Need help installing GUI?

[tommy1987]

I am totally new to linux so excuse my ignorance but I need a bit of help installing a GUI to aid my learning of linux. I have installed the base package of debian with no GUI at all. I would like to install KDE as it is the GUI used at my university, however i cant find any information that i can understand. Could someone please either point me in the right direction for a foolproof guide to this process or else very kindly explain it to me? please be warned you are talking to someone who has been used to windows, and has installed linux for the first time this evening..

please help, its greatly appreciated!!

[Vergil83]

to get kde and x windows try... (you have to be root)

apt-get update
apt-get install xserver-xfree86 kdebase kdm

I think that gets everything you need

[Entangledphoton]

you are in luck.

If you have an internet connection or downloaded the whole cd (not just the netinstall cd) you can have a working kde desktop in just a few minutes

first you need to issue just a few commands

su

in order to gain root access. This can be avoided if you just log in as root.

then, if you are using the internet to install you should type

apt-get update

and then either way you can type

apt-get install x-window-system kde

and in just a little while the system will be up and ready for you to log in

[motapa]

I am new to ubuntu and linux in general. The distribution comes with gnome desktop only, but I want to install the kde desktop. When I go to the mirror sites I see a very long confusing list of applications to download and I dont know what to choose. What is it that I should choose.

[tommy1987]

I am exactly the same, I dont have a clue. I also have no internet connection that debian could find through the install, because the connection is through a LAN. The exact installation disc i have mentions Sarge, what is that all about, does this have anything to do with anything? If gnome is included on the disc and not KDE then how do i go about installing gnome?

[Vergil83]

I am exactly the same, I dont have a clue. I also have no internet connection that debian could find through the install, because the connection is through a LAN.

In that case try running

ifdown -a
ifup eth0

to start your connection

The exact installation disc i have mentions Sarge, what is that all about, does this have anything to do with anything? If gnome is included on the disc and not KDE then how do i go about installing gnome?

Sarge is just the name of the latest stable release
KDE should be on the same disk as GNOME. If you can get your internet connection working you can do what I said in the first post. If not, enter one of your disk in your computer and try it.

[Vergil83]

I am new to ubuntu and linux in general. The distribution comes with gnome desktop only, but I want to install the kde desktop. When I go to the mirror sites I see a very long confusing list of applications to download and I dont know what to choose. What is it that I should choose.

try doing

apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

Or you can do it via synaptic. Just search for the program kubuntu-desktop and install it