DebianDesktopHowTo

⚠️ This is a wiki migration test page

This page lists the things you will currently need to do in order to install a basic debian-desktop. For more details see the subpages of ["DebianDesktop"].

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Get yourself a current sarge install CD and boot it providing "linux26" at the bootprompt and install and configure the base-system from it. When prompted by "tasksel" choose following task:

  * desktop-environment 

(adduser #240855) Add additional user accounts you may need (with "adduser <NAME>") and don't forget to put yourself and others in appropriate groups by iterating: "adduser <NAME> <GROUP>". You probalby want to add users to the following groups: audio, floppy and maybe dip (connect to internet) or dialout (see /usr/share/doc/base-passwd/users-and-groups). To create a new groups do "addgroup <GROUPNAME>". If it is your home PC maybe create a group "family", add the appropriate users to it. Then make a group directory for them "mkdir /home/family" give it to the group "chown :family /home/family" and change its permissions "chmod 2774 /home/family" to make it a shared set-group-id directory so that groupmembers can work with each other's files in there. If the graphical login doesn't come up corrctly you'll probably need to run "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86" and manually choose the correct grafic card, or go with the VESA fallback driver. (default package selection) Alternatively: To get X set up automatically install xdebconfigurator, run it and then dexconf to generate a valid ["XF86config"]. (localisation) You will need to run "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86" anyway if you want your local keyboard to work properly. (i.e. german keyboard settings: pc105, de, nodeadkeys) (default package selection) Install and configure the CUPS printing system packages as described on ["DebianCUPS"]. Start /usr/lib/openoffice/spadmin as root "add printer" and import your printers setup from /etc/foomatic/cups. (default package selection) "apt-get install libgnome2-perl" if you want the Gnome debconf frontend to actually work when you install packages. You may need to configure debconf to use "Gnome" frontend with "dpkg-reconfigure debconf". (default package selection) Then start up synaptic and find, select and install the following packages:

• udev * hotplug fstab updater script [1] * xfonts-base-transcoded and xfonts-*dpi-transcoded (if you need localized fonts) * zip * unzip * x-ttcidfont-conf (needed for the next) * msttcorefonts (to display some webpages and documents correctly) * mc (midnight commander console filemanager) * gtk-led-askpass (lets ssh use a graphical password prompt window when run under X) -----

Now some configuring:

Set "umask 002" in /etc/profile AND /etc/login.defs to actually make use of the private user groups in debian. (KDE will need an additionall "umask 002" in startkde, check http://bugs.debian.org/250645) The central settings for KDE in /etc/kde3 could also need some tweaking:

• set CUPS as default printing system

   (Put the following into /etc/kde3/kdeprintrc)   ["General"]   PrintSystem=cups 

• If you like make $HOME to your Desktop for consistency.

    (Put the following into /etc/kde3/kdeglobals)    ["Paths"]    Desktop=$HOME    Trash=$HOME/Trash/ 

• In the same way if you have make your particular proxy, javascript and cookie policy etc. settings system defaults, too. ...and have fun! And if you encounter bugs search the net, if it is already known, find the appropriate package and file a bug against it, if it concerns debian just use the "reportbug" utility for that. This is a test