I have got a Debian Squeeze install DVD from a friend..The default installer installs GNOME...Is KDE and other DEs included in this DVD? If so , how do I choose during Install?

I have dreamlinux 3.5, Which is debian based, and default for the install was Xfce/GNOME. It never asked what I wanted to use, but instead everytime I log in, it looks like this:


USER:|_______________________|
PASSWORD:|___________________|
SESSION:|____________|

For session I choose either Xfce or GNOME. (I use Xfce)

Also in the control panel it gives me the option to turn on GNOME and KDE, so I can run applications that use them. They all run with the same kind of basic environment, Just with others you get access to different applications, games, what have you.

If it is a liveCD, Just run it on whatever system you have now (if you can), and test it out. Check out the control panel and see if there is an option for KDE or other Desktops, and see which you like the feel of best.


Hope this is at least a little helpful, Good luck!


added: If you're testing it on a machine with an OS already installed and you see D-INSTALL or OEM INSTALL, Leave those alone unless you want to install it permanently

Moved: This thread is more suitable in Debian and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

Pardon my ignorance ...My current distro Slack was also installed from a DVD..It gave me an option to choose the DE at the time of install...

Nothing against Debian or Pro slack, just curious to know the structure , the more and more I go thru the Debian Webpage , the more and more confused I become..For ex , to view the contents of a DVD , I clicked a link , it is taking me to another application for viewing the contents!...There are way too many links in the webpage and I am going in circles....I think I would need a tutorial for traversing the Debian Web page!

If someone can enlighten me regarding

1. What are the 5-6 DVD's for?
2. What are the contents of each?
3. What is the DVD to be chosen for KDE? Is there a separate installer for KDE?
4. Should I download all the CDs or DVDs?
5. What is the difference in contents between a CD and the DVD?

I am wasting time in trying to find the answers to the above

In Debian you have to choose the DE of your choice before the install in the boot menu. You will find it under expert options, where you can choose an alternate desktop environment. I never used the DVD, so I don't know if it is integrated into the CD.

Many Thanks to my fellow slacker on providing a solution for Debian!!

Just to answer your other questions- the DVD just has more software in it. I normally dont bother with debian DVDs at all, I normally just get the CD. If it wasnt for my habit of testing debian on multipule computers, I would probably justgo for the netinstall version.

The full 8 DVD set (or 50+ CDs) contain the whole repo. Great for offline use, but even then in most cases you wont need more than 2 DVDs.

If you have a decent internet connection, you dont want the whole lot of DVDs or CDs, its a waste of bandwidth and time.

BTW, if you get the DVDs AFAIK DVD #1 has all the DEs in it, and its possible to install any of the DEs from the CD. But if you do get the CD version there is a separate CD with Gnome (standard CD #1), with a different CD #1 for Xfce+Lxde and KDE.

At the time I used Debian (and made many experiments with it in VMs) I always used the netinstall CD together with apt-cacher-ng. This way I always had a fast up to date install repository.