How to install Debian 13 Trixie with a GNOME desktop

edafe.de/debian Debian GNU/Linux was first released in 1993 and has been under active developement ever since. Today, the Debian Project unites thousands of contributors from across the globe with the aim of producing “an operating system distribution that is composed entirely of free software“. This guide is intended to assist those who are installing Debian for the first time. It maps out a straightforward path to a GNOME desktop with only essential applications pre-installed. Choose from 69830 official Debian packages and tailor the system to your own requirements. Debian and the new package formats Debian stable is, above all else, focused on the task of maintaining bug-free software packages. It is the reason why Debian, in over 30 years, has gained a reputation for being “like a rock in an ever-swirling sea of updates“. It is also the reason why Debian stable does not keep up with the latest versions. Universal package formats, such as Flatpak, Snap, or AppImage, are managed separately from conventional packaging systems and thus provide the end-user with added flexibility and choice. They solve the problem of stale distribution packages because newer versions can be installed without compromising the integrity of the underlying core. Before you begin In addition to the target computer, you should have reasonably fast Internet. Use an Ethernet cable to connect your device to the network. If your laptop does not have a built-in Ethernet port, look for a Linux-compatible USB to Ethernet adapter, such as the StarTech USB31000S2, TP-Link UE300C or Plugable USB3-E1000. Veronica explains how to create a bootable USB stick for installing Linux. Depending on your requirements, there are different Debian CD images to choose from. In all likelihood, you are following these instructions to install on x86-64 hardware, for which a netinst CD image amd64 would be the correct choice. It supports Intel as well as AMD processors and “includes non-free firmware for extra support for some awkward hardware”. In the instructions which follow, yourhostname is used as the hostname and yourusername as the name for the standard user. In addition to host- and username, choose 1) yourpassphrase as an encryption passphrase to encrypt your storage device with, 2) yourpassword as a password for the standard user account, and 3) rootpassword as a password for the superuser account. Ensure that all of your data is safely backed up because formatting your storage device will erase all of its data. After completing the installation, Debian GNU/Linux will be the only operating system on your computer. Installing Debian GNU/Linux If your computer uses the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), “turn off Secure Boot before attempting anything else“. Step 1 After booting the system from the USB stick that you have prepared, continue by selecting the text-based installer. Step 2 Keep English as the language for the installation. [!!] Select a languageLanguage: English Step 3 Keep United States as the location for your system. This will also set United States as the default locale for the system environment. You will have an opportunity to set additional locales and adjust time zones at a later point during the installation. [!!] Select your locationCountry, territory or area: United States Step 4 Use the keymap that is right for the layout of your particular keyboard. [!!] Configure the keyboardKeymap to use: keymap for your specific keyboard Step 5 At this point, the installer may prompt you for missing firmware. [!] Detect network hardwareSome of your hardware needs non-free firmware files to operate. The firmware can be loaded from removable media, such as a USB stick or floppy.Load missing firmware from removable media?No Step 6 You may be asked to select the primary network interface for use during the installation. [!!] Configure the networkPrimary network interface:enp1s0: unknown interfacewlp1s0: Wireless Network Adapter (wireless) If network autoconfiguration fails, go back and try another interface from the list. [!!] Configure the networkNetwork configuration method:Retry network autoconfiguration Retry network autoconfiguration with a DHCP hostname Configure network manuallyDo not configure the network at this timeGo Back Step 7 Set the hostname for your system. [!] Configure the networkHostname: yourhostnameContinue Set the domain name for your system. If you are setting up on a home network, you should use home.arpa as the domain name. [!] Configure the networkDomain name: home.arpaContinue Step 8 Leave the root password empty to ensure that the standard user account is configured with sudo privileges. [!!] Set up users and passwordsRoot password: leave emptyContinue Confirm the empty root password. [!!] Set up users and passwordsRe-enter password to verify: leave emptyContinue Step 9 Create the standard user account. In this example, we use Your Username as the full name. [!!] Set up users and passwordsFull name for the new user: Your UsernameContinue Continue with yourusername as the username. [!!] Set up users and passwordsUsername for your account: yourusernameContinue Set a password for the new standard user. [!!] Set up users and passwordsChoose a password for the new user: yourpasswordContinue Confirm the password for the standard user. [!!] Set up users and passwordsRe-enter password to verify: yourpasswordContinue Step 10 Keep Eastern as the time zone for now. [!] Configure the clockSelect your time zone: Eastern Step 11 You may wish to partition your disk with LVM and protect your data with a 256 bit AES key. [!!] Partition disksPartitioning method: Guided - use entire disk and set up encrypted LVM Be careful to select the correct target device for your system. [!!] Partition disksSelect disk to partition: your target disk for installation Choose to keep all files in one partition. [!] Partition disksPartitioning scheme: All files in one partition (recommended for new users) Now write the changes to disk. [!!] Partition disksWrite the changes to disk and configure LVM?Yes You may cancel the process of overwriting of the disk with random data. Be aware, however, that skipping this step will diminish the quality of the disk encryption. Step 12 Enter your encryption passphrase. [!!] Partition disksEncryption passphrase: yourpassphraseContinue Confirm your encryption passphrase. [!!] Partition disksRe-enter passphrase to verify: yourpassphraseContinue Step 13 Use the available space to partition your disk. [!!] Partition disksAmount of volume group to use for guided partitioning: maxContinue Step 14 Review partitions and mount points suggested by the installer. [!!] Partition disksFinish partitioning and write changes to disk Confirm writing the changes to disk. [!!] Partition disksWrite the changes to disks?Yes Step 15 You may be asked to scan additional installation media. [!] Configure the package managerScan extra installation media?No Step 16 Select your archive mirror country from the list. [!] Configure the package managerDebian archive mirror country: your country Select an archive mirror from the list. Use the site that is closest to you. [!] Configure the package managerDebian archive mirror: mirror closest to you Proceed without providing HTTP proxy information. [!] Configure the package managerHTTP proxy information (blank for none): leave emptyContinue Step 17 The Debian Popularity Contest attempts to map the overall usage of Debian packages with information from installed systems, such as yours. [!] Configuring popularity-contestParticipate in the package usage survey?Yes Step 18 Choose standard system utilities from the list of predefined software collections and deselect all other entries. [!] Software selectionChoose software to install: [ ] Debian desktop environment [ ] GNOME [] standard system utilitiesContinue Step 19 You may be asked if you want to install GRUB. Select your target disk from Step 11 as the drive for boot loader installation. [!] Configuring grub-pcInstall the GRUB boot loader to your primary drive?Yes Step 20 Remove the installation media before booting into your new system. [!!] Finish the installationInstallation completeContinue Step 21 Enter your encryption passphrase to allow the system to boot. In this example, the encrypted disk is labelled sda3_crypt. Please unlock disk sda3_crypt: yourpassphrase Log into the system as the user yourusername. Debian GNU/Linux 13 debian tty1debian login: yourusernamePassword: yourpassword Step 22 Set the password for the superuser by entering the following command. You will be asked for yourpassword to obtain sudo privileges first. $ sudo passwd root[sudo] password for yourusername: yourpasswordNew password: rootpasswordRetype new password: rootpasswordpasswd: password updated successfully Step 23 Install a minimal GNOME desktop. $ sudo apt-get install --yes gnome-core If you are installing into a virtual machine and intend to use graphical applications, enable integration between the host and the guest. $ sudo apt-get install --yes spice-vdagent Step 24 Restart your system. $ sudo reboot Step 25 Enter your encryption passphrase to allow the system to boot. Please unlock disk sda3_crypt: yourpassphrase Log into the GNOME desktop for the first time. Step 26 Skip the tour for now. Step 27 Select Show Apps from the the panel at the bottom of the screen or press [Super + a]. On most keyboards, the [Super] key is the one with the Windows logo printed on it. Step 28 Open the Settings app and continue by adding the following keyboard shortcuts: Terminal application Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > View and Customize Shortcuts > Custom Shortcuts > Add Shortcut… Name: Launch TerminalCommand: gnome-terminalShortcut: [Super + t] File manager Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > View and Customize Shortcuts: Home folder Shortcut: [Super + f] Web browser Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > View and Customize Shortcuts: Launch web browser Shortcut: [Super + b] Maximising windows vertically Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > View and Customize Shortcuts: Maximize window vertically Shortcut: [Ctrl + Super + ↑] Step 29 From within the GNOME desktop, open Firefox ESR by using the shortcut [Super + b] and re-open these instructions at edafe.de/29. Open a terminal with the shortcut [Super + t] and, where applicable, copy and paste to enter the following commands. Be careful not to miss any punctuation. Step 30 Set the time zone for your area. $ sudo dpkg-reconfigure tzdata[sudo] password for yourusername: yourpassword Configuring tzdataGeographic area: your areaOk Step 31 Configure locales for all the languages that your system is going to be used with. Use UTF-8 locales wherever possible. $ sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales In this example, German and Japanese locales are generated in addition to the default United States locale that is used for the system environment. Configuring localesLocales to be generated:[] de_DE.UTF-8 UTF-8 [] en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8 [] ja_JP.UTF-8 UTF-8OK Keep en_US.UTF-8 as the default locale for the system environment. Configuring localesDefault locale for the system environment:en_US.UTF-8OK Step 32 The Desktop was disabled in GNOME 3.28. This decision was not universally popular at the time. However, developers pointed to the fact that, as an unmaintained feature, it stood in the way of other improvements. The following command hides the now orphaned Desktop folder from view. $ echo Desktop >> ~/.hidden Step 33 Install additonal Debian packages to give you a fully functional GNOME desktop. $ sudo apt-get install --show-progress --yes apostrophe aptitude cups curl debian-reference deja-dup fastfetch file-roller foliate foomatic-db-compressed-ppds gcolor3 gnome-authenticator gnome-color-manager gnome-epub-thumbnailer gnome-feeds gnome-firmware gnome-keysign gnome-podcasts gnome-power-manager gnome-session-canberra gnome-shell-extension-auto-move-windows gnome-shell-extension-dashtodock gnome-shell-extension-launch-new-instance gnome-shell-extension-no-annoyance gnome-shell-extension-shortcuts gnome-shell-extension-tiling-assistant gnome-shell-extensions-extra gnome-software-plugin-flatpak gnome-software-plugin-snap gnome-sound-recorder gnome-tweaks gnome-video-effects-frei0r keepassxc mpv-mpris nautilus-share network-manager-config-connectivity-debian network-manager-openconnect-gnome network-manager-openvpn-gnome network-manager-ssh-gnome network-manager-vpnc-gnome ooo-thumbnailer pdfarranger plymouth-themes printer-driver-cups-pdf playerctl pwgen rhythmbox-plugin-alternative-toolbar rsync seahorse seahorse-daemon seahorse-nautilus shortwave shotwell smbclient soundconverter ssh-askpass-gnome synaptic transmission-gtk task-laptop ufw unattended-upgrades wireguard yubioath-desktop && sudo ufw enable Step 34 Replace the text output during system boot with a graphical splash screen. $ sudo sed -i 's/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet"/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"/' /etc/default/grub && sudo update-grub2 Step 35 Configure fastfetch to display information about your system on the command-line. $ echo -e '\n# use Fastfetch to display information about the system\nif [ -f /usr/bin/fastfetch ]; then\n clear && fastfetch;\nfi' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc Step 36 Enable the unattended installation of important upgrades. $ sudo dpkg-reconfigure unattended-upgrades Step 37 If in Step 6 you selected a wireless interface as the primary network interface for use during the installation, you will need to re-establish connection to the wireless network after rebooting. Enable the Network Manager for the primary network interface and reboot your system. $ sudo sed -i 's/managed=false/managed=true/' /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf&&sudo sed -i '/# The primary network interface/,$d' /etc/network/interfaces && sudo reboot Step 38 Enable the installation of Flatpaks from Flathub. $ sudo -- bash -c 'flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo'[sudo] password for yourusername: yourpassword Step 39 Install applications from Flathub. $ sudo flatpak install --assumeyes flathub com.bitwarden.desktop com.github.tchx84.Flatseal com.vixalien.sticky dev.geopjr.Collision dev.geopjr.Tuba io.github.flattool.Warehouse io.gitlab.adhami3310.Converter io.gitlab.news_flash.NewsFlash org.cryptomator.Cryptomator org.gnome.Decibels org.gnome.World.PikaBackup org.libreoffice.LibreOffice Step 40 Install applications from the Snap Store. $ sudo snap install chromium The snap directory in your home folder is not supposed to be accessed manually. Use the following command to hide it from view. $ echo snap >> ~/.hidden Step 41 By default, Debian installs the Extended Support Release (ESR) version of Firefox. The ESR receives crash fixes, security fixes and policy updates as needed. The flatpak, on the other hand, installs the Rapid Release version of Firefox. In contrast to the ESR, the Rapid Release receives major updates at least every four weeks. Both versions can be used concurrently. When installed on your desktop, they are listed as Firefox ESR and Firefox, respectively. As an option, you may install Firefox Rapid Release and set it as the default browser. $ sudo flatpak install --assumeyes org.mozilla.firefox && xdg-settings set default-web-browser org.mozilla.firefox.desktop Consider using different themes to easily distinguish between the two versions. Step 42 Prevent yourself from accidentally breaking Debian by reading about some of the most commonly made mistakes. All done!