Quantian is a Knoppix distribution with tons f stuff in it for quants. However , it is just re inventing the wheel. We have everything we need in apt, so why make a specific dist just to add debian packages.

R is `GNU S’ – A language and environment for statistical computing and graphics. R is similar to the award-winning S system, which was developed at Bell Laboratories by John Chambers et al. It provides a wide variety of statistical and graphical techniques (linear and nonlinear modeling, statistical tests, time series analysis, classification, clustering, …).

r-base-core – GNU R core of statistical computing language and environment
r-doc-html – GNU R html manuals for statistical computing system
r-cran-rquantlib – GNU R package interfacing the QuantLib finance library
r-cran-fbasics – GNU R package for financial engineering ( includes fCalendar, fEcofin, fSeries )
r-cran-foptions – GNU R package for financial engineering ( includes fCalendar, fEcofin, fSeries, fBasics )

sudo apt-get install r-doc-html r-base-core

gnumeric 1.2.6-1 A GNOME spreadsheet application

Java

Java for running binaries is in [multiverse]
sudo apt-get install sun-java6-bin

Java for development
sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jdk

The java plugin is used so browsers will be Java aware.

sudo apt-get install sun-java5-plugin