Easiest to install Debian distro?

[tomwitt]

Hey everybody.

I'm looking for a distribution which will allow me to do a soft-landing installation of Debian. I've been a user of Mandrake for years but I'm just not happy with 10.1. I'm a big fan of KDE and I'd really like to use KDE 3.3.1

I've seen Ubuntu (and I like it!) but I'm not ready to switch to Gnome. I know there's a KDE version in the works but I don't know when it will be ready.

Are there any recommendations for a Debian based distribution which has KDE 3.3.1 and all the latest toys?

Thanks

-- Tom

[jro]

When I wanted to try out Debian with out messing with the full installer I just used a Knoppix HD install. You get a fully configured Debian system in just a few minutes. Its pretty slick really. Probably one of the easiest installes I have ever done. It doesn't have KDE 3.3.1 tho, but it may be able to use apt-get to update to it.

[snct]

IIRC... Mepis takes it one step further by giving you a icon/link to the installer right on the desktop. I think you get the latest version of KDE also, but it's been a few weeks since I've tried it, so I'm not sure about that. The only difference I can tell between 'Simply Mepis' and regular Mepis is that SM has less software, but I haven't been able to find a straight answer about it :? .

Anyway... One vote for Mepis here (for ease of installation).

[Uranus]

I've heard very positive things about Ubuntu - on www.justlinux.com there's quite a large thread for people that want to try/have tried it. Knoppix is good, I don't know about Mepis.
Sam

[jro]

There seem to be alot of Debain based distro's lately. Red Hat used to be the distro of choice a couple of years ago, but it looks like there has been a shift. Anyone else notice this?

[Fatal Error]

UBUNTU

It works, My computer is almost 4 years old, only upgrade was video card.
UBUNTU set it up, no problems, nothing missing. Every program has all the depends it needs.
The parent of UBUNTU is not business as usual. Ethics abound. Good community, Ubuntu wiki and Unoffical Ubuntu forum.
It may not be a distro for geeks! But us users can get on with the computing without breaking our hearts or selling our souls to the devil.

Knoppix is much more robust and points towards the heart of Debian. Any Geek-in-waiting will be much happer with Knoppix.

We use debian at work. I think because its a good barebones install that we could customize how we wanted.....

[trivas7]

My vote goes to SimplyMEPIS-2004 -- mepis.org

I thought Knoppix was easy to install before recently trying this incredibly polished distro that make no assumption about the install-person.

To use Nvidia drivers do:

1)apt-get install nvidia-glx
2) after it installs go to MEPIS System Center; go to NVIDIA tab; check official Nvidia driver;
3) then Ctl-Alt-Backspace. An official NVidia splash screen confirms you've correctly done this.

Vywahlla! -- The best looking Debian, indeed, Linux distro I've ever seen. And the features are honed to the teeth.

[nube]

I'll toss in a third vote for Mepis.

SimplyMepis 2004.4 is by far the easiest Debian distro I've tried to date...

Boot from CD to make sure everything works the way you expect it to, and then click the desktop icon to begin installation.

On the other hand, if you like Ubuntu you should be able to apt-get kde and use it instead of Gnome... but if you're gonna do that you might as well stick with Knoppix or Mepis...

Ubuntu is nice......