> >> 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.
