i need a simple install for debian on my tablet. i dont understand all this scripting stuff. simple advice is appreciated. thanks

-Josh

This is your first post, and you are installing Debian? Why not pick something ambitious?

i've had my Tablet for 2 years and i'm really happy with how it's performing, but i like the functionality of Debian more than Maemo. 1. Maemo cant run Open Office. also i have always had to try new things before. why not debian???

Hahah okay sounds like a good argument to me :P

There's a page in the wiki on how to install Debian for a chroot environment, or do you want to boot into it?

As for an easy install a tar file is about as easy as it gets
Here's a (brief) step by step:

1) Set up boot from SD. This can be done in a few easy clicks using the .deb from this thread: Penguinbait's Boot from SD deb

2) Set up an empty ext-3 partition on your SD card (or just clear out the partition that the above boot from SD deb created (This requires 2/3 lines of code in XTerm to clear out the created partition, unfortunately I don't know them off the top of my head)

3) As root follow the instructions here for downloading and untarring the Debian FS. (this requires about 2/3 lines of code in XTerm, detailed in the wiki)

I hope this helps... there's not too much scripting involved... If this doesn't work then we can try something else, feel free to PM me even though I'm probably not the best one to ask :P Unfortunately I don't know that there's an easier/more automated way of doing this :/

There isn't an easier way, unfortuately. You gotta be willing to use a text editor (like leafpad, get it from the repositories) to create some scripts. I'd love it if someone familiar with packaging could package up the scripts into a .deb to make it easier, but...

The best thing to do is follow the wiki and then, when you get stuck, leave specific questions and problems in the discussion thread.

I'm assuming you want to run Debian programs in maemo via a chroot (I'm such a self-important egotist); if you actually want to boot to Debian, follow that wiki and ask questions / report problems in that discussion thread.

Honstly Guys, i really appreciate your help. but i need just a bit more advice, which one is faster. running in a chroot envronment or booting to Debian. btw. what is a chroot? Thanks for all of your awesome help

Wikipedia says: "A chroot on Unix operating systems is an operation that changes the apparent disk root directory for the current running process and its children. A chroot environment can be used to create and host a separate virtualized copy of the operating system."

When you run an OS in a chroot, you are running side-by-side with the "main" OS. This means you can run Debian programs (like OpenOffice.org) as if they were running in OS2008. I think, for the newbie, the chroot method is the best.