As we undertake Debian projects, we document and publish our notes here where we think it helpful to supplement information already on the internet. The information and links herein are a mere fraction of the wealth of Debian support available online.

We've benefited hugely from other people's work and although these notes are ours, most of the credit for their value goes to all the Debian people who post information on the internet and mailing lists; We haven't credited individuals (too numerous to mention) on the pages but links to sources are included where it makes sense. However, any errors and omissions are attributable to us.

If you have an interest in exploring Debian, we urge you to visit www.debian.org which offers a wealth of information in addition to what is generally available on the web. The Debian development and user community is truly global (currently, over 50 languages are supported including Hindi, Macedonian, Tagalog, Belarusian, Punjabi, Esperanto, Wolof, Xhosa and Estonian). Debian people have posted copious documention on the internet which is freely available for anyone to use; google your way to greater knowledge.

It is definitely worth subscribing to the debian-user (or debian-powerpc for Mac users) mailing list: http://lists.debian.org

It is usually possible to partition your hard disk during the installation to install Debian alongside your existing operating system.(dual boot). Alternatively, it may make sense to install a second hard disk specifically for Debian. Either way you can still have access to your Windows or Mac system while you get used to Debian. Tools to access files on your Windows or Mac partitions are also available.

Depending on your knowledge and background, it can be a steep but rewarding learning curve. Quite simply you will gain control of your PC (or PCs) in a way that you've probably never experienced before. A preliminary guide to installing Debian is included in the Desktop section.

..... Enjoy!