How to install Debian via ftp?

[chadm1967]

Hi all,

I've decided to give Debian a try. I would like to install the latest Woody release via ftp. I checked the Debian site but had a few problems understanding how to do it. Could someone help?

Thanks!!

[Feztaa]

Ok, I've done this once, lets see if I can remember.

(I'm assuming you're using an i386 machine)

1. Go to ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/wo...19-2002-02-07/ and get the bootdisks you need. The readme in that directory should explain it, IIRC.

You have two options. You can either get all 7 bootdisks, or you can just have the first two and then make sure the "drivers.tgz" file is accessible on your HD somewhere during the install. Personally I used the two-disk method and it worked well. You need the drivers so the installer will be able to use your NIC to get online and download the stuff.

2. Boot off the disks. The on-screen instructions should be just fine, assuming you can and will read them. I forget the exact procedure, but if you use the two-disk method, it will ask you where drivers.tgz is, and then it will ask you what media to install from. Tell it ftp, then tell it to use a fast server that is close to you. It will download some base packages that you need, then it will ask you what packages you want to install (with dselect).

Since woody has about 6000 packages, it could take you some time during the package selection screen. Don't worry about libs or anything though, just choose the programs you want and dselect will enable everything else you need (don't you love apt-get? ).

Once you are done choosing packages, it will download and install them. Enjoy!! ;D

[Compunuts]

Well, good luck getting 7 floppies to boot off. Last time I did for my laptop, it took about 38 floppies to have 7 that Linux will like ( and be able to boot off of ). :

Other than that, just get the ISO. Or if you know of someone who have older version of Debian bootable disk, you can use that too. Boot off of that, install the driver and all that and when it ask where you want your base install to get ( and the rest of it too ), just tell it to get from HTTP or FTP and it will ask you to provide network info and you are done.

[chadm1967]

I would rather use the ISO but I can't seem to find the ISO of Woody anywhere. Linuxiso has the .raw images but it keeps erroring out when I try the download links.

Anyone know where the ISO's are located (if there are any of Woody)?

Thanks.

[Feztaa]

There are no official ones. Those .raw's are the isos.

I'd do an ftp install, unless you have a burner, then just do a regular CD install.

[chadm1967]

I've decided to do the CD install of Woody but I can't seem to get the .raw images downloaded from linuxiso. Does anyone know if they are located anywhere else?

Thanks.

Am I the only one who thinks that the BSD are MUCH better to install over FTP? OpenBSD has one floppy, NetBSD and FreeBSD have two, and all you need is on them.

[YaRness]

i was able to use just the 2 disks and nothin else.

[Compunuts]

For the record, Debian FTP install took only two disks to do it.

What I was refering to is the install I made on my Laptop which I needed to do complete base install to get my PCMCIA card working which is not natively supported in Linunx as well as BSD.

Linux install disks are only two. One is root and one is driver disks.

[Feztaa]

Linux install disks are only two. One is root and one is driver disks.

Not quite. There are usually two or more. The first one is the boot disk, the second is the root disk, and any after that are driver disks. With Debian over FTP, you can either do 2 disks (boot + root), and then get drivers.tgz off your HD, or you can get drivers.tgz spanning seven disks if it's not available on your HD.

So a Debian FTP install takes either 2 floppies + a HD, or 9 floppies.