice.org 1.1.3, and much, much, much more. For more info, see the main Debian site. If you use Debian, adjust your sources.list file & get to APTing! ...

I'm cleaning out my bookmarks, Bloglines clippings, & del.icio.us links, & here are a bunch on Debian. Enjoy! Review: Debian 3.1 NewsForge looks at Sarge, AKA Debian 3.1, & likes what it sees. I like how he points out that Debian is still keeping its name for reliability, by sticking to the 2.4 kernel & XFree86, for instance. Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 Screenshot Tour 80 screenshots that reveal the might of Debian. Bow down before the awesome power of Debian, mortals! Debian 3.1 Review A short review in the midst of craptastic navigation. Fix this site! (Check out all of my posts on Debian.) ...

Recently on the CWELUG mailing list someone described how he laboriously downloaded all 7 Debian ISO images, burned them, and then installed Debian. I responded to the list thusly: Ay yi yi! You did it the hard way. Download this ISO: http://cdimage.debian.org/pub/cdimage-testing/sarge_d-i/i386… It's pretty darn small: ~100mb IIRC. Boot with it, and then it grabs the software it needs over the Net. Obviously, you need broadband. Much easier. and it uses the new installer. Note the manual: http://d-i.alioth.debian.org/manual/ And the FAQ: http://wiki.debian.net/index.cgi?DebianInstallerFAQ When I did it, I got the 2.6 kernel. I don't remember HOW, but I don't remember having to look all over the place. Ah … found it: "If you want a 2.6 kernel, type linux26 at the boot: prompt" There ya go. (Check out all of my posts on Debian.) ...

Peter Besenbruch on the Libranet list posted a nice explanation of the various Debian branches a while back, one that I thought y'all might find useful. If you're an old Debian dude, this won't be that helpful, but for a newbie or a Debian-curious individual, this should be a good starter. ...

The knock on Debian has always been its installer, as in "Debian? Rock solid distro, really easy to update. Crappy installer, though." The Debian project took that criticism to heart, and in preparation for the soon-to-be-released Sarge, an easier-to-use installer has been a top focus. Last night I downloaded the 100+MB net installer ISO image of Sarge for 386-based machines, release candidate 2; tonight (Wednesday night) I booted off the CD I burned, only to find a pretty darn good installer! I'd never installed straight Debian successfully before (I always used Libranet, or some other reeeeeeaaaaaallllly (ridiculously) easy to install distro like Xandros or MEPIS), but I did tonight. Now, don't expect something slick & beautiful like SUSE, or even Fedora Core. No, the installer uses a curses interface, much like that of Libranet, or Red Hat from a few years ago. Frankly, though, I don't care. The dang thing works, with hardware autodetection, auto partitioning, and other hold-your-hand ...

I'm cleaning out my bookmarks, Bloglines clippings, & del.icio.us links, & here are a bunch on Debian. Enjoy! The Debian legacy A quick look at some of the many, many distros that have been based around Debian, the master progenitor. Debian is Different A short editorial explaining just why Debian is unique among distros. (Check out all of my posts on Debian.) ...

Earlier today I gave ya some articles on installing Debian. Here are some more for those of you who really like to know what the hell yer doin' before ya begin doin' it! Installing Debian For The Faint Of Heart It's old, but this OSNews piece still does a nice job walking you through a Debian install. Installing Debian From Scratch This is for those of you who want to go hardcore. Not for the faint of heart! Linux on the Mac Mini You just bought that cute lil' Mac Mini, & now it's time to put Debian on it! Bwahahahahahahahaa! This guide walks you through the brain transplant, & it looks visually like it could have been written by Apple itself. (Check out all of my posts on Debian.) ...

This is a page I'd copy & save on your machine, in case you ever have "issues" and need to refer to something like a cheatsheet. Titled "Debian networking", it's just that: a quick overview of the key files and commands that Debian uses for gettin' on the Net. I love stuff like this, since it makes my life easier. (Check out all of our posts on Debian and networking.) ...

Man, I forget how to do this all the time, so here it is, to jog my memory in the future & to help any other Debian users out there. Need to reconfigure X windows sometime after you've got Debian installed? Run this as root: # dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86 Answer the questions, restart X, & there you go. ...

So I'm talking to my pal Robert Citek, and I'm ribbing him for not using Debian-based distros more and sticking with Fedora, and he sends me this email explaining his reasoning. I found it quite thought-provoking, and wanted to share it with you guys & get your input. <begin Robert> The last time I did a Debian install was using Libranet 2.8.1, so things may have changed. But from my experience Debian and RH/FC have two different install strategies: Debian: ask a little, install a little, ask a little, install a little, {repeat}, configure RH/FC: ask a lot, install everything without question, configure That strategy carries over into how deb and rpms are function. Debs will pause and ask questions during an install. Rpms just install with defaults which can be altered later. The difference in strategy allows me to script RH/FC installs, whereas I have to babysit Debian installs. Being a scripting/automating kinda guy, that makes me like RH/FC much more than ...