[vox-tech] Installing a desktop upon my laptop

[Jay Strauss]

Hi,

I want to preface this, I'm not whinning :)

Since replacing my failed hard drive on my laptop (IBM thinkpad A30,
model 2652 3CU), I'm really trying to make the switch to a linux destop.
I've always run Debian for my servers and am most comfortable with that.
I've never had to worry about sound cards, IR ports, wireless cards...

What I find when I install Sarge, and pick the desktop option is:

1) It installs a ton of stuff, that I just don't need now.  For example,
I don't need 10 different console and terminal apps, 5 different web
browsers, sound recording/mixing..., games, HTML editors, both KDE and
Gnome...

2) it doesn't do a good job of identifying and configuring components.
Examples:
    a) doesnt identify my video card as ATI
    b) doesn't setup my XFConfig-4 correctly
    c) Sound only works if I use KDE first.  That is if I log into Gnome
after boot I have no sound, if I log into KDE then Gnome I get sound.
But even then the sound volume controls doesn't work
    d) The wireless card can't be picked during the install because the
settings don't last/work after that initial install reboot

3) Its kinda slow.  I'm running a 1Ghz pentium III, 384 MB ram, 5400 rpm
drive.  It takes something like 10 seconds after I enter my userid into
GDM before I get my desktop

Maybe I'm picking the wrong distribution to run as a desktop (or I hate
to say it, maybe I'm spoiled because M$ stuff does all this so well).

So my question is:

Can anyone suggest a route for installing on my laptop that will help me
detect/identify all the components on my laptop (network card, wireless
card, ir port, monitor, sound card...), give me a nice slim install, and
ideally use APT for software administration

Thanks
Jay