[PD] Pure Data on Linux (Debian) - what should I install?

[David Powers]

Hello everyone ...

SO, I finally got Linux installed on an old laptop (Debian stable
distribution). Or to be more precise, my girlfriend got it installed,
and I sat around drinking beer, smoking spliffs, and telling her how
great she was, while she recompiled the kernel.

I would, of course, be interested in running Pure Data on the machine.
(and maybe trying Desire Data too.) But here are some caveats:
1. It's an old PIII laptop. Not much memory, and no openGL for
graphics, so no GEM I guess.
2. I have no f&*$ing clue what I'm doing yet, as far as compiling
stuff and all that. My gf will try to help me though.

Now, I would like to use PD, and maybe PD-extended (but page is down).
So I'd like to get the group recommendation on which version to try
for the simplest install with the most stuff working... My basic
interests would include some of the basic libraries at least (cyclone,
maxlib, zexy). I would also like to try PMPD, PDP, and GridFlow, but I
don't know much about the last two. They will run without openGL,
unlike GEM, right? Also, I'd like to get Percolate running, I guess
I'll have to use the source code off the Planet CCRMA...

Anyway, there seem to be millions of versions of stuff, including some
Debian stable options, but as a total Linux newB it is hard to tell
which I should use.

The problem is compounded by the fact that right now, some sites are
down, so I can't get some of the info need. Any advice would be
greatly appreciated - I didn't find a quick answer through the
archives, and I don't know how up to date such an answer would be
anyway.

Thanks in advance!!!

~David