I am trying to install Debian 4.0r2 on a SATA harddrive but for some reason my HDD isn't found. My SATA DVD drive isn't recognised either. I have installed Fedora 8 and ubuntu 7.10 without any problems and would have expected debian to be the same. I have read somewhere that you should change some SATA settings in the BIOS but my BIOS has nowhere to change them. Any help would be appreciated. Many thanks.

Ubuntu is debian why change? Use the ubuntu cd disk to see how sata is viewed. http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/... I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you peanut.

I have a 3-DVD set of Debian with a lot of additional software that I wanted to install which I don't have with Ubuntu. Should I be able to install it from Ubuntu? I tried opening the *.deb packages from the Debian DVD's but every time I did that the package was dependant on another one being already installed and there are far too many to look through. Can you use the package manager or something to make it easier? I'm not quite sure what you mean by "Use the ubuntu cd disk to see how sata is viewed". I assume you mean to look at the boot part of the disc and see how SATA drives are loaded. I'm not very experienced and probably wouldn't understand it. Is it possible to boot from one CD and install from another? Thanks.

Unless Ubuntu has changed a great deal since I experimented with it, you should be able to set up the package manager to use Internet package repositories (already listed in the configuration screen, but not yet enabled) to install additional software not included on the installation CD (DVD). HTH, Ernie Registered Linux User 247790 ICQ 41060744

Unfortunately I don't have internet access on the computer I have Ubuntu on but I have managed to install the software using the synaptic package manager which handles the installation of packages that others are dependant on.

Ubuntu is a live cd. Boot to it. See what it reads as. It would be quite advanced to try to use distro's on top of each other. Not sure I would try that. I read it wrong and answer it wrong too. So get off my case you peanut.

I've installed the packages I wanted from the Debian DVD's now anyway so I'm not too worreied about installing Debian itself. Many thanks anyway.