[sf-lug] debian base system (initially without X11) install progress (or lack there of!) report

[Michael Paoli]

You're doing it wrong!  ;-)

> From: "Alex Kleider" <akleider at sonic.net>
> Subject: [sf-lug] debian base system (initially without X11) install  
> progress (or lack there of!) report
> Date: Sun, 09 Dec 2018 19:42:02 -0800

> Drivers (wifi) demanded by the installer are 5 in number
> but only the second and fifth exist for download from the net.
> Can't find anywhere on the Debian site where to put or install them

RTFM! (Read The Fine Manual).
Debian has excellent documentation,
most notably, the highly applicable documentation on:
Installation Guide
Release Notes
(the latter being also especially useful and relevant for upgrades).
If you're looking for good solid information on Debian, you should
mostly be looking at debian.org, and to lesser extent debian.net.
If you're looking at other domains, you're looking at stuff generally
on The Internet and typically much less clueful - so, from other sources,
expect about 20% of the information/advice, etc. to be anywhere from
moderately incorrect to exceedingly bad stupid harmful advice - if not
totally wrong and downright dangerous (this applies to most general
content on The Internet - especially when taken from random locations
and/or clueless or less clueful "popular" ones (see e.g. high
replication/proliferation rates of fake news, scams, pyramid/chain
schemes, etc.)
So ... Debian, stable, x86, 64 bit ...
Typically start with a Debian Official ISO, CD is quite sufficient, don't
need no steenkin' DVD (though DVD can be handier if one is installing
to multiple off-line hosts - as by size, it will contain additional
of the popular software packages).  So, that would typically be ...
(currently) ...
Debian GNU/Linux 9.6.0 "Stretch" - Official amd64 xfce-CD Binary-1  
20181110-11:34
If you pick a Netinstall version, you'll have to have and establish reasonable
connectivity to The Internet to complete the install, if it's not a Netinstall
version, you can get at least a base install done without even needing
connectivity to The Internet.
So ... download it, verify it (compute secure hash(es), verify PGP
signature(s) of secure hash(es) and match of those hash(es), "burn"
to optical (or flash, or what have you), check again (but don't check
data beyond the length of the ISO image)), and you're mostly good to
go.  Oh, you *did* read the stuff about firmware and such, right?
https://www.debian.org/releases/stretch/installmanual
https://www.debian.org/releases/stretch/releasenotes
...
https://www.debian.org/releases/stretch/amd64/ch02s02.html.en
https://www.debian.org/releases/stretch/amd64/ch06s04.html.en

But hey, Joe's Sandwich Shop down the street is quite popular,
They even have ham sandwiches, ... and Debian once had a release
codenamed Hamm, so, if you want to go to Joe's Sandwich Shop
and trust the people there to advise you on how to install Debian,
or how to replace the engine in your BMW, feel free.  But at least speaking
for myself, I'd quite prefer to go with much more authoritative sources and
documentation.

Oh, and you don't need some special ISO version that includes firmware ...
simpler and better supported to go with official, and if you need some
non-DFSG firmware for your Debian install, follow the documentation on
how to do that.  The one-off ISOs aren't as well supported, not out as
quickly, etc.  Sure, might be a bit "simpler", but ...
Oh, and one exception where it may be worth having the firmware on the
ISO ... Debian Live ... also not as well supported, etc. (and if you try
to install from that, there are also known issues/bugs) ... and the
"Live" version also isn't as well supported, ... but if you just want to
play around with it / demo it, or whatever, and need the non-free firmware
for that to be useful, sure, certainly, feel free.
But for the most part, one will be (much!) better off following the very
well documented standard procedures - and documented by official site/sources.

And also, don't make a FrankenDebian for yourself:
https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian#Don.27t_make_a_FrankenDebian
... likewise mixing in non-Debian software/packages, etc. (at least in
general, and sure as heck don't mix in ways that do or will cause
conflicts and other grief).