On Saturday 31 December 2016 22:29:07 Felmon Davis wrote:
> On Sat, 31 Dec 2016, Lisi Reisz wrote:
> > On Saturday 31 December 2016 17:56:59 Felmon Davis wrote:
> >> suppose I now install Trinity. should I let it write to the mbr or
> >> rather to its own partition?
> >
> > I am confused, or you are confused, or we are both confused.
>
> I think I am.
>
> > Trinity is a desktop environment, not an operating system.
>
> you're right, of course. I usually install DE and OS together. thus
> the conflation.
>
> >  The mbr doesn't come into it.  Install the relevant operating
> > system, with or without a DE, then install Trinity from the Trinity
> > repositories as you would any other software from your distros
> > repositories.  Then it cannot muck up your other OS's.
>
> here another point of confusion: NetRunner uses KDE4 (or KDE5, not
> sure).
>
> can I really install Trinity side-by-side with it?

TDE does not always go well with KDE 4+.  I personally tend to avoid putting 
those two together.  But others will know more about this than I do.  One can 
certainly normally install extra DEs, but this may be a case where it does 
not go well, both for the reason I have given and because the two (DE and OS) 
do appear to be rather entangled in this case.

>
> I figured I should format a partition and do an install of Trinity
> (ok, debian + trinity).

That might be simpler, so long as you are clear that Debian with Trinity is 
not the same thing as an OS called Trinity!

> > It is, if you wish, possible to use one of the available Live CDs to
> > install an OS with Trinity already installed, and the default DE, just as
> > most Debian newbies install Debian with Gnome and most Ubuntu newbies
> > install Ubuntu with Unity.  But you don't have to do so, and I never do. 
> > I install Debian, and then add Trinity.
>
> I usually install exegnu which defaults to trinity as DE.

It does for now.  It went through a phase of having LXDE available as well.  
This strikes me as a good choice.  Named after a rather beautiful place, too!  
But you are still installing an OS and a DE, and could install other 
additional DEs after installation if you wished.
>
> thanks for clearing my mind about an aspect of this.
>
> so I can install OS and Trinity on separate partition.

Yes.
>
> or (?) install Trinity on top of NetRunner.

In general one can, but I fear that this may be the exception that proves the 
rule. :-(  Anyone?? I don't know NetRunner, and had to look it up.  I am 
always cautious about mixing any version of KDE and Trinity.  To do so would 
certainly not muck up your mbr, but it might muck up your NetRunner!

Lisi