Debian is a popular open-source Linux distribution known for its stability and flexibility. It is Mostly used by both beginners and Professional Linux users. Whether you are setting up Debian for personal use or as a server, the installation process is straightforward. This guide will explain how to install Debian, making it accessible to everyone.
Related Article: What Is Open Source Software: What You Need To Know
What is Debian?
Before proceeding how to install debian, it’s important to understand what Debian is. Debian is an open-source operating system made up mainly of free software. As one of the oldest and most trusted Linux distributions, it serves as the basis for many other well-known distributions such as Ubuntu Operating System. Debian is renowned for its stability and has a large, active community of users and developers, which makes it an ideal choice for both beginners and experienced system administrators.
The distribution follows a strict philosophy of free software, ensuring that all applications in its repository are either open-source or free to use. Debian is also available in three main branches: Stable, Testing, and Unstable. For most users, the Stable release is recommended due to its proven reliability.
Prerequisites
Before how to install debian it is necessary to know the prerequisites which will help you in installing Debian
- A Compatible Computer: Ensure that your system meets the minimum hardware requirements for Debian, which are quite modest. For a minimal installation, you need: A 1 GHz processor or higher, 512 MB of RAM (1 GB or more recommended), At least 10 GB of hard drive space (preferably more).
- Debian ISO File: You will need to download the appropriate Debian ISO image based on your system architecture (i.e., x86_64 for 64-bit systems, or i386 for 32-bit systems)(https://www.debian.org/).
- Bootable USB Drive or DVD: A USB drive with at least 8 GB of free space to create a bootable installer. Use software like Rufus (Windows), balenaEtcher (Mac/Linux), or dd command to create a bootable drive.
- Internet Connection: While the Debian installation can be done offline, it is recommended to have a stable internet connection to download additional packages during the installation process.
- Backup Data: Back up important data from your system as the installation process will erase existing data on the selected drive.
Download the Debian ISO File
- Visit the Debian Website: Go to https://www.debian.org/ and navigate to the download section.
- Choose Your ISO: Select the appropriate version (Stable, Testing, or Unstable) and architecture (e.g., amd64 for 64-bit systems).
- Verify the Download: Use checksums (SHA256 or MD5) provided on the website to ensure the ISO file’s integrity.
Create a Bootable USB Drive or DVD
- Insert USB Drive or DVD: Plug in a USB drive with at least 8GB of storage or insert a blank DVD.
- Open Rufus (or Equivalent): There are many software available on the Internet to make USB drives bootable, as you can make the bootable pen drive. RUFUS is free utility software that is most commonly used by computer engineers to make bootable USB drives.
- You can download RUFUS software for free from the internet and then with this software you can make a bootable pen drive in simple easy ways. Once done, eject the USB or DVD safely.
Boot from the Installation Media
- Restart Your Computer: Insert Debian USB Bootable Pendrive in the System USB Port and Restart the system, wait for a few and access the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing a key like
F2,Del, orEscduring startup). - Change Boot Priority: Set the USB drive or DVD as the primary boot device.
- Save Changes and Reboot: Save your BIOS/UEFI settings and reboot the computer.
- Debian Installer Menu: You should now see the Debian installer menu.
How To Install Debian
- Graphical Install: For a user-friendly installation experience, select “Graphical Install.”
- Text Install: If you prefer a simpler interface, choose “Install.”
- Select the language with the help of the keyboard arrow key or search language which you want to use during the Debian OS installation and click on Continue.
- select your country or location where you live for the system time zone.
- Select the keyboard layout matching your physical keyboard.
Configure the Network
- Network Detection: The installer will try to detect and configure your network settings automatically.
- Set Hostname: you can set the server hostname of your system that gives your server an identity that will help it to be accessed from the network. The name of the server can be set after the OS installation. (e.g., “simitech.in”).
- Set Domain Name (Optional): Leave it blank or enter a domain name of your system which gives your server an identity that will help it to be accessed from the network. The server name can be set after OS installation.
Set Up User Accounts and Passwords
- Root Password: Set a strong password for the root user account. the root password is required at the time of login. You can set the complex password to use letters, numbers, special characters, etc.
- Create a Regular User: Enter a full name, username, and password for a non-administrative user account. (full name for display).
- As mentioned in the screen below, enter the name of a username that you can use to perform common tasks in the system.
- To set a password for the common user created for the system, you can create a complex password with letters, numbers, and special characters.
Partition the Disk
- Partition Disks Partitions can be created from disks attached to the system. At the time of installation of Debian OS, Debian provides 4 ways to manage system disk partition which you can see on the below screen.
- Guided: Use Entire Disk- If you create a system partition with this option Debian OS will automatically create a partition using the entire attached disk and create a required partition.
- Guided: Use Entire Disk and setup LVM – with the help of this option, the system uses the entire system disk and creates an LVM technology partition
- Guided: Use Entire Disk and set up encrypted LVM – If you select this option at the time of Debian OS installation, the system will automatically create an encrypted LVM volume.
- Manual- With this option, you can create partitions as per your requirement in the system attached disk and can also set the number of partitions and the size of the partitions. In this OS installation, we are selecting the manual Disk Partition option
- Select the system attached disk in which you want to install Debian OS. Be careful about the selection of the disk because the data of the hard disk which you will choose for OS installation can be erased all data.
- create a new partition: With this option, you can create a new partition in the system as per the requirement and you can also set its size.
- Automatically partition the free space: With this option, an automatic partition will be created from the free space available in the system hard disk.
- From the screen given below, you can decide the partition in the system in 3 ways whether to install the OS in only one partition or to create a separate partition for /home /var and /tmp.
- In the screen below, you can see the partition created by the system, if the partition created by the system is correct, then click on “finish partitioning and write a change to disk” For any kind of correction in the disk partition click on ‘ undo Click on ‘change to portion’
- Click on ‘yes’ to give correct confirmation of creating a partition in the system
Install the Base System
- The installer will copy the necessary files to your disk. This process may take some time. Once completed, the installer will prompt you for additional settings.
Configure the Package Manager
- After the partition is created in the system, you will see the screen below. If you want to install more packages in the system through other CDs/DVDs then click on yes otherwise click on NO.
- If you want to set up another network mirror site for the system repository from where you can install the package for the system, click on ‘yes’ otherwise click on ‘NO’.
- the below screen, you can install the software group in the system. For example, we have installed the ‘Standard System Utilities’ software package in the system
Install the GRUB Bootloader
- Install GRUB: Select “Yes” to install the GRUB bootloader.
- Choose Boot Device: The partition can be selected to install Grub in the system, if you do not select the drive to install Grub, by default it is installed in the /boot partition. (typically
/dev/sda).
- If you click on the ‘Yes’ option, the Grub boot loader is installed on the MBR (master boot record). By Defaults, There is a checkmark on Yes to have Grub installed on the MBR.
Finish Installation
- after the installation of the Debian Server is complete, remove the Bootable USB Drive from the system and click on Continue, the system will restart automatically after clicking on the Continue button.
- After successful Debian OS installation, login to the system with the username and password that was created at the time of installation
Post-Installation Setup
Update the System: Open a terminal and run the following commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade- Install Additional Software: Install Additional Software: Install your preferred applications and tools:
sudo apt install package-name- Configure Firewall (Optional): Secure your system by setting up a firewall
sudo apt install ufw
sudo ufw enableConclusion
Installing Debian is a relatively straightforward process, especially if you follow the steps outlined above. Whether you are setting up a server or a personal desktop, Debian’s stability and security make it an excellent choice. Once installed, you can further customize and optimize your system to meet your needs.
By the end of how to install debian articles, you should have a fully functional Debian system running smoothly on your machine. Enjoy exploring the world of Debian and Linux!
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