Still need help w/ Debian install

[david jensen]

Holiday Greetings to PLUGers everywhere.!
    RE: my request for help in early NOV:  Thanks to responses from  
M. Halcrow  and esp. Chris Carey.   Chris noted that:  'The original 
poster said "no outside thing is connected to the box" which led me 
to believe he was forced to use the CDs for install'.   ( I would 
prefer to use my 7 disk ROM set for the install, but had trouble using "dselect".)
     The thing about nothing being connect to outsided world was correct then,  but no longer.... changes have occurred. 
     While reading a large number of posts and WEB info on modems, 
over the weeks since NOV., it finally sank into my [ thick??] head that all "my" modems are of the WIN type. Even my new US Robotics unit I got for $1.00 as a yard sale... complete in the box  well, the box had been smashed, but all with in seemed to be physically OK.
    While visiting my daughter in Pleasant Grove, I found a store
"MAS Computers, Inc." in Orem, UT, with older hardware type modems. They have a 90 day warranty on used items. I got 3 identical Hayes "5674US" units @ $15 ea.. Figured it would be good insurance as well as I might want more than one running at a time as I build more Linux boxen.
     An afternoon of futzing around w/ nano and some install sheets I had from a prior distro, I found that "pon" would actually make a 
call to my ISP...  and I can hear the two modems trying to establish 
a connection.  But, after about 10-20 seconds the line is dropped. It seems the EDP box does not know what to do next...   neither do I.! Something is still missing. My guess is that there is no browser 
running for the "pon" to connect to.  And I can not find any browser 
on the distro: Woody 3, as it is presently installed on my 20 GB hda.
     I also notice that the CD-ROM quits working after Debian loads 
from the HD. ?? I can use a distro CD-ROM disk and load up the 
install program from it, but once the computer re-boots from the HD, 
the CD-ROM drive stops working.??
     I tried the command "apt-setup"  and I got "nano" with a 
"commented out" line that is a URL:  "http://security.debian.org/ 
stable/updates main".  When I tried to remove the "#" and did a nano 
save, it would not take.? I then "cd /etc/apt"  followed by "nano -e 
sources.list".    When I un-commented that line, I could not get out 
of nano.?    So I put the "#" back in the line, did "^o"  saving 
the line and was able to exit nano. There is only that one line in "sources.list".
     I had been able to load Ubuntu, from CD-ROM & disk successfully 
on this same HD a few weeks ago. But I ran in to frustration trying 
to find my way around in it. Especially trying to do some of the 
things that I have read about in install and distro books etc. about 
Linux in general and Debian in particular.    So, I got the bright 
idea [or so I thought] of installing Ubunto on the hdb 8 GB  drive 
installed in this same box.  ( To clarify,  I put "Woody" on hda  
where there had been Ubuntu.  and a few weeks later tired to put 
Ubuntu on hdb. )
     When I ran the Ubuntu install program, I found it expected to 
put the distro on  hda .... not what I want at all.  I got part way 
through the install and ran into a brick wall.  The install program 
apparently is not set up to allow putting the distro on the HD of 
operators choice.
     The idea was that w/ both distros available to switch between, 
I could look into Ubuntu and see what things might be missing from 
the Debian distro and do some editing to get Debian to use the 
CD-ROM.  Or if Ubuntu loaded a browser, I could do my internet stuff 
on it while still trying to get Debian to work my way.   As it is 
now, I am using my friends M$ [barff] box to do my Email, etc.   Very humiliating, especially when I keep bragging about how wonderful Linux will be ....  If I ever get it to work.
     Seems no matter which way I turn, I am stymied.   I want to 
very strongly to get into Linux as my main, and hopefully some day 
only, OS.  Especially Debian ...  although I am willing to look at 
other distros too.  The things that set Debian apart from other 
distros are important issues to me, so I am willing to but my head 
against the wall for a while .... which I have certainly be doing.

I really enjoy the PLUG list atmosphere and some of the "flames" but 
especially the camaraderie (sp).   Perhaps it is a matter of my funny bone being more in tune w/ you guys than other sites I frequent, but I experience a lot of laughs from various rebuttals and poking fun at misspellings, etc.  And I certainly have learned a lot about Linux over the months by reading your posts.
     Thanks for all info received in the past and hope someone can 
specifically help me now.

Still hopeful Linux newbie,  Dwj.   73 W0RMV


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