From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: from mta1.math.wisc.edu (mta1.math.wisc.edu [144.92.166.194]) by speech.braille.uwo.ca (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0FAF6C1A37A for ; Wed, 7 Apr 2010 17:21:03 -0400 (EDT) X-Virus-Scanned: Debian amavisd-new at mta1.math.wisc.edu Received: from mta1.math.wisc.edu ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (mta1.math.wisc.edu [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id NmxiAnWn9YQM for ; Wed, 7 Apr 2010 16:20:45 -0500 (CDT) Received: from mta1.math.wisc.edu (localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1]) by mta1.math.wisc.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6A4003E0023 for ; Wed, 7 Apr 2010 16:20:45 -0500 (CDT) Received: from ulam.math.wisc.edu (ulam.math.wisc.edu [144.92.166.245]) by mta1.math.wisc.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP for ; Wed, 7 Apr 2010 16:20:45 -0500 (CDT) Received: from vv507j (vv507j.math.wisc.edu [144.92.166.75]) (using TLSv1 with cipher RC4-MD5 (128/128 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by ulam.math.wisc.edu (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 623FE2BE4A for ; Wed, 7 Apr 2010 16:20:45 -0500 (CDT) Message-ID: <7CC6CAF9ED6F46FAA35A5E65C8C12627@math.wisc.edu> From: "John G. Heim" To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." References: <20100406194904.GA32188@romuald.net.eu.org><4ACB236327324D30A07EA1B6A4933B60@math.wisc.edu> <20100407200243.GA17401@romuald.net.eu.org> Subject: Re: an observation, and question Date: Wed, 7 Apr 2010 16:20:45 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.5843 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 X-BeenThere: speakup@braille.uwo.ca X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.13 Precedence: list Reply-To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." List-Id: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:21:03 -0000 > >> I think the trick is to install just the base system. During a debian >> install, a page comes up where you check off which groups of packages you >> want to install. You can uncheck everything, even the base packages and >> then your install will take only about 300 Mb of disk space. Even with a >> dialup connection it doesn't take 24 hours to download 300 Mb. > > Hmmm, I don't remember such a page. When I installed it, it was a > simple text interface, 1 for yes, 2 for no, and numbers on other pages > for configuration options, such as partitioning disks and so forth. I > don't recall seeing a page with checkboxes of any sort during the > install. I got the iso I used from: > http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/5.0.4/i386/iso-cd/debian-504-i386-netinst.iso > Oh, that's right. You don't get a curses interface any more. So maybe the choice list I was talking about is gone. Oh, that kinda sucks though. Of course, it wasn't actually checkboxes like in a GUI. It was the curses left & right bracket kind of check box. Like when you're selecting synthesizers when configuring a kernel for speakup. Anyway, so its probably gone. You mightconsider doing a lenny install. Or else just do your own install with the linux commands. Its been 2 or 3 years since I've done that and every time I have to do it I google it. But there's enough keywords in the steps below to find a more detailed howto.The steps are something like this: 1. Boot via grml 2. partition & format the hard drive 3. mount the new filesystems 4. run debbootstrap 5. chroot to the new root file system 6. install grub 7. install a kernel 8. reboot You didn't say in your original post how big your hard drive is or what kind of internet connection you have. I'm just assuming that it took a really long time for the install because it has a slow connection. But it is probably more likely that the install just hung ffor some reason. You might consider just trying again.