[NBLUG/talk] New Install, Debian, Grub, and Modern Hardware

[Howard]

I want to install Debian on my machine.
Is this going to be difficult??

I have 2 IDE drives. Master with  XP and the second drive still
has Red Hat 9 that I never used much because of lack or support/knowledge 
in getting all the drivers loaded correctly.

So I'm thinking by now there should be good support of my motherboard
devices. Here are the spcifications.

Asus A7V8X Socket A for AMD Athlon XP currently using an Athlon 2200+
Chipset: Northbride Via KT400, Southbridge: Via VT8235
Memory: 512
Promise PDC20376 Serial ATA Controller
IEEE 1394 Controller (Firewire)
Realtek ALC650 
Broadcom 10/100 LAN

Here are the installed Cards on the MB
Geoforce 2 GTS Video Card with 32 Megs
Adaptec 2940U SCSI

Peripherals: 
Plextor 12/10/32S SCSI Burner
Toshiba DVD ROM 32X I think
Epson Perfection 1640Su SCSI Scanner
HP Photosmart 1115 Printer

So in the past it seemed that I had to unpack and build te drivers for 
the Ethernet, Audio, and Controllers, as at the time I could find info 
that they were supported in Debian. Also Grub .91 is the Boot loader at 
the present moment. I need to figure out how to back up Grub on a floppy
with 
the current info, or I was wondering if when installing Debian now it will 
see the Windows drive, and I can have a new boot loader replace the old one
with
the proper info for the Windows partition on the Primary Drive, and Debian
on the second parttion.

So will I have to build drivers for any of this, or can the current ISO's
properly
detect all this stuff?? And what do I do about Grub??

Thanks

Howard