On Sun 08 Nov 2026 at 12:45:43 (-0500), Karen Lewellen wrote: > My goal, for a non Linux, but very sighted engineer, is some recipe > instructions for installing a Debian console or shell, instead of a > graphical desktop.
My recommendation would be for the sighted engineer to download the Installation Manual, available as a PDF and/or text. The links are respectively: https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/install.en.pdf https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/install.en.txt Alternatively, they can browse this link: https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/index.en.html I always install in non-graphical expert mode. You don't have to be an expert necessarily to use that mode, but you learn much more about your installation. You get asked more questions, but the answers are usually in the menus, the Installation Manual, or are easily found on the web. For a CLI system, all that is necessary is to deselect two items on a screen headed with "Software selection". They are item 1, "Debian desktop environment", and 2, "... GNOME". On the same screen, make sure that the two items "SSH server" and "standard system utilities" are selected. When the installer finishes, you will have a text-console-only system, but any Window Manager or Desktop Environment can be installed if and when desired. Like many here, I use the fvwm Window Manager, which I install on all my machines. Most of the time, however, I only use it on my daily desktop, plus the laptop when I travel. I use ssh to access my other machines from the daily desktop, and rarely run their own Xservers (which with startx) unless I happen to be in the same room with them. So a sighted person could use a graphical interface on the machine, and you could use ssh access at the same time. I hope that helps you and your engineer. For a Francophone engineer: https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/install.fr.pdf https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/install.en.txt https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/index.fr.html Cheers, David.
