KDE-Debian HowTo for KDE2 & Debian3=Woody X86. Ver 0.18
By tluxt 020202
For those of you who might want to work on installing KDE this
weekend, use this: These bits are new & improved.
A few days ago I tried apt-get dist-upgrade to get to Sid.
I got some errors. I don't recall, but I think the most errors
started after I got a message about a retrieved file being corrupted.
The upgraded system worked fine, but I want a perfect install.
No big deal. I maintain several operational Debian systems
in different partitions on my HD. So, I'm gonna reinstall this latest
one & try the pinning procedure. Pinning info, hopefully, soon to come.
=======================================================================
I currently do not have enough time to answer questions about
KDE or Debian, or even various ways to accomplish the tasks described
here. If you have such questions, please ask them on
debian-kde@lists.debian.org :)
I do welcome info about this document. If you have any corrections,
or suggestions about it, please send them to me - these I will make
time to answer, if necessary.
This document is in a very early version, and there will be addditions
and changes.
I have done (most) of the actions described here,
so you have that assurance that (most of) these procedures have worked for
someone. Many descriptions here are likely from other people (thanks to
them!). I may have misinterpreted those descriptions, so that's a
possible source of error.
Part of this is created from my not immediately recent
memory, so there might be something incorrect there. I will attempt
to update this document as I personally redo installs, etc, if I notice
anything that could be improved.
If you see any errors, please let me know. I have decided I don't have
time to verify all the info sent to me about these procedures that I
conclude should appear in this document. So for a substantial, and
increasing, part of the document I have included submitters comments
verbatim.
The title of this document includes "X86". That is because I have done
these procedures on that processor. In general, I suspect these
procedures will usually apply for other processors.
=======================================================================
CONTENTS:
*********
Part 1: Intro
**************
1) Quick summary of install instructions
2) General Debian Info
Pointer to apt howto
Pointer to other persons quick notes
) KDE SW
Finding
Pulling packages from unstable
With pinning
otherwise
Part 2: SW Installation & Descriptions
***************************************
3) Installing KDE
Install Debian
Install X
Install KDE
Some things to set up in KDE
4) Printing & Postscript/PDF
CUPS
Postscript/PDF
ghostscript gs
Kghostview
gs-aladdin
5) CD Writing & Data Backups
) Pictures - Viewing & Organizing
) Communications: email, IRC, ICQ, voice & video meeting
6) Sound - drivers, kernel compiling, mp3
7) Video - MPEG & AVI & Quicktime
8) Office Aps: WP, HTML editing, Presentations, SSheet, Database
KMail, KNode? mail, newsgroups.
9) SW Development: kdevelop
Part3: Future
**************
10) KDE3
=======================================================================
========================================
1) Quick summary of install instructions
========================================
For those who don't want to RTFM, here's the install summary.
Intro Notes:
"W"=Woody, "S"=Sid, "SW"=Software.
There are two Debian systems you can install to get KDE 2.2: Woody & Sid.
Woody:
Advantages: Packages had been stable for a while before getting into W.
Disadvantages: A bug may have been discovered after it got into W.
Newer features may be available in Sid packages.
Sid:
Advantages: Newer features & perhaps bugfixes than SW in W.
Disadvantages: Sid packages may have new bugs not yet discovered.
If you use Sid, and you do "apt-get update; apt-get upgrade",
you will be downloading more packages than if you used W.
If stability is more important to you than latest features, use W.
In the KDE 2.2 system for Debian, there is a metapackage called "kde-base"
that contains all the basic essential KDE sw.
There is a metapackage called "kde" that includes the package kde-base,
plus many other useful kde packages.
As of 020202 (true?), "kde" is only in Sid, waiting for the requisite time
to pass, with no changes to it, in order for it to be moved into W.
You can get more SW installed easily by installing the package "kde".
As of 020202 there are two ways to do this:
1) Install W, then use pinning to install the "kde" metapackage from S.
2) Install Sid, then install the package "kde".
***** Preparation
*****************
http://www.debian.org/releases/
http://www.debian.org/releases/testing/
http://www.debian.org/releases/testing/installmanual
http://www.debian.org/releases/testing/releasenotes
http://www.debian.org/releases/testing/i386/release-notes/
http://www.debian.org/releases/testing/i386/install
***** Finding the best Debian mirror to DL from
***********************************************
===== Optional
You can read intersting stuff at:
ftp://kernel.org/
ftp://kernel.org/pub/README
http://www.kernel.org/pub/
Mirror lists for the linux kernel -
http://www.kernel.org/mirrors/
http://www.kernel.org/mirrors/countries/html/US.html ;* lists speeds.
http://mirrors.kernel.org/ ;for many things.
Here is the kernel.org Linux kernel archive/repository:
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/
===== End Optional
Mirrors for the Debian distribution -
http://www.debian.org/misc/README.mirrors
http://mirrors.kernel.org/debian/README.mirrors.html
Here are two Debian Linux archives/repositories:
http://http.us.debian.org
http://mirrors.kernel.org/debian/
If you have access to a Debian system, netselect can be used to determine
which Debian mirror to DL SW from, by doing a ranking of mirror sites as
seen from your location. The best one has the lowest score.
If you install by DLing from the net, use that IP address as the site to
dl from when you do the base install, and for your /etc/apt/sources.list.
apt-get install netselect
netselect -vv http.us.debian.org ftp1.sourceforge.net ftp2.sourceforge.net
netselect -vv mirrors.kernel.org ftp3.sourceforge.net ftp4.sourceforge.net
netselect -vv linux.CSUA.Berkeley.EDU ftp.eecs.umich.edu debian.lcs.mit.edu
netselect -vv ftp.linux.co.za ftp.nectec.or.th ftp.jyu.fi debian.psu.ru
winona.sel.eesc.sc.usp.br
[whois, nslookup, ping, dig, host, traceroute]
Note the correct syntax for http access to the sourceforge site is
confusing: http://ftp1.sourceforge.net/debian/
Yes, you are getting http access from an ftp site address.
It is usually slightly (10%??) faster to DL (or just for "apt-get
update"?) from an http rather than ftp archive, because when using
ftp it has to log into the archive before getting data from it.
***** Installing KDE
********************
Install Debian ;http://www.debian.org/releases/testing/i386/install
tasksel install X ;use simple config - monitor #"
script ;Optional: Record a text file of what happens
apt-get update ;Update the list of available packages
apt-get upgrade ;Upgrade all packages to the latest available
apt-get -s install kdebase ;Optional: Simulate the install
apt-get install kdebase ;Base packages, use with Woody.
;Sid has metapackage "kde", that includes kdebase
;+ much other useful sw. Hopefully "kde" will soon be
;in Woody. In Sid, "apt-get install kde" instead
;of "apt-get install kdebase".
exit ;Only if did 'script'. Saves file 'typescript'
mv typescript typescript.000.txt ;Optional: Rename avoids overwrite
***** Printing
**************
***** CUPS
apt-get install cupsys ;CUPS= Common Linux Printing System. Server.
apt-get install cupsys-client ;Client
apt-get install kdelibs3-cups ;Gives KDE the ability to use cups as
;printer system. You get a very nice printing dialog with this.
;Provides control center printer config.
Optional:
;cupsys-driver-gimpprint:
;Great drivers for a huge number of printers. It presents a huge
;number of options for papers, color algorithms, image quality, etc.
;You may prefer the drivers in cupsomatic-ppd.
apt-get install cupsys-driver-gimpprint ;Optional: more printer drivers
apt-get install cupsomatic-ppd ;Optional: more printer drivers?
apt-get install cupsys-bsd ;Optional: fakes the usual comands to use
;the cups printer system. With it you can say "lpr -Pprinter
;printer_fiel.ps" and everything works. You also get lpq and lprm.
apt-get install cupsys-pstoraster ;?
http://mumford1.dyndns.org/~bs7452/linuxhelp/cups.html ;Other CUPS info
apt-get install aee ;Optional: Easy/simple editor for text mode display.
edit /etc/groups ;At end of the lpdamin line add the names of all
;users you want to be able to modify printer configs.
;Perhaps use "aee" editor.
/etc/init.d/cupsys restart ;Restart the printer server w/ this command
Control Center > System > Printing Manager ;Printer control.
;You may be able to set up CUPS from here, without doing the
;http://localhost:631 method below.
;[If you find this to be true, let me know & I'll remove the "may".]
;You need the root pw to commit the changes or the password of
;a person with write permissions in /etc/cups (if your username
;hasn't been added to lpadmin of /etc/groups?).
;[Above not verified by tluxt. Reader: please notify me if true.]
http://localhost:631 ;Log in as a user you added above.
select admin, add printer, name location, etc ;Printer setup.
printer brand, driver (try simplest in the list) color/bwb dpi
select test page print ;Verify printer works.
Konq - print a page ;Try printing from a program.
kprinter docname.pdf ;Used to print a page.
***** Postscript
apt-get install kghostview ;GUI interface Postscript/PDF view/print.
apt-get install gs ;Optional: Ghostscript.
apt-get install gs-aladdin ;Optional: Non-free. More recent than gs
;and contains more drivers.
;Note: am told installing gs-aladdin will
;remove gs - True?
=======================================================================
cd writer
sound - alsa? opensound?
(have to get & compile kernel?)
mpg player
noatun?
other kde media player?
avi player?
=======================================================================
2) General Debian Info
http://www.debian.org/doc/ddp
apt-get install apt-howto??
APT HOWTO
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/index.en.html
file:/usr/share/doc/apt-howto/en/apt-howto-en.html/index.en.html
Quick Reference for Debian GNU/Linux
http://qref.sourceforge.net/quick/index.en.html
=======================
) KDE Software
=======================
Ways (other than asking someone, like in the debian-kde list) to find,
on one's own, the appropriate sw to use under the KDE system:
http://apps.kde.com -Good. Provides rankings.
http://www.kde.com/Applications -Same db, tree interface vs flat.
http://linux.tucows.com -Good. Provides rankings.
http://freshmeat.net -OK. Big list. Good search. Provides rankings.
Browse is not segmented enough for my liking.
http://packages.debian.org -Very comprehensive. For the purpose of being
helpful to quickly finding useful sw, this
location could use some upgrading.
http://www.kde.org -Only points to apps.kde.com
apt-cache search kde | less
apt-cache search pdf | grep -i kde
apt-cache show kghostview
apt-cache show kdebase
apt-cache showpkg kdebase
=======================================================================
Thanks to: David Bishop, Jason Boxman, Jens Benecke, Olaf Stetzer,
the debian-kde list,
and others [including persons who have sent me private email re this, &
haven't responded to my enquiry about their posting their suggestions to
the list. :) ]. Apologies if you see a contribution of yours here and
aren't mentioned - I've gotten so much email about this I'm sure I'm
losing track of some of it!. If you wish to be included in the thanks
list here [and I suggest you should! :)], please email me & I'll add you.
:)
=====
finding sw -
sites,
debian site pages to know.
searching debian & kde
searching your deb cache
apt-cache show traceroute
netselect
apt-howto
arc - archiver.
__________________________________________________
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