First Debian Install- Hints? Tips?

So I just went through my first Debian install.

Not too bad, though it would have been a BEAR if I were a newbie. . . Manually tweaking XFree86 config files isn't for the linux newbie, though I didn't have too much of an issue.

Anyway, for those more up on Debian, what should I check out in the distro? Package management, admin tools, documentation resouces, cool tricks, etc.

Thanks for the hints. So far, so good. Pretty cool so far, apt-get is awesome.

my only recommendation is dont use linux packages, that includes packages in any distro, just download the source and build it yourself. using binary packages just causes problems later as far as im concerned, and packages are usually out of date anyway.

mrGarretson

I'm not a linux newbie- I've been using it as my primary OS since 1998. I understand the rationale behind when to compile from source and when to use a package manager. apt-get resolves nearly all conflicts and dependencies for you, which can't be said for compiling from source. For a desktop system, compiling from source isn't the best way to add software, and this kind of reasoning is what keeps linux back on the desktop. Most users just want the software in the easiest way possible.

The problems caused are usually those of dependencies and libraries, which apt-get takes care of. Your argument falls apart in the face of apt-get.

Who (besides gentoo folks) really wants to worry about compiling everything? Has anyone actually built and got something like KDE working from source without gentoo or the other "direct from source" distros?

I was looking for help from debian users about how to use debian, including it's excellent package management system, not pontification about how much better installing from source is, when frankly, it usually isn't, unless you're setting up a server and it's daemons.

Sorry for the rant.

If you haven't already discovered it, I find apt-cache very useful, especially apt-cache search when looking for correct package names to install.
apt-cache show
and
apt-cache showpkg
are also handy.

I haven't really used the 'debian way' of building kernels: make-kpkg from the kernel*.deb's. But SomePeople(tm) swear by it (probably in both senses of the word). I still just download tarball patches from kernel.org and do it by hand.

jaa

Thanks. I was looking to find a way to query the debian package database, similar to what you can do with the perl CPAN shell. Looks like this is the way to do it.

I really liked it when I had a base system and only 18 processes were running. Minimalist is cool! I think I'm going to like debian, coming from redhat/mandrake/Caldera (caldera was WAY back in the day for me).

sorry about that, i thought you said you were new to linux. anyhow, i agree for a desktop, compiling everything from source can be a pain, but its still something i prefer simply because i know what and where everything is. however i find it better to "do it right the first time" with source, instead of deal with upgrading binary packages down the road. also, of all the people i know who venture into the linux world return to me with questions of, when i was installing "some package" it says "failed dependencies" or "can not find XXX lib". if anything is holding back the linux os from the desktop is trying to take a programmers os and turn it into windows where you can point and click your way to success. ive never used apt-get or whatever, maybe you're right but im sure it falls short compared to the bsd ports system, a truly superior "package" system.

p.s. - ive actully built debian ground up including X and kde compiling from source. best install i ever did. heh.

mrGarretson