remy215 - Linux Info

1. Install debian from netinst iso (on boot, launch "linux26")
2. At the end of the installation, choose "manual package selection" & quit aptitude with "q"
3. once in your debian system, do as follow:
// as "su", update apt configuration
vi /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/70debconf (or /etc/apt/atp.conf)
append: "
APT::Default-Release "testing";
APT::Cache-Limit "20000000";
Acquire::PDiffs "false";
"
vi /etc/apt/souces.list
in the deb ftp:// entry, replace "main" with "main contrib non-free"
then copy and paste twice this entry, then change "stable" into "testing" in the first one, and "stable" into "unstable" in the second one
run "wget http://ftp-master.debian.org/archive-key-4.0.asc -O - | apt-key add -" (archive-key-4.0.asc is the gpg key for 2007, check on the root domain for other keys if needed)
run "apt-get update"
run "apt-get install apt sudo less"
(check the output, you may need to reboot the system)
// grant sudo to the user eg. remy
vi /etc/sudoers
copy the line for root and change root into the username
// upgrade all packages to testing
run "sudo apt-get dist-upgrade"
// update the kernel
// first, install the following packages
"sudo apt-get install fakeroot libncurses5-dev kernel-package initramfs-tools gcc bzip2"
// then retrieve the kernel you want (2.6 kernels are available at ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6)
wget ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/linux-2.6.20.3.tar.bz2
mkdir rd_kernel; mv *.bz2 ./rd_kernel; cd rd_kernel; tar -xjf *.bz2
cd lin*
make menuconfig
// configure your kernel then run:
make-kpkg --rootcmd fakeroot --initrd --append-to-version -rd --revision 1 kernel-image modules-image kernel-headers
// go take a coffee
sudo dpkg -i ../*.deb
sudo shutdown -r now
// you should be now in your new kernel
// we will now install gnome-core and its composants
sudo apt-get install xserver-xfree86 x-window-system-core gnome-core xserver-xorg-dev xorg-dev
// we will update our nvidia driver -- but first we need to install some package
wget http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/1.0-9631/NVIDIA-Linux-x86-1.0-9631-pkg1.run
sudo sh *.run
startx
That's done

// regarding wifi installation -- Intel Pro/Wireless 2100 (rev 4)
//in fact wifi installation is pretty simple but it took me very long to find how to do it !
// first: intel official driver is not working ! => follow these instructions
// my configuration is own compiled kernel v2.6.20.3
1. get ieee80211 module (important: the latest version (1.2.16) worked but previous ones did not !) from http://ieee80211.sourceforge.net/
2. get ipw2100 driver (important: the latest version (1.2.2) worked but previous ones did not, including versions from intel website !) from http://ipw2100.sourceforge.net/
3. get the firmware (version 1.3) from http://ipw2100.sourceforge.net/firmware.php
Then simply follow the installation instruction available within ipw2100
Check that your kernel is compiled with & without the appropriate options
When runing "make", don't forget to run "make install" after !
and for ieee80211 I even ran "make patch_kernel"
If "make" fails because of "config.h" not found, in fact "config.h" is no longer used and "autoconf.h", in the headers, replace it. Simply "cp autoconf.h config.h" solves the pbm. And if "config.h" is required elsewhere, simply copy it where it is needed.
IMPORTANT: skip the part with "hotplug" -- you may not need to install it ("udev" conflicts with it & provides the same functionality & provides the necessary folder /usr/lib/hotplug/firmware -- when I tried to install hotplug with apt, it tried to uninstall my kernel !!!! => don't do it since udev does the job & and should be already installed !)
Besides that, it worked fine.

// misc: temperature & co -- if acpi has been enabled in the kernel
run "sudo apt-get install acpid acpi"
run "acpi -V" // you should get the temperature, and battery level !

// xserver will generate annoying .serverauth files when starting. To avoid this, run
sudo vi /usr/bin/startx
look for xserverauthfile=xxx and replace xxx with $XAUTHORITY

// configure vi
// to permanently enable some useful options in vi, create .exrc file in home directory
vi .exrc
// then write
set verbose // write an error message instead of simply bipping when sthg is wrong
set showmode // display the current editing mode
set number // number on the lines
// to see additional option, in vi write ":set all"

// in gnome, gnome-volume-control is part of gnome-media package (+ apt-cache show gnome-desktop-environment package to see potentially usefull packages within)

// to synchronize the clock to get the right time,
sudo apt-get install ntpdate
sudo ntpdate pool.ntp.org

// to connect the computer to a windows peer, run smb-client (see man smb-client for more details)
// once connected, to copy a folder content
lcd /your/local/target/path //equiv. of cd
recursive // to enable recursive mode
prompt // to disable prompt for each file
mget "source/folder/path"