Where's the GUI after install? [WAS: Am I doing something wrong or have I...]

[hankyknot]

Yet another convert in the making here,

After years of getting to know Win-doh's I have decided to start looking into Linux. The more I read the more I see it has a growing part to play in computing for both home and business users. I dont necessarily see it as an either or future just a future where you have a choice.

That being said its causing me the occasional headache. I'm trying real hard not to get hung up on the whole "which distro?" issue but it can be addictive downloading new distros and installing them for the first time, every one is like christmas, its a whole new adventure on each CD!!!

Anyways I digress a little. So far I've sucked and seen a whole bunch of distros and some I liked, some I didnt, some I get the feeling I did something wrong with and they are the ones I want to ask about.

Distros like ubuntu, Linspire, DSL etc have nice windowesque GUI's that make noobs like me feel all comfortable and at home. Some dont, or at lest if they do I dont know where to find them or how to start them. Debian f'rinstance. Installs nicely, very easy to follow text menus. Do everything it says, enter all the things it says to enter and voila, a prompt appears. Soooo what do I put in here, Start? No, StartX? No, Help? Well yes but it doesnt really help.

After my ealry successes installing ubuntu et al I cant help but feel that I've missed something, made a wrong selection in the install or am I just so used to seeing a GUI that I'm looking for something that isnt there?

Problem is with so many distro's I dont have time to check such things with all of them so those that dont go as planned get put on the back burner.

I feel I am now trying to run before I can walk so where is the best place to start?

[crow2icedearth]

download a distro and run one which you feel comfortable with. As you learn GNU/linux will be able to adopt to any DISTRO. I started off using redhat back when 5.1 was out. I then moved to slackware think it was around 4.0 . Then currently my choice is gentoo distro. Most linux distros have most of the same common tools. the reseaon you didnt have x installed on debian is you have to apt-get X (xorg ) as well as a X manager which your learn later , or learn by asking about it.

[crow2icedearth]

you might want to start off with a commerical distro first. They make it little easier for newcomers . GIve SUSE or Redhat Fedora a try. The one bad thing about those distro is by default they have every service enabled as well as alot of stuff you dont need.

[EnigmaOne]

The problem - for some folks - when starting out with Linux, is that they want to tackle too much at once; then find themselves a bit overwhelmed. Easy to do.

As has been said, get a distro that you like and install it.

Fiddle with it for a while; then, if you're inclined to do so, move to another distro and fiddle some more.

After a while, things will come easier. Naturally.

[je_fro]

The GUI is just one part of your linux system. It's called Xorg, or just X. It's optional on most distros, but you'll want it for sure.

[mrrangerman43]

I myself started with Debian for the most part, I installed Mandrake awhile back but didn't take the time with it. I've found (with me at least) I'm learning more about GNU/Linux by getting my hands dirty. I installed Ubuntu, but was not happy BECAUSE it did everyting for me, that doesn't make it a bad distro, it just wasn't for me, I had the same problem with Suse. But like EnigmaOne said As has been said, get a distro that you like and install it.

Fiddle with it for a while; then, if you're inclined to do so, move to another distro and fiddle some more.

After a while, things will come easier. Naturally.

I think the best way to say it is, You will get out of Linux what you put into it.

[crow2icedearth]

Mrrangerman43:

thats why i use gentoo GNU/Linux . I have the choice for everything i do with it. i do like slackware distro alot , i tend not to like RPM base disrtos much but hey if i have to use them i will , much like winblows if i have to use it i will.

I totally agree you will get out of linux what you put into it. Its a time consuming OS. I have been using it for 7 years and still learning more every day.

je_fro - i agree with you he will want to have xorg and wm. I currenlty don't have x installed on one of my GNU/linux boxs. i use it mainly for testing. I remember back in the day using XFREE86.

[Parcival]

After my ealry successes installing ubuntu et al I cant help but feel that I've missed something, made a wrong selection in the install or am I just so used to seeing a GUI that I'm looking for something that isnt there?

In the Debian installer there is a step where it asks you what you would like to do with your computer, be it a server, office desktop, programming environment, etc. According to these choices the installer knocks a GUI onto your computer or doesn't. If it does the problem is that it's very bloated. This is how I installed my GUI Debian:


First I picked the basic/minimal installation. When done, this left me with a blank command prompt.
When at the command prompt I fired up aptitude. First I wanted the X server so I checked the necessary packages. Then I wanted KDE as my desktop, so I browsed aptitude for the corresponding packages. There should be a dummy package that installs the entire KDE if you select it. If you don't want the whole thing, select packages as needed.
While selecting packages, make sure you select kdm (preferably) or gdm. This will make Debian greet you with a nice graphical login once it has finished booting.
When you're done slecting packages, have aptitude install them and reboot. Now you should be greeted with your GUI.

[mrrangerman43]

hankyknot

What ever you pick to start with spend time learning its package manager. Use the man pages, "man apt-get man ls man cp" ext. ext. and www.google.com/linux www.justlinux.com
you can find the answers to most any problem you encounter.


crow2icedearth

Ya Gentoo, I know what you mean, I have that installed on my main system. It's been a very good distro to get my hands dirty with. One of my sweat victories was the day I got everything for my Nvidia card compiled and had the spash screen come up. I felt like doing a happy dance. My two systems that have Debian installed on have been put to work with F@H so I try not to mess with them.


Parcival

I tried installing Debian the first time, as a office desktop, and you sure are right about it being bloated. I didn't think it would ever finish installing packages. I ended up doing just about the same as what you listed, and so far both my systems with Debian on them have been solid.

[hankyknot]

Well the whole collect-a-distro bug has passed. The urge to download anything that had the words Linux and ISO in the title no longer grabs me. I have a decent collection of distros and I'm trying them all, at least I'm trying to install them all.

Im looking at linux for a couple of reasons and because of this there are a couple of things I want linux to be able to do.

I want a distro that is simple to install, easy to use and that detects as much hardware as possible.

I also want a distro (and its for a different purpose so it doesnt have to be the same one) that is easy to install, easy to use, small and quick that can run on older, slower hardware.

Some installations are easier than others and some distros pick up more hardware than others. Some run like lightning, some like a dog with three legs and cramp. All along the way though I am learning. Installing a new distro isn't as daunting as it once was. Where I used to get stuck on a harder installation and abandon it for the next one, I can now go back to it and continue because I have learnt what they wanted me to input.

Every new installation, every new distro teaches me something. Once I have found the distros that meet my needs I can then set about getting deeper into the systems but until I know which one I want to use there seems little point in delving too deep.

It would be like learning to skydive before taking up caving.