On Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 12:23:11PM -0800, anonymous wrote: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > On Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 07:23:11PM +0530, Amit Joshi wrote: > > > > > > I don't know, but this has been discussed quite a lotta times in various > > > fora. > > > Users often get stunned by the number of CDs and get confused what to > > > download and what not to. > > > > Perhaps http://www.debian.org/distrib/ should explicitly say > > > > If you have a decent internet connection, you only need the netinstall > > CD or the first regular CD. The rest will be downloaded as needed > > and you won't waste bandwidth downloading packages you won't use. > > > > and the netinstall option should be the *first* on the list. Definitely > > it should be presented before the option of downloading the complete set > > of CDs or DVDs. > > > > Many thanks for your elaborated reply. I prefer to download the iso > image at least for the > first time install of the distribution as it would give me a better > *feel* about the distribution > and the packages included with it. Later, I can manage my machine even > when the > network is not available. May be installing next release of Debian, I > would go for a network > install. > > > > > THen it should go on to explain: > > > > The other CD's are needed only if you are installing on a machine > > without a decent net connection, and you can install a very > > respectable Debian system using only the first few CDs, which contain > > the most popular packages. The later CDs in the set contain less > > popular packages. > > > > I still have not received a definitive reply to my question as yet. > Which, to repeat was: > > " I found out that I would need to download 18 CDs: 15 regular and 3 > for the update. > I would like to know whether all these CDs have binary files or are > these also include CDs > with sources and documentation. If so, which ones of them?"
The first ones, anyway, have binary files and documentation. I used CDs back in the days when woody was current. There were seven of them, and they contained binary packages and documentation -- the stuff you need for using Debain, and not the stuff you need for recompiling it all from scratch. I don't think I ever needed past disk 5. As I mentioned, the contents are organised in order of popularity, so unless you like massively unpopular software, you shouln't need more than a few disks. I never use more than the first CD for an installation nowadays. I guess it might be different if I had a machine whose ethernet hardware was not recognised.... No. Now that I think of it, when that happened to me last January I stuck in a $15 PCI ethernet card and used it instead. Much easier than acquiring 15 CDs. I'm not sure which CDs would contain the sources. I suspect a different set. > > In fact, I have received conflicting statements to answer this query. > Just compare the two > statements below. > > <As far as I know they include documentation and source code - thats in > fact > one key-feature of free-software.> Samuel B?chler > > AND > > <Just Binary Files. Documentation..as in relevant man-pages would be > provided.>Amit Joshi > > I am unable to decide which one of these is correct. > > Having used Redhat and Slackware before which just use 4 CDs each for > the boot and > packages and a couple more for the documentation and sources, it is > difficult for me to take > 15 CDs for the installation of packages alone. > > IF this *is* really the case, there should be some good reason for > this: Does debian offer a > lot of packages choices? Lot more than does either slackware or redhat > so as to need this > much number of CDs? I have heard that Debian has the most extensive collection of packages for any Linux in existence. Anyone know if that is true? > > OR the .deb packages are not as much efficient and do not use good > compression to > squeeze them all in a fewer CDs? > > > > That said, a list of which CDs contain which packages would still be > > useful. > > > > -- hendrik > > Again, still awaiting some insight into the above issues. > -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
