#if 0 Input file for docs in multiple different directories. Process with cpp. #endif
These are list files.
The list files here simply describe what files are contained in each Debian ISO image, in order to help users find which images they might want to download. They are simply text files, compressed to save space and download time.
#else # ifdef ARCHsourceThese are files containing source code for the Debian operating system.
# elseThese are files containing the installer and other software
for the Debian GNU/KERNEL operating system.
# ifdef ARCHmulti
The files in this directory are designed to work on both 32-bit
and 64-bit PCs (i386 and amd64).
# else
The files in this directory are specifically for
the ARCH
architecture.
The files here are in "jigdo" format. Use jigdo tools to download the contents of the complete ISO image files from what's here and a normal Debian mirror. You should end up with an exact copy of each ISO image as though you'd downloaded it directly via HTTP or FTP.
# elif defined(STYLEbt)The files here are bittorrent files. Use a bittorrent client program to download the contents of the complete ISO image files in a peer-to-peer manner. You should end up with an exact copy of each ISO image as though you'd downloaded it directly via HTTP or FTP.
# elif defined(STYLEiso)The files here are complete ISO images, ready to use.
# endifOnce you have downloaded all the ISO images you want, you will typically need to write them to installation media.
The images described here are sized to be written to # ifdef TYPEcd writeable CD media # elif TYPEdvd writeable DVD media # elif TYPEbd writeable Blu-Ray media # elif TYPEdlbd writeable dual-layer Blu-Ray media # endif at a minimum, but may be written to larger media if needed. # ifdef ISOHYBRID For extra convenience, these images may also be written directly to a USB stick. So long as your computer will boot directly from that USB stick, it should start the Debian installer that way. # if defined(TYPEdvd) The first DVD in this set is also deliberately limited in size so it should fit on a standard-sized 4GB USB stick. # endif # endif
# if !defined(ONEonly) && !defined(ARCHsource)In most cases it is not necessary to download and use all of these images to be able to install Debian on your computer. Debian comes with a massive set of software packages, hence why it takes so many disks for a complete set. Most typical users only need a small subset of those software packages.
Initially, you will only need to download and use
the first image of a set (labelled as
debian-something-1
to be able to start the
Debian installer and set up Debian on your computer. If there are
more images available here
(labelled debian-something-2
,
debian-something-3
, etc.), they contain the
extra packages that can be installed on a Debian system (as
mentioned previously). They will not be bootable
and are entirely optional. If you have a fast Internet
connection, you're most likely better off installing any desired
extra packages directly from the Debian mirrors on the Internet
instead of by using these extra images.
There are different versions of CD #1 here to allow for a
choice of default desktop on installation,
e.g. debian-something-kde-CD-1
contains the
core pieces of the KDE desktop and will default to installing
that desktop when used. The default desktop
installed using
debian-something-CD-1
is Gnome.
The netinst
CD here is a small CD image that
contains just the core Debian installer code and a small core set
of text-mode programs (known as "standard" in Debian). To install
a desktop or other common software, you'll also need either an
Internet connection or some other Debian CD/DVD images.
The update
files here are extra convenience files
for people updating from previous versions of Debian. If you are
installing fresh, you may safely ignore
them. More
details...
There are files here (SHA1SUMS, SHA256SUMS, etc.) which contain checksums of the images. These checksum files are also signed - see SHA1SUMS.sign, SHA256SUMS.sign, etc. Once you've downloaded an image, you can check:
For more information about how to do these steps, read the verification guide. #endif
See the Debian CD FAQ for lots more information about Debian CDs and installation.