On Wednesday 24 January 2007 15:06, Colin Perkins wrote: > Hi everybody, > > I have installed Debian and logged -in ; all I see is a prompt which > I do not have not have a clue as to how to use it !
Debian has an underlying command line base, on top of which you can put a Graphical Layer. As you are in a command line prompt it looks as though you have installed the base but not the graphical layer. If you have installed the graphical layer correctly - instead of the command line prompt to login when you booted, you should have seen a graphical login box. > > I had expected a graphical interface to appear i.e. KDE or gnome - I > was informed that > KDE is supplied with Debian. It is, you probably didn't install it. > > Have I installed Debian incorrectly ? I am very much a beginner with > Linux. In Debian, there are several ways to install packages once you have the base system up and running. Personally I like to use the program called "aptitude" in its graphical (character based) form, but you can use it as a command line - or there are other fully graphical based installers. In terms of explanation to you giving step by step instructions its easy to use the command line form You say you can log on, but its not clear whether you are as root (the administrator) or as a user (Debian installation asks you for a user account to create). Logon as root (ie type root as the user name and then give the correct password). Assuming you want kde (I deduce from the way you mention it above) type the following command aptitude install kdm kde (I think kdm is probably automatically brought in with kde, but I want to make sure you have it - since this is what you need to get a graphical login prompt) (If you get a command not found response to this then aptitude is not installed. You can do that by using another command line install program which should always be available apt-get install aptitude The reason aptitude is better is that it keeps better track of package dependencies and things that have been automatically installed are automatically removed when no longer needed. apt-get doesn't do that) Once that has finished (and it could take a long time to install all of kde) - again I am not sure if kdm is started automatically - but if not then type at the command prompt /etc/init.d/kdm start and you should see a graphical based login prompt. (One final gotcha here - normally from now on when you reboot you will go directly into this graphical login - however with this route you have left a non graphical login to root in the background which could leave your system vulnerable if you leave your desk. Type Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get to that prompt and logout, then type Ctrl-Alt_F7 to get back to your graphical prompt.) Try this, and come back to this mailing list if you have further problems. -- Alan Chandler http://www.chandlerfamily.org.uk -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
