[sclug] I'm looking at seven reasons not to download Debian...

[Roland Turner]

Anthony wrote:

>....and they're all about 650megs  ;-)

<chuckle>

Can't use Debian, it's too complete :-)

In practice, there really isn't any reason for most people to download the ISO9660 images. Even users who install lots of stuff over a period of years aren't likely to ever install more than 10% of Debian, there really isn't ever any point in downloading several GB of stuff that you'll never even install, much less use. The downloadable images are primarily of use to people (lsl.com, etc.) who wish to make and sell copies. For everybody else either:

- if you have broadband, just download the base system install, then let apt download the rest as you require it, or

- if you don't have broadband, order a CD set from LSL (or whoever[1]) and only use apt for security updates.

The concept of doing all (or even most) installations from CDs is primarily of interest to vendors who have an interest in repeatedly selling you a physical product in order to turn you into a revenue stream. This is true even of vendors (RedHat etc.) who will allow you to download their product, but make a living out of selling packaged copies out of it. Debian has no such interest, so most Debian users are not placed onto that pay-reinstall treadmill, so the CD images really aren't all that important for most users. (This of course is why apt emerged from Debian, rather than anywhere else, but this is another discussion altogether.)

- Raz

1: http://www.debian.org/CD/vendors/