Content

 

Introductory

A Debian 12 (Bookworm) It was released on June 10, 2023, and is available with multiple desktop environments, and - like Debian 11 - can be installed in three ways (traditional text and graphical installers, and Calamares). In this tutorial, we will install the version packaged with the XFCE desktop environment, which has the Live version being Squid we will use your installer, which offers a convenient, clean and simplified installation process. This installation is a 64-bit UEFI system machine, where a With GPT partitioning scheme The Debian 12 (Bookworm) operating system will be installed on a hard drive created.

 

 

The XFCE desktop environment

Az XFCE is a lightweight and fast desktop environment for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. It is specifically designed for users who are looking for a simple, yet visually appealing and easily configurable desktop environment. XFCE, despite its minimalist approach, offers a wide range of customization options, allowing users to optimally shape their own working environment.

XFCE's default application manager is Thunar, which is a lightweight yet functional file manager. The desktop environment itself uses the Xfwm window manager, which supports window overlay, transparency, and other modern window management features. In addition, XFCE offers a variety of panels and widgets that allow users to customize their desktop, access frequently used applications, display system information, track weather changes, and more.

One of the main advantages of XFCE is its low resource requirements, making it ideal for older hardware or in cases where available resources are limited. As a result, XFCE is often recommended for users looking for a fast and stable desktop environment without sacrificing the visual experience and usability offered by modern desktop environments.

 

system Requirements

For optimal operation of Debian 12 (Bookworm), the following hardware components are required at a minimum: Based on Debian's recommendation:

Computers required to run Debian 12 must have either a 32-bit (Debian architecture: 'i386', the oldest supported processors are the 686-class) or a 64-bit (Debian architecture: 'amd64') x86 processor. It is possible that thin clients using only 256 MiB of RAM and a 400 MHz processor, although more RAM and faster processors are recommended.

For workstations, diskless workstations, and standalone systems, the absolute minimum requirements are 1500 MHz and 1024 MiB of RAM. At least 2048 MiB of RAM is recommended for running modern web browsers and LibreOffice.

Minimum disk space requirements vary depending on the installed profile:

• combined main server + LTSP server + workstation (if we want a graphical interface on the server): 60 GiB (plus additional space for user accounts).
• LTSP server: 40 GiB.
• workstation or stand-alone system: 30 GiB.
• minimum network machine installation: 4 GiB.

LTSP servers require two network cards if the default network architecture is used:

• eth0 is connected to the main network (10.0.0.0/8),
• eth1 is used to serve LTSP clients.

Laptops are mobile workstations, so they have the same requirements as workstations.

 

Download Debian 12 (Bookworm) - XFCE

The latest Debian installation image files are available in several versions at In the current archive of the Debian CD, but earlier versions are also available at mirror archiveIn the following section, I will show both Netinst and Live links as usual:

Netinst

Debian "netinst" (network installer) is a minimal installation image designed to perform a basic installation of the Debian operating system, then download additional packages directly from the Internet. This approach allows users to download and boot a relatively small image, which then downloads the latest packages and updates during the installation. This way, the installed system will always be up to date when the installation is complete.

So if we only want to download a smaller image file and install it, then look for the netinst files in the archive. In the case of Debian 12 (Bookworm), we can also choose the "current" submenu, which leads to the latest version, or we can directly select, for example, version 12.4.0 in this case. So that this description will still refer to Debian 12.4 years from now, I have also linked to version 12.4.0, which is still current at the time of writing:

Here you can choose from several ISO files: normal, edu (educational version) and mac (for Macintosh). If you choose one of these, the traditional Debian installer will ask you at the end which desktop environment you want to select. You need a constant internet connection to use it.

At the time of writing this article, Debian version 12.5 is the latest, but the direct download page for this version has not yet been added, so I linked to version 12.4.0. However, this is constantly changing.

Live

Linux Live Installation Kits are bootable media that allow you to run a Linux operating system directly from a CD, DVD, or USB drive without having to install it to your hard drive. These kits are ideal for system experimentation, troubleshooting, data backup, or simply trying out a new distribution without affecting your existing system configuration or data security.

When a computer boots from a Live installation media, the system loads the operating system from the media into RAM, allowing the user to fully utilize Linux without having to make any changes to the computer's hard drive. This process creates a temporary system, which means that at the end of the session, any changes (unless saved to a separate media) will be lost after the computer is restarted.

In the case of the Live system, we have to select the appropriate desktop environment when downloading the image file, as each desktop environment is packaged in a separate image file. The size of these image files is much larger than that of the netinst versions, as they contain everything needed to start a live system. I have also posted two links here: the link to the fixed version 12.4.0 page and the link to the current version is also available here:

Az I have written about iso-hybrid image files before a few words, so I won't go into detail here. Since this description is about the Live installation with the XFCE desktop environment, I will download the "debian-live-12.5.0-amd64-xfce.iso" file from the current-live page and proceed with that. Another advantage of Live Debian systems (since Debian 10) is that they include Squid installer, which is also the subject of this description, so we will use it to install Debian.

Once we have downloaded the appropriate image file, we just need to create a bootable device from it.

 

Creating a bootable device

Once you have downloaded the ISO file, you need to make a bootable device from it and boot your computer. It can even be a DVD, but now we prefer to write them on a flash drive, because DVD drives are not very common in newer computers and laptops. There have been several descriptions of how to make bootable flash drives before:

• Creating a bootable flash drive on Windows
  • Make bootable flash drives with Rufus 3.3
  • Make bootable flash drives with Rufus 4.3
• Creating a bootable flash drive on Linux
  • Print boot image using UNetbootin
  • Print the boot image using the dd command
• Creating a bootable flash drive on Linux and Windows systems
  • Making a bootable flash drive with the balena Etcher 1.5

Our available operating system (on which we create the bootable flash drive) and our target computer (on which we want to install the contents of the ISO file) motherboard firmware type select the appropriate method and then create a bootable flash drive.

The iso-hybrid image files are a dd command can also be used to easily print. About this an earlier one Linux Mint installation guide it has already been mentioned.

If VirtualBoxWe plan to try this installation in , in this case the You can find the correct settings of the machine here.

 

Boot System

Once we are done, boot the machine with our ISO file.

Boot menu

The boot menu appears at startup.

Let’s take a brief look at the contents of the menu.

• Live System (amd64): The menu item starts the Live system.
• Live System (amd64 fail-safe mode): This menu item offers a safe mode boot option. This mode is especially useful if the regular "Live system" mode does not boot properly due to hardware compatibility issues. Fail-safe mode basically means booting the system with minimal configuration, where only the most necessary drivers and services are loaded. It is intended to maximize compatibility and minimize issues that would prevent the system from booting normally. This may include skipping graphics card drivers that may cause problems, or simplifying the network configuration so that the system will boot even if there are problems with certain hardware components.
• Start installer: This option starts the traditional installer
• Start installer with speech synthesis: This option allows users to have the installer work with speech synthesis (i.e., text-to-speech). This feature can be especially useful for visually impaired users, allowing them to follow and control the installation process by listening.
• Advanced installation options ...: Here we get additional submenus:
  • Graphical installer ...: Launches a traditional graphical installer. A graphical installer allows users to navigate the installation process using a mouse and keyboard, which includes disk partitioning, system settings, network configuration, user account creation, and selecting required software. The installer's graphical interface typically provides easy-to-follow instructions and information to guide users through the installation process.
    The graphical version of Debian Installer is Debian's own installer, which has long proven to be a reliable and flexible tool for installing the Debian operating system.
  • Text installer ...: Launches the traditional text-based installer. The text-based installer is ideal for environments where using a graphical interface is not possible or desirable, such as on resource-limited systems, servers, or during remote installations via SSH.
    The text-based installer allows users to navigate through installation menus and options using the keyboard. This includes basic system configuration steps such as disk partitioning, system locale settings, user account creation, network configuration, and selecting and installing required software packages.
    The advantages of the text installer include low system requirements, high compatibility with a wide range of hardware, and the ability to perform the installation remotely, for example in a minimal installation environment or in a situation where graphics card support is limited. This installation method can be especially useful for advanced users and system administrators who want to control and configure every aspect of the installation in detail.
  • Graphical installer with dark theme, Text installer with dark theme: These options offer alternative color scheme installation options that are less tiring on the eyes, especially in low light conditions or during extended use. This can help reduce eye fatigue and improve user comfort.
  • Installer with speech synthesis ...: There is also a speech synthesis option here, which starts in text mode and starts reading the options aloud.
• Utilities: There is a UEFI settings option here, which will take you back to the UEFI boot section.

In this tutorial we will be dealing with the Live part, which contains and will launch the Calamares installer. So let's choose the very first option, "Live system (amd64)". Of course, if you are installing on a different architecture, then choose the corresponding Live option.

 

 

Booting Debian Live

When the Live system starts, the XFCE desktop appears:

Resolution setting (optional)

In my case, VirtualBox started with a very low resolution, so I always start by increasing the resolution, because the Calameres installer needs the higher resolution so that all elements fit into the windows during the installation.

To set the resolution, click on the icon on the left edge of the taskbar at the top of the desktop in XFCE. Applications button, then select from the pop-up menu Settings menu Display This will bring up the screen settings section:

Here, let's set a higher resolution, which will allow for a more comfortable display:

For me, this resolution is 1440x900, which fits comfortably on the FullHD monitor in the VirtualBox window, so I chose this.

With this, we can start the installation.

 

Installation

Once the Live system has started and we have set the screen resolution to a comfortable level, we can begin the actual installation onto the hard drive. For this, we will use the Calamares installer, which provides a user-friendly, step-by-step graphical interface for the entire process.

Starting the Calamares installer

To start the installation, double-click the "Install Debian" icon on the desktop. Since the launcher icon in the Live system does not have "executable" permissions by default, the system will display a security warning.

This is normal. To proceed, select the "Mark Executable" option, which will set the necessary execution permissions and launch the installer. (The "Launch Anyway" option will also work, but the former is the "cleaner" solution.)

Greeting and language selection

After starting the installer, the first window is the welcome screen, where we can select the language we want to use during the installation. Calamares guides us through the necessary steps in a clean interface with a left-side menu bar.

Select "Hungarian" or the language you want from the drop-down list. The program will then immediately switch to Hungarian. To continue, click the "Next" button in the lower right corner.

Location and time zone

In the next step, the installer asks for your geographic location. Setting this is important not only for the accuracy of the system clock, but also determines the system's regional settings (locale), such as the format of numbers, currency, and dates. If your computer is connected to the Internet, Calamares usually automatically and correctly detects your location based on your IP address.

As you can see in the picture, the installer has correctly set the "Europe" region and the "Budapest" zone. If the settings are correct, all you have to do is click the "Next" button. If it is still not accurate, you can manually set the desired location by clicking on the map or using the "Region" and "Zone" drop-down menus.

Keyboard setup

After the regional settings, the keyboard layout comes next. The installer usually offers the correct default setting, the Hungarian layout, based on the previous steps. In the "Keyboard model" drop-down menu, "Generic 105-key PC" is usually the right choice for most standard keyboards.

The most important check point on this screen is the bottom text field. Here it is worth trying out special Hungarian characters (for example: é, á, ű, he, ú, ö, ü, ö, í) to make sure the system recognizes your keyboard correctly. If all characters are in place, click the "Next" button to continue.

 

 

Partitioning

We have reached the most critical point of the installation process: preparing the hard drive, or partitioning it. At this point, we determine where and in what structure the Debian system will be installed on the backup storage. It is important to proceed carefully here, because with a wrong decision we can even lose our existing data. The Calamares installer offers two main options.

Choosing a partitioning method

• Erase disk: This is the automatic solution. The installer will erase all data from the selected hard drive and then create an optimal default partition scheme for Debian. This is the easiest and fastest way, especially recommended if you are installing to a completely empty disk or if you no longer need the data on the disk.
• Manual partitioning: This method gives you complete control. You can install alongside existing partitions (for example, next to a Windows partition), create custom partitions of custom size and type, or use custom file systems. This is the more advanced option that provides more flexibility.

In this description – similar to previous installation guides – the Manual partitioning We will choose the "Manual Partitioning" option. This method will show you in detail how to create a standard partition layout for a modern UEFI system, consisting of EFI, root, and swap partitions. So, select the "Manual Partitioning" option and click the "Next" button.

This will take you to Calamares' manual partitioning interface. Here you can see the hard drive selected for installation - in our case a 40GB virtual disk - which currently appears as a single large, unformatted "free space".

Since this is a completely blank disk, the first thing we need to do is create a partition table on it, which will define the basic structure of the disk. This will be the "canvas" on which we will "paint" our partitions in the following steps.

Create a partition table (GPT)

The first step in the manual partitioner is to create the partition table itself on the completely empty disk. To do this, click the "New Partition Table" button in the lower left corner. A pop-up window will then appear, offering two options:

• Master Boot Record (MBR): The older, traditional partition scheme. Today, the old, BIOS-based systems.
• GUID Partition Table (GPT): The modern, UEFI-based systems. It removes several limitations that characterized MBR (e.g., the 2TB disk size limit and the 4 primary partitions limit).

Since our description is about a UEFI mode installation, it is clear that GUID Partition Table (GPT) option. Once this is selected, press the "OK" button. The pop-up window will disappear, and your newly created partition table will appear on the interface, which currently contains a single large "Free space".

To start creating partitions in this free space, we first need to select it in the list. Click on the "Free space" line. You will then see that previously inactive buttons – such as "Create" – now become active and clickable.

Now that the partition table is ready and the free space is marked, we are ready to create the first and most important partition, the EFI system partition.

Creating an EFI system partition

The first and most important partition you need to create on a modern UEFI system is the EFI System Partition (ESP). This is a special, small partition that contains the boot loader files and is essential for your computer's operating system to boot. This is the standard procedure when using the GPT partition scheme.

To create the partition, select the free space and click the "Create" button. In the window that appears, set the following:

• Size: Let's set it to 512 MiB. This is a safe, generally accepted size for the EFI partition.
• File system: Select the fat32-t. This is mandatory, the UEFI specification requires this file system for ESP.
• Attachment point: Set the /boot/efi attachment point.
• Indicators: Select boot adjective. Calamares is boot automatically assigns the necessary indicator when selecting esp also a marker in the background.

Once you are done with all the settings, click the "OK" button. This will take you back to the main partitioning window, where you can see the newly created 512 MiB partition. efi our partition, as well as the remaining, now slightly smaller "Free space" on the disk.

The next step is to create a root partition that will house the system files. To do this, select the "Free space" line again in the usual way so that the "Create" button becomes active again.

This has set the stage for creating the most important partition in our system.

Creating a root partition

Once we have the EFI partition, we can move on to the "home" of our system, the root partition. This is where the entire operating system, programs, and settings not related to user accounts will be installed; basically everything that is needed for Debian to work. By clicking the "Create" button, we will see the partition configuration window again.

Here we apply the following settings:

• Size: In the description, we leave about 3.5 GB of the 40 GB virtual disk for swap, so we now give the root partition 36 GB (36864 MiB). This is more than enough for average desktop use.
• File system: Select ext4This is the most common in Linux distributions, and is an extremely stable and reliable journaling file system.
• Attachment point: Here, from the drop-down menu, select / (per) sign. This symbolizes the root of the file system.
• Indicators: We don't need to set any special flags for the root partition.

Clicking the "OK" button returns us to the main screen. Now we can clearly see the result of our work so far. The colored bar at the top visually shows the partitioning of the disk: a thin bar indicates the EFI partition, a large slice next to it is the newly created "Root" partition, and at the end there is a small amount of free space. The list below has also been updated, now showing two created partitions and the final, unpartitioned free space.

We will use this last free space to create the swap partition.

Creating a swap partition

The last step in partitioning is to create a swap partition. Swap is a type of virtual memory that the operating system uses when the physical memory (RAM) is full. The system temporarily writes unused data in RAM to the hard drive, freeing up memory for active processes. It is also essential for hibernation (saving the system state to disk when shutting down).

There are no hard and fast rules for swap size, but there are general recommendations depending on the size of your RAM:

• Low RAM (4 GB or less): On older machines or with low memory, it is recommended to create a swap space at least equal to the size of the RAM, or even double it.
• Average RAM (8-16 GB): On modern desktop computers, a swap space of half or the same size as RAM is usually sufficient.
• Lots of RAM (32 GB or more): In such cases, swap is less critical for system stability, but for hibernation or for tasks with extreme memory requirements, creating a 4-8 GB swap partition is still recommended.

Now let's create the partition from the remaining free space. The settings are as follows:

• Size: Let's use the entire remaining area.
• File system: Select the linuxswap type. This will be a special, unformatted area, not a traditional file system.
• Attachment point: No mount point required.
• Indicators: Select swap adjective.

After we have finished the settings, we are returned to the main screen, where we are greeted by the final partition layout. The top bar shows our three partitions, marked in different colors, completely filled in: EFI, Root and Swap. The list below also reflects this final state, there is no free space left.

This completes the hard drive preparation. With all partitions in place, we are ready for the next big chapter of the installation. It is important to note that the swap size or location can be changed later, even on the installed system, using command line tools, if the need arises.

 

 

Create a user account

After the hard drive structure is created, the installer will ask for the primary user account information for the system. This is the account that we will use to access our newly installed Debian system on a daily basis. It is important to choose a strong but memorable password here.

We need to provide the following information:

• What is your name?: You can enter your full name here. This name will be displayed on the welcome screen or in system settings, for example.
• What username would you like to log in with?: This will be your actual login name used by the system. It is advisable to choose a name in lowercase letters, without accents or spaces.
• What should the computer name be?: This is the network identifier of the machine, the "hostname". This is the name by which your computer will appear on the local network, for example.
• Enter a password to protect your user account: Choose a strong password that contains lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and possibly special characters, and then repeat it in the second field.

At the bottom of the form, there is a checkbox that allows you to enable "Automatic login without password prompt". This is a convenience feature, but it is not recommended from a security perspective, especially for laptops. If you check it, the system will automatically log you in to your account after startup. After filling in all the details, click the "Next" button.

Summary of settings

The last step before starting the installation is to review your settings. Calamares summarizes all your choices so far on a single, easy-to-understand page, from regional settings to keyboard layout to detailed partitioning plans. This is the final checkpoint before the "point of no return."

It is especially important to carefully review the "Partitions" section. Here, the installer clearly shows the initial state of the disk ("Current") and the planned final result ("After"), including a colored visual bar and a text description below it, which itemizes the operations to be performed (creating a GPT table, creating, formatting and attaching partitions).

Take your time to check the data. If everything is correct and you are sure of what you are doing, click the "Install" button in the lower right corner. The installer may ask for confirmation again, making you aware that the changes made to the disk cannot be undone. After confirmation, the installer will start the actual work.

Installing the system

Once everything is approved, Calamares will begin the actual installation process. This stage is now fully automated, all we have to do is wait patiently for the installer to complete its task. The progress bar and the messages below it will inform us of what is happening in the background.

The installer first performs the necessary disk operations: formats the partitions we created with the specified file systems (ext4, linuxswap, fat32). It will then begin copying system files to your hard drive. The Live ISO image file contains a compressed system image, which the installer will now unpack and copy to the root partition.

After copying the files, the installer performs basic system configuration tasks. This is where the most important software packages are installed and configured. This process is done using Debian's famous package management system, APTIt is based on the Advanced Package Tool (APT). APT is responsible for installing, updating, removing software, and managing dependencies. When we use our installed system, we will also be able to manage our software using APT, most often from the terminal, in modern apt command:

• Update packing lists: sudo apt update
• Update installed packages: sudo apt upgrade
• Installing a new program: sudo apt install program_neve
• Uninstall a program: sudo apt remove program_neve

Towards the end of the process, the installer will set up the bootloader, which is responsible for starting Debian when you turn on your computer. On UEFI systems, this is GRUB, which is placed on the EFI partition we created.

The installation will take a few minutes, depending on the speed of your computer. Once the progress bar reaches 100%, the installation is complete.

Finish installation and restart

After a few minutes, the installation process will be completed and Calamares will display the message "Operation Successful." indicating that Debian 12 (Bookworm) has been successfully installed on your computer. This means that we are done with the hard part.

The installer will select the "Restart now" option by default. However, before clicking the "Finish" button, there is one very important thing to do: remove the installation pendrive from the computer! If we don't do this, the machine will most likely load the Live system again instead of the hard drive.

After removing the USB drive, click "Finish". The system will shut down and then restart, and if everything went well, you will be greeted by the freshly installed Debian 12.

 

First start

After the reboot, if everything went well, the installer will no longer start, but the Debian 12 system freshly installed on the hard drive. Let's go through the steps of the first boot up to login.

The GRUB boot menu

The very first thing you will encounter is the GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader) boot menu. This program is responsible for booting the operating systems on your computer. If you had multiple systems (e.g. Windows) on your computer, they would also appear in the list here.

The first, default option in the menu ("Debian GNU/Linux") will boot your system. If you don't press anything, it will boot automatically after a few seconds. Under the "Advanced options" menu item, you can boot your system with older kernels or in recovery mode, which can be useful when troubleshooting.

Press Enter on the first option and the system will start loading, indicated by a splash screen with a clean "debian 12" logo.

Log in to the system

After the system loads, the login manager screen appears. Here we can see the name of our user account created during the installation.

Click on your name, then type in the password you set during installation and press Enter or click the "Login" button. With this, you have successfully logged into the XFCE desktop environment of your freshly installed Debian 12 system.

Overview of the XFCE desktop

After a successful login, we are greeted by the clean, fast, and easy-to-use XFCE desktop environment of Debian 12. It is a traditional desktop environment known for its stability and low resource requirements. Let's take a quick look at its main features:

• Desktop icons: On the left side we find the basic icons: the "Trash", access to the entire "File System", and "My Folder", which points to the directory containing our personal documents, downloads, etc. We can also see the icon of the installation ISO file; we can remove it by right-clicking on it and selecting the "Unmount" option.
• Top panel (Dock): At the top center of the screen is a dock-like panel that contains quick launch icons for the most commonly used applications, such as the terminal emulator, Thunar file manager, and web browser.
• Bottom panel: The bar running along the bottom of the screen is the main control panel (taskbar).
  • On the left side There is the "Applications" menu, from where we can access all installed programs sorted into categories.
  • On the right side The notification area (System Tray) is now available, where you can see network connection, volume, notification icons, and the exact time and date. You can also access the logout and shutdown options from here.

With this, we have successfully installed and set up the Debian 12 operating system with the XFCE desktop environment. The system is now ready to use, further customize, and install programs.

 

 

Conclusion

Congratulations! If you have successfully completed the steps, you are now the proud owner of a fully functional, freshly installed Debian 12 (Bookworm) system. By doing so, you have not only installed an operating system, but also created a stable and reliable foundation for your computer that will be your faithful companion for years to come.

But why is Debian 12 with the XFCE desktop environment an excellent choice?

Debian has always been synonymous with stability and reliability in the Linux world. Release 12 "Bookworm", as the latest stable version, strikes the perfect balance between proven, thoroughly tested components and modern software. A multi-year support cycle guarantees that your system will receive security updates for a long time, so you don't have to worry about reinstalling every year. And Debian's "universal operating system" philosophy ensures that this system performs excellently on an older laptop as well as a modern workstation.

And the XFCE desktop environment is a perfect match for the Debian philosophy. It's lightweight, lightning fast, and respectful of system resources, while still providing a full-fledged, familiar, traditional desktop experience. It doesn't want to distract you with unnecessary glitz; it gives you a clean, efficient work tool that simply gets the job done. This combination is the ideal choice for anyone looking for a "no-nonsense", reliable, and fast system for everyday tasks, whether for work, school, or home use.

Now that your system is ready, it's time to explore! Organize it to your own taste, install your favorite programs in the previously mentioned apt command and enjoy the freedom and stability that Debian has to offer.

I wish you good work and a pleasant time with your newly installed system!