im staring at a linux page again. lists and terminology with absolutely no explanation. on the download page for debian 8 it lists a whole bunch of links
https://www.debian.org/releases/jess...ian-installer/

my question is with a lonovo t410 i5 240 ghz how am i supposed to know which one to download? i want to check debian out but its like pulling teeth.
please help.

Try this page it has the regular cd which comes with desktop
https://www.debian.org/CD/http-ftp/
I usually use http

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And follow the advice at the top of the page not to download with your browser. Use the wget command laid out in the first paragraph below the yellow notice box.

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hey guys, i appreciate your help but im afraid none of this makes any sense to me whatsoever. Im just looking for a 'download debain 8' like when i did all the other distros i have installed. the whole thing is like a meerrrygo round. one link after another leading to more and more distant information. i end up not wanting to do it. Im going to keep trying to find a download link.

I really want to draw attention to the difficulties in navigating the linux 'thing'. im not sure why there isnt a straight forward download. unless its hip and cool to know what all this stuff means. the more i get into linux the more i realize that there needs to be an idiots page that people like me can visit. it should literally be called 'the idiots page' and i will be the first to join it.

i think this is one of the main reasons why people shy away from linux. its too difficult to enter the arena. once you are in the arenaa you can begin learning but to have this much trouble trying to download debian is literally insane.

im not asking anyone to respond to the stuff below but i just want to explain how soemone who doesnt know linux very well deals wioth the terminology. this is what my brain says. i end up clouded in uncertainty. and anyone reading this who says " well go back to your mac then" which is the usual answer i see, is missing the point.



Instead, please use a tool that supports resuming. what is resuming?

Under Unix, you can use aria2, am i under unix? what is aria2

wxDownload Fast what is wx?

or (on the command line) "wget -c URL" or "curl -C - -L -O URL". which one should i use the fiorst or the second?

Under Windows, you might want to try Free Download Manager. Under Mac OS, have a look at CocoaWget. isnt there one for linux?

You can also look at a comparison of download managers and choose a program that you like. what?


See also:

A complete list of debian-cd/ mirrors what is a mirror?
For "network install" (180 MB) what is this?

and "business card-size" (40 MB) images, see the network install page. where is it/?


For "netinst" and "businesscard" images of the "testing" release, what is a testing release?

both daily builds and known working snapshots, what is a known work snapshot?

see the Debian-Installer page. where is it?

Official CD/DVD images of the "stable" release what is the stable release? is it the same as debian 8?

To install Debian on a machine without an Internet connection, it's possible to use CD images (650 MB each) or DVD images (4.4 GB each). Download the first CD or DVD image file, write it using a CD/DVD recorder (or a USB stick on i386 and amd64 ports), and then reboot from that.

The first CD/DVD disk contains all the files necessary to install a standard Debian system.
To avoid needless downloads, please do not download other CD or DVD image files unless you know that you need packages on them. how would I know this?

CD

The following links point to image files which are up to 650 MB in size, making them suitable for writing to normal CD-R(W) media:

amd64arm64armelarmhfi386mipsmipselpowerpcppc64els390xsourcemulti-arch

DVD

The following links point to image files which are up to 4.4 GB in size, making them suitable for writing to normal DVD-R/DVD+R and similar media:

amd64arm64armelarmhfi386mipsmipselpowerpcppc64els390xsourcemulti-arch what is this?

If you've got a good internet connection, go to this page:
https://www.debian.org/distrib/netinst
Click on amd64.
Edit:
That's amd64 in the Small CDs. I know it works because I used it to install on my T410.

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Must not be looking too hard. Going to the VERY FIRST LINK in Google for "download debian", brings up this:
https://www.debian.org/distrib/

Cleverly hidden on this page is this:
...which has a link to their ISO image download page, again on that page is this: "Download CD/DVD images using HTTP or FTP.", as one of the options. If you actually clicked that, you'd see:
https://www.debian.org/CD/http-ftp/

...which lets you pick the stable or testing version. Since you want stable...try clicking that. Then, you have to pick your processor (64 bit, etc.)...once you do, that's it. You'll see the ISO images. Click them and they'll download. There is no 'merry go round', and if you even briefly looked at those pages, you'd have easily seen how to get what you're after, and the many options. It's not hard.
Sorry, it's just not hard. The links mentioned above are in very plain, easy to read English. Don't like Debian's website? Then complain to them. Go use ANY other distro...you don't have to use Debian. openSUSE, Mint, Fedora, and ubuntu are all fine choices.

If you find it hard to click a link on a web page, then perhaps you should stick with the Windows that came on your system.
Sorry, it's just not.
Nope, that IS the point. You are complaining about having to read a few lines on a text based web page, and seem to not be able to just click the link. There is NOTHING more to do, to be able to download that ISO image, and let you easily install Linux. For example, the Linux Mint page:
http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

An INCREDIBLY simple table. Links for 32 or 64 bit systems, each with the desktop of your choosing. Click on, then pick the server you want to download from. Two mouse-clicks doesn't seem too hard to me. And if you are having problems burning that ISO image to a CD/DVD, that's nothing Linux-related...that's on your Mac/Windows machine.
Something that has been around since the mid-1990's, on Windows, Mac, Linux, VMS, Solaris, and loads of other operating systems, and something that's well covered on Google. And also something that you DON'T NEED to download an ISO. "resuming" is just what it sounds like...it's a feature of a download tool that will let you RESUME a download where you left off. So, if you're interrupted by a power failure 1GB into a 2 GB download, it will pick up (that's where the "RESUME" word comes in), where it was interrupted, letting you download the last 1 GB.
If you truly don't know what operating system you're running on your computer now, there is very little we can do to help you.
Those are very obviously two software packages, both of which come right up to their home pages with a brief Google search:
http://aria2.sourceforge.net/
http://dfast.sourceforge.net/

And they are SUGGESTIONS. Again, if you read the web page, you'd see this.
PICK ONE...they do the same thing, just like the two download managers do, and just like simply clicking the link does. It DOWNLOADS THE ISO.
AMAZINGLY they were the first four things mentioned to you...aria2, wxdownload, wget and curl ALL DO THIS.
Which part of that very simple sentence do you not understand? Go to Google, enter "download managers", and pick one. They have given you four options already, along with just clicking the link and letting your web browser do it, and you're STILL confused?
Again, something Google has lots of information on. A mirror is just what it sounds like...a COPY ('reflection'??) of a web site. It has the same information...just in a different location.
If you read the web page, it tells you. That is a SMALLER ISO image, which requires you to have a working Internet connection at system build time. It explains ALL OF THIS on their web page.
On their web page.
Again, this seems very self-explanatory. This is the version that they are TESTING. Not the one that's released..this is the one they're working on/debugging, which will become the NEXT release.
VERY OBVIOUSLY, it's a snapshot of what is WORKING...usually for the testing release.
Again, easily found on the Debian website, and amazingly, the first hit in Google for "Debian Installer page"
https://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/
Again, ALL noted/documented on the Debian web page, in the links previously handed to you.
You would know this by doing the installation.
Those are the links you're complaining about not being able to find. Click the one that matches what you want.

If you truly cannot understand how to click a web link and download something, you really should stick with whatever you're using now, until you master very basic concepts.

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yes, your right, i made it all up just to piss you off.

I totally understand what Dunnery is saying, I've been in the same boat over the last few days with the Debian web site ! It isn't as user friendly as the other disto web sites ! As a total beginner with Linux i can understand why people turn around and go back to their old platforms. I appreciate TBone's well written answer but like most experts who are completely frustrated with people like Dunnery, being a beginner is a dreadfully daunting prospect. We don't want to go back to our old platforms we want to learn! Sometimes when a beginner posts a frustrated message on the forum they have often spent weeks researching themselves i should know ! This is my first post on Linux questions. Beginners come to the forum looking for clarity from experts so they feel sure about what they have done. Like everything else experience solves everything. No mater how frustrating it is for the experts its 10 times more frustrating for us beginners. That is just a fact of life.

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first of all i should say thank you to Tbone who actually gave me a fantastic education on linux terminology. i do actually understand it now so thank you Tbone.

i downloaded the 64 bit version for the cd and it is installing.
the dvd version ( i burned 5 dvds) doesnt boot up on my computer. it gives me a blank flashing pronpt and after about 10 minutes it times out and boots the system on the computer. havent a clue what this is? i, sure its not the iso image, more likely the dvds or my incompetence.

during the install i didnt understand the root password so i left it blank, i think leaving it blank will force an install of sudo although Im not sure.
im very excited to try debian.

and by the way medpb, i have spent days trying to make sense of it so thanks for the support.

For someone that has been a member of this forum for 5 years you don't seem to have read much.

I have been a member since late 08 which was actually about 3 weeks before I ever saw a Linux image of any kind. I had no problem with downloading or installing even after only starting my use of computers in my mid 40s. My Dreaded Mother in Law runs Linux.

Have you ever installed Windows? Now there is, or at least was in the past, a real adventure. W98, my first install of Win, would take up pretty much a weekend to get it installed, drivers found and installed, and configured so you could actually use it.

Took half an hour from inserting the CD to being booted up to a completely usable system the first time I ever installed Linux.

Just as there is a learning curve the first time you experience Dos, Windows, OSx or any other OS there is one with Linux. They are all different. In the 90s the only real source of information was magazines like PCWorld.

My wife and I decided to go with Win, which I now regret, but it seemed the best fit at the time. We had plenty of information on Win, Mac and Linux (mainly Red Hat) all from PCWorld. They now have a dedicated Linux section on their website.

https://www.linux.com/

Has all sorts of wonderful tutorials on specific things.

This information is not hard to find. Use a search engine.

If you don't understand about some error or message you can plug the whole thing into a search engine and get information on it.

Much easier than getting good information on Windows. I have done both and I know that is true.

You list Ubuntu Studio. I used Ubuntu for a long time. Don't anymore. How did you do that? This is not rocket science.

It does take, just like the first time I used MSDos or Windows, a certain willingness to learn something new.

If a grumpy geezer can do it I am pretty sure you can too.

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The reason Debian's site is more "busy" than other distro's is that is supports a very diverse range of hardware and installation methods.

Like the difference between walking into a McDonald's and choosing a burger, or walking into a food court and choosing from thai or greek or indian or chinese or ... a burger.

First, you've been here for FIVE YEARS now...if you honestly don't know how to click a web link, there is very little anyone, anywhere is going to be able to help you with.
Sorry, there was no 'Linux terminology' used...it is very basic, plain English, and how to click a web link. NOTHING "Linux" specific.
Great...so...
..why did you download the DVD version, since you JUST SAID you installed it from CD???
Since there are only THREE ISO images on the DVD installation page, how did you wind up with FIVE????
http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/...amd64/iso-dvd/

Not reading the web page, downloading something you didn't want/don't need, or misusing what you DID download isn't Debians fault, and has nothing to do with "Linux terminology".
And again, after five years, WHY aren't you sure? Why didn't you take a few seconds to look up on Google what you weren't sure of?? Without a root password, things won't work...it doesn't magically force you to use SUDO, since that's an optional program to start with.
You would be far better off with Mint, since it is geared for beginners. And again, you obviously are struggling with the very beginning basics (like clicking on a link on a web page), so using Mac/Windows to start with until you ARE comfortable would be the best thing.

If this is as far as you've made it in five years, use something simpler, and take a class first.

Agreed, but a few things of note here:

• Dunnery's post has ZERO to do with a "Linux problem"...they don't seem to be able to figure out how to click on a web link, or do basic research (much less "weeks researching"). Asking about Linux options, when the web page itself lists FOUR seems pointless. Two of those had easily found home pages, just by putting the program name into Google, indicating no research was done before asking what those programs did.
• The OP has been a member here for FIVE YEARS.
• Linux is no more (or less) difficult to load than any other operating system. If you can load Windows, you can load Linux. The 'daunting' problems you mention are usually focused on specifics...like, "I can't get Microsoft Office to load!" or "I don't have a C: drive anymore!", which are differences in the OS itself. Once a specific question is asked, it's typically easily answered.
• While Debian may not be the easiest to install, the documentation is plentiful, and it's certainly not the hardest. If you're just starting out, Mint or Ubuntu are better choices. The "under-the-hood" mechanics are almost identical, but it will be easier to load and use initially, to let you figure out what questions to ask, before moving on.

We are always happy to help, but please read the "Question Guidelines" link first. Specific questions are great, and we welcome them (and you). But when that deviates to asking people to look up programs for you, and explain how to click a web link, because a plain text page is a "merry go round", that's where people take issue.

Try installing Sid on a laptop -- then you'll know complications .
To install an OS takes a little learning and Debian probably needs more than most since it allows some flexibility and assumes that if you're installing it you care enough to do some research. I, myself, have cursed the Debian developers on more occasions than most but that doesn't make it their fault when I, or anybody else, doesn't read things carefully.
My advice to anybody, including myself (when I calm down), finding any process frustrating is to take a step back, clear the mind of any assumptions then re-read the instructions carefully and try again.
Working out which Debian version to download isn't to do with Linux skills or even computer skills -- it's a combination of English comprehension skills and logic. The English I will not criticise anybody for not knowing but the logic is something which, if at all possible, I would recommend everybody acquire.