I was wondering what is on binary 2 dvd and binary 3 dvd, cause it seems like the 4.4 gb on the first binary dvd iso would be enough for a base install. I mean the second and third dvd are just strictly optional packages right?

Correct. I actually think you can do a base install with just the 1st CD.

Generally though, if you have broadband, it's best to just download the netinstall CD (~150MB) and then grab everything from the web. Saves you time, plus the packages installed from the web will have the latest security updates.

The first CD is enough for a base install.. oir for that matter the 180 MB Netinstall iso is enough for a base install and will save you a LOT of time you would waste downloading the DVD ISO's

Check em out. Any packages needed outside of the base install will be downloaded over your broadband connection. a complete install shouldn't take more than an hour or so depending on your broadband speed.. (half hour if you have big 'tubes' heh)

Debian Stable (3.1r2)
http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/

Debian Etch Beta 3 (testing version.. newer packages not recommended for a production server)
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/

Debian installer walkthrough screenshots
http://www.linuxcdmall.com/debian-3....nshots-34.html

I already grabbed the binary.iso(1)dvd, it only took 2hrs. I didn't think about when you have the net-install you have the latest packages though cause I got the ETCH beta 3. So if I do apt-get update && apt-get upgrade every day I'm still decent right?

Is there no way to just use my hda1 and my hda2? They are 10 gb and 6gb respectively, but I went to install and only seen the option to use my entire hard drive even when I went into the manual editing of partitions. I have hda3 and hda5, and hda6, and hda7, but those have other distros on them and I hate to have to go messing with bootloaders. I guess I will have to anyway though because even if I keep the boot menu the same on SUSE which is where I am grubbing from once I put Debian on that same partition hda1 and hda2 it will need to have different options specified in the boot menu won't it? I had Mepis on hda1 and Kanotix on hda2.

You must have hit a bug in the installer somehow you should be able to specify the partitions used in the manual selection. Did you highlight the hda1 or 2 then select with enter and tell it to use as / and to format the partition with your file system of choice? If so I would suggest booting with the Kanotix CD and using cfdisk to delete the partition hda1 or 2 then try the installer again with some free space on the HD.