In the first video of 2021, I decided looking at a sealed box of Debian Linux 2.1 from 1999 that I found on eBay would be a fun way to set the tone for the new year. Sponsored by VA Linux, this box proudly claims that it's the last Linux you'll ever have to buy, trouts up the advantages of apt-get, and that you would never have to buy software again.

Included in the box was a demo disk of Myth II from Loki Games, offers of StarOffice, and much more, but what I would find in practice is that, at best, most of what was offered was optimistic at best, and downright deceptive at worst from VA Linux. Compounding the issue, VA muddled this release of Debian by only including one of a two CD set, but this glosses over a large number of issues in trying to use Linux in this era, as well as the oddities of Debian in specific.

As compared to almost any other distribution, Debian had a reputation of being somewhat difficult to install (although its admittedly better than Slackware), but what would surprise me the most…