Debian 13 Installation Guide

This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide to installing Debian 13. We assume you have already created a bootable installation media and are ready to begin the installation process.

🎯 Pre-Installation Preparation

Installation Checklist

Before starting the installation, ensure:

• ✅ Bootable media created
• ✅ Important data backed up
• ✅ Network connection available (recommended)
• ✅ Stable power connection (laptop users)
• ✅ At least 1 hour of free time

Installation Methods

Method	Use Case	Advantages	Considerations
Fresh Install	New computer or complete replacement	Cleanest system	Will erase all data
Dual Boot	Keep existing Windows	Can switch systems	Requires partition adjustment
Virtual Machine	Learning and testing	Safe and risk-free	Reduced performance

⚠️ Important

Fresh installation will completely erase hard disk data! Please backup important files.

💿 Starting the Installer

1. BIOS/UEFI Setup

Access BIOS/UEFI Settings

Common keys:

• Dell: F2 or F12
• HP: F10 or F9
• Lenovo: F1 or F12
• ASUS: F2 or Del
• MSI: Del or F11

Modify Boot Order

1. Find "Boot" or startup options
2. Set USB device as first boot device
3. Disable "Secure Boot" (if present)
4. Save settings and restart

2. Boot Debian Installer

Insert the bootable media and restart. You'll see the Debian boot menu:

Debian GNU/Linux installer boot menu

Graphical install
Install
Advanced options >
Accessible dark contrast installer menu >
Help
Install with speech synthesis

Choose Installation Method

Recommended for beginners:

• Graphical install - GUI installer (recommended)
• Install - Text-based installer

💡 Beginner Tip

Choose "Graphical install" for a more user-friendly interface.

🌍 Language and Region Settings

1. Select Language

• Choose English or your preferred language
• Select the language you're most comfortable with

2. Select Location

• United States: Choose "United States"
• Other regions: Choose your corresponding country

3. Configure Keyboard

• English users: Choose "American English"
• Others: Choose your keyboard layout

🌐 Network Configuration

Automatic Network Configuration

The installer will automatically attempt to configure the network:

# Wired network: Usually auto-detected
# Wi-Fi network: Manual configuration required

Manual Wi-Fi Configuration

If Wi-Fi configuration is needed:

1. Select network: Choose your Wi-Fi network from the list
2. Enter password: Input your Wi-Fi password
3. Wait for connection: Wait until connection is established

Configure Network Mirror

Choose a Debian software repository mirror:

Recommended for users in different regions:

• deb.debian.org (Global CDN)
• ftp.us.debian.org (United States)
• ftp.uk.debian.org (United Kingdom)

👤 User and Password Setup

1. Set Root Password

# Root user is the system administrator account
# Password requirements: At least 8 characters, include letters and numbers

Password Security Recommendations:

• ✅ At least 12 characters
• ✅ Include uppercase, lowercase, numbers, special characters
• ❌ Avoid personal information like birthdays, names

2. Create Regular User

User Information Setup

Full name: John Doe           # Display name
Username: johndoe            # Login name (lowercase)
Password: ************       # User password

💡 Username Suggestions

• Use lowercase letters and numbers
• Avoid special characters
• Recommended to use English names

💾 Disk Partitioning

This is the most important step in the installation process!

Partition Scheme Selection

1. Guided Partitioning (Recommended for beginners)

Use entire disk
├── Use entire disk and set up LVM
├── Use entire disk and set up encrypted LVM
└── Manual partitioning (advanced users)

Recommended choice: "Use entire disk"

2. Custom Partition Scheme

For experienced users, recommended partition scheme:

Mount Point	Size	File System	Description
/boot/efi	512 MB	FAT32	UEFI boot partition
/	25-50 GB	ext4	Root partition
/home	Remaining space	ext4	User data
swap	4-8 GB	swap	Swap partition

Practical Partitioning

Use Entire Disk (Recommended)

1. Select disk: Choose the disk to install on
2. Partition scheme: Choose "All files in one partition"
3. Confirm operation: Review partition table, confirm when satisfied

Manual Partitioning (Advanced)

1. Create partition table:

   # UEFI system: Choose GPT partition table
   # BIOS system: Choose MBR partition table

2. Create EFI partition (UEFI systems):

   Size: 512 MB
   Type: EFI System Partition
   File system: FAT32
   Mount point: /boot/efi

3. Create root partition:

   Size: 25-50 GB
   Type: Primary partition
   File system: ext4
   Mount point: /

4. Create swap partition:

   Size: Equal to memory size (4-8 GB)
   Type: Swap partition

5. Create Home partition:

   Size: All remaining space
   Type: Primary partition
   File system: ext4
   Mount point: /home

📦 Software Package Selection

Desktop Environment Selection

Debian Desktop Environment Selection:

□ Debian desktop environment    # Default selected
□ ... GNOME                    # Modern interface (recommended for beginners)
□ ... Xfce                     # Lightweight interface
□ ... KDE Plasma               # Highly customizable
□ ... Cinnamon                 # Traditional style
□ ... MATE                     # Classic interface
□ ... LXDE                     # Minimal interface
□ web server
□ SSH server                   # Recommended
□ standard system utilities    # Recommended

Recommended combination for beginners:

• ✅ Debian desktop environment
• ✅ GNOME (or your preferred desktop)
• ✅ SSH server
• ✅ Standard system utilities

Desktop Environment Comparison

Desktop	Resource Usage	Features	Suitable For
GNOME	High	Modern, touch-friendly	Beginners, modern design lovers
KDE Plasma	Medium-High	Highly customizable, feature-rich	Users who like customization
Xfce	Low	Traditional interface, stable	Older machines, traditional desktop users
LXDE	Very Low	Extremely lightweight	Low-spec machines

⚡ Installation Process

System Installation Progress

The installation process will show a progress bar and current step:

Installing base system... (15%)
Configuring apt... (35%)
Installing packages... (60%)
Installing bootloader... (85%)
Finishing installation... (95%)

Installation Time Estimate

Installation Method	Estimated Time	Main Factor
Network Install	30-60 minutes	Network speed
DVD Install	15-30 minutes	Hard disk speed
SSD Install	10-20 minutes	SSD performance

💡 During Installation

• Keep network connection stable
• Don't force shutdown
• You can leave the installer to run automatically

🔧 Bootloader Configuration

GRUB Bootloader

Installation Location Selection

# Single system installation
Install GRUB bootloader to master boot record?
Choose: Yes

# Dual boot installation
Installation device:
Choose main hard disk (usually /dev/sda)

Dual Boot Configuration

If you have multiple operating systems:

# GRUB will automatically detect other operating systems
Detected operating systems:
- Windows Boot Manager
- Debian GNU/Linux

🎉 Installation Complete

Finishing Installation

When you see the "Installation complete" message:

1. Remove installation media: Remove the USB boot drive
2. Restart system: Click "Restart"
3. First boot: Wait for system to boot to login screen

First Login

GNOME Welcome Screen

First boot will show GNOME initial setup:

1. Select language
2. Connect to network
3. Online accounts (can skip)
4. Privacy settings
5. Complete setup

Login Screen

User selection: Choose the user you created
Password input: Enter user password
Desktop environment: Choose desktop environment (if multiple)

🔧 Post-Installation Basic Configuration

1. Update System

First, update the system after login:

# Open terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T)
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

2. Install Common Software

# Install basic tools
sudo apt install curl wget git vim

# Install multimedia codecs
sudo apt install debian-multimedia-keyring
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg

# Install fonts (for international users)
sudo apt install fonts-noto

3. Configure Input Methods

# Install ibus input method
sudo apt install ibus

# Setup input method
ibus-setup

4. Install Browser and Office Suite

# Firefox browser (usually pre-installed)
sudo apt install firefox-esr

# LibreOffice office suite
sudo apt install libreoffice

# Image viewer
sudo apt install eog

🆘 Common Installation Issues

Cannot Boot to Installer

Possible causes:

• Incorrect BIOS settings
• Failed bootable media creation
• Hardware compatibility issues

Solutions:

1. Check BIOS boot order
2. Disable Secure Boot
3. Try different USB ports
4. Recreate bootable media

Network Connection Failure

Solutions:

1. Check cable connection
2. Try mobile hotspot
3. Skip network configuration, set up after installation
4. Use offline DVD installation

Partition Operation Failure

Solutions:

1. Check if hard disk space is sufficient
2. Disable Windows Fast Startup
3. Run disk check in Windows
4. Pre-partition using GParted Live

Installation Stuck at Certain Step

Solutions:

1. Wait patiently (some steps are slow)
2. Check network connection
3. Restart installer
4. Try basic installation (don't select desktop environment)

GRUB Installation Failure

Solutions:

1. Confirm correct hard disk selection
2. Check UEFI/BIOS mode
3. Disable Secure Boot in BIOS
4. Manually repair GRUB

📝 Post-Installation Checklist

After installation completion, please check:

• [ ] System boots normally
• [ ] Network connection works
• [ ] Audio output works
• [ ] Display works properly
• [ ] Input methods work
• [ ] Software installation works
• [ ] System updates work

Next Steps

After completing installation, you can continue with:

1. First Boot Configuration - Complete basic system setup
2. Desktop Environment Selection - Customize desktop experience
3. Installing Common Software - Install applications you need

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Installation successful? Continue with first boot configuration →