Debian 9 Installation Guide

The Debian operating system is one of the first distributions based on the Linux kernel. In view of this, the installation process may seem complicated to many s who have just decided to familiarize themselves with this system. To avoid problems during it, it is recommended to follow the instructions that will be provided in this article.

Debian 9 Installation

Before proceeding directly with the Debian 9 installation, there are some preparations worth making. First, check the system requirements for that operating system. Although it is not demanding in of computing power, to avoid incompatibilities it is worth visiting the official website, where everything is described in detail. Also prepare a 4 GB flash drive, because without it you will not be able to install the operating system on your computer.

See also: Upgrading Debian 8 to version 9

Step 1: the distribution

It is necessary to Debian 9 exclusively from the official website of the developer, this will prevent infection of the computer with a virus and critical errors when using an already installed operating system.

the latest version of the Debian 9 operating system from the official website

1. Go to the OS image page from the link above.
2. Click on the link "Official Stable Release CD / DVD Images" .
3. Select the version of the operating system that suits you best from the list of CD images.
   

   Note: for computers with 64-bit processors, follow the link "amd64", with 32-bit processors - "i386".

4. On the next page, scroll down and click the link with the extension ISO .

This will start the of the Debian 9 distribution image. Once complete, proceed to the next step in this tutorial.

Step 2: Burn the image to media

Having the image ed on your computer, you need to create a bootable USB flash drive with it, so that you can later start the computer from it. The process of its creation can cause a lot of difficulties for an ordinary , so it is recommended to consult the instructions on our website.

Read more: Writing an OS Image to a USB Flash Drive

Step 3: start the computer from a USB flash drive

Once you have a USB flash drive with a Debian 9 image on it, you need to insert it into a computer port and start from it. To do this, you need to enter the BIOS and do some settings. Unfortunately, there are universal instructions, but on our website you can find all the information you need.

Read more:
Setting the BIOS to run from a USB flash drive
Find out the BIOS version

Step 4: begin the installation

The installation of Debian 9 starts from the main menu of the installation image, where you must immediately click on « Installation graph" .

After that, the configuration of the future system comes directly, you need to do the following:

1. Select the language of the installer. Find your language in the list and click the button "Continue" . The Russian language will be chosen in the article, it does so at its own discretion.
2. Please indicate your location. By default, you are offered a choice of one or more countries (depending on the language selected above). If the required one is not in the list, click the item "other" and select it from the list, then click "Continue" .
3. Determine your keyboard layout. Select the default language from the list and click the button "Continue" .
4. Select hotkeys, after pressing, the layout language will change. It all depends on your preferences - which keys are more convenient to use, choose those.
5. Wait until the and installation of additional system components is complete. You can follow the progress by looking at the corresponding indicator.
6. Enter the name of your computer. If you are using a home PC, choose any name and click the button "Continue" .
7. Enter the domain name. You can simply skip this operation by clicking the button "Continue" whether the computer will be used at home.
8. Enter the super and then confirm it. It should be noted that the can consist of a single character, but it is better to use a complex one so that unauthorized persons cannot interact with the elements of your system. After logging in, click "Continue" .
   

   Important: do not leave the fields empty, otherwise you will not be able to work with system elements that require super rights yourself.

9. Please enter your name.
10. Enter a name for the . Make sure you this, because sometimes it will serve as a to access system items that require super rights.
11. Enter the system and confirm it, then click the button "Continue" . It will be necessary to enter the desktop.
12. Determine your time zone.

After that, the main configuration of the future system can be considered complete. The installer will load the partition program from the disk and display it on the screen.

This is followed by direct work with the disk and its partitions, which requires a more detailed analysis.

Step 5: partitioning the disk

The program for partitioning disks will find you with a menu in which you must select a partition method. Of all of them, only two can be distinguished: "Automatic: use the entire disk" y "Handbook" . It is worth disassembling each one separately in more detail.

Automatic disk partitioning

This option is perfect for those s who do not want to understand all the complexities of disk partitioning. But by choosing this method, you agree that all information on the disk will be erased. Therefore, it is recommended to use it if the disk is completely empty or the files on it are not important to you.

So, to partition the disk automatically, do the following:

1. Select "Auto - use the whole disk" and click on the button "Continue" .
2. From the list, select the drive where the operating system will be installed. In this case, there is only one.
3. Determine the design scheme. There will be three options to choose from. All schemes can be characterized by the degree of security. Therefore, when choosing the element "Separate partitions for / home, / var and / tmp" , it will be protected to the maximum of the piracy from the outside. For a normal , it is recommended to select the second item in the list: "Separate partition for / home" .
4. After reviewing the list of partitions created, select the line "Finalize partitioning and write changes to disk » and click on the button "Continue" .

After the steps are done, the installation process will begin, as soon as it is finished, you can start using Debian 9. But sometimes automatic disk partitioning does not suit the so you have to do it manually.

Manual disc layout

It's good to manually partition the disk because you can create all the partitions you need on your own and customize each one to suit your needs. To do this, do the following:

1. In the window "Design method" , select the line "Handbook" and click on the button "Continue" .
2. Select the media where Debian 9 will be installed from the list.
3. Accept to create the partition table by clicking the radio button to Yes and then Continue .
   

   Note: If the disk was previously partitioned or if you have a second operating system installed, this window will be skipped.

After the new partition table is created, you must decide which partitions to create. The article will provide detailed instructions for marking with a medium security level, which is great for most s. Below you can see examples of other dialing options.

1. Highlight the line "Free space" and click on the button "Continue" .
2. Select «Create a new section» in the new window.
3. Specify the amount of memory you want to allocate for the system root partition and click "Continue" . It is recommended to specify at least 15 GB.
4. Choose type principal for the new partition unless you want to install other operating systems in addition to Debian 9. Otherwise, choose logical .
5. When you locate the root partition, select Home and click Continue .
6. Configure the settings for the root partition similar to the example shown in the image below.
7. Highlight the line "Section configuration completed" and press the button "Continue" .

The root partition has been created, now let's create a swap partition. For this:

1. Repeat the first two steps of the instructions above to begin creating a new section.
2. Set the amount of memory equal to the amount of RAM.
3. As last time, determine the partition type based on the number of partitions you expect. If there are more than four, choose "Logical" , if it is less, "Primary" .
4. If you have selected the main type of section, in the next window select the line «End» .
5. Double-click the left mouse button (LMB) on the line "Use as" .
6. Select "Swap partition" of the list .
7. Click on the line "Section configuration completed" and click on the button "Continue" .

The root partition and swap partition have been created, only the boot partition remains to be created. To do this, follow these instructions:

1. Start creating a partition by allocating all the remaining space and determining its type.
2. Set all the parameters according to the picture below.
3. Double click LMB in "Section configuration completed" .

All free space on your hard drive should now be partitioned. On the screen, you should see something like the following:

In your case, the sizes of each section may differ.

This completes the disk partition, so select the line "Finalize partition and write changes to disk" and click on the button "Continue" .

As a result, you will be provided with a detailed report of all the changes made. If all your items are the same as in the previous steps, set the switch to "Yes" and click "Continue" .

Alternative disk layout options

Above, we provided instructions for partitioning a medium security disk. You can use another. Now two options will be presented.

Weak protection (ideal for beginners who just want to get familiar with the system):

• partition # 1 - root partition (15 GB);
• partition # 2 - swap partition (amount of RAM).

Maximum protection (suitable for s who plan to use the operating system as a server):

• partition # 1 - root partition (15 GB);
• partition # 2 - /boot with parameter ro (20 MB);
• partition # 3 - swap partition (amount of RAM);
• section # 4 - /tmp and nosuid , nodev y NOEXEC parameters (1-2 GB);
• section # 5 - /val/log with parameter noexec (500 MB);
• section # 6 - /home with the Options noexec y nodev (remaining space).

As you can see, in the second case, you have to create a lot of partitions, but after installing the operating system, you will make sure that no one can enter from outside.

Step 6: complete the installation

Immediately after completing the instructions above, the installation of the basic Debian 9 components will begin. This process can take a long time.

Once complete, you will need to configure a few more options to complete the full installation of the operating system.

1. In the first window to configure the package manager, select "Yes" if you have an additional disk with system components; otherwise, click "No" and click on the button "Continue" .
2. Select the country where the system file mirror is located. This is necessary to ensure high speed ing of additional software and system components.
3. Define a mirror of the Debian 9 archive. The optimal choice is "Ftp.ru.debian.org" .
   

   Note: If you selected a different country of residence in the window above, instead of "ru" in the mirror direction, a different region code will be displayed.

4. Click the button "Continue" if you are not going to use a proxy server; otherwise, enter your address in the corresponding input field.
5. Wait until the and installation of additional software and system components is complete.
6. Please answer the question if you want the system to send anonymous statistics to distribution kit developers on frequently used packages weekly.
7. Select the desktop environment you want to see on your system and additional software from the list. After selecting, click "Continue" .
8. Please wait while the components selected in the window above are ed and installed.
   

   Note: the process to complete the task can be quite long; it all depends on internet speed and processor power.

9. Grant permission to install GRUB in Master Boot Record by selecting Yes and by clicking on Continue .
10. Select the drive from the list where the GRUB boot loader will be located. It is important that it is located on the same disk where the operating system is installed.
11. Click on el button Continue to restart your computer and start using your newly installed Debian 9.

As you can understand, this completes the system installation. After restarting the PC, you will be taken to the GRUB bootloader menu, where you must select the operating system and press Enter .

Conclusion

After completing all the above steps, you will see the Debian 9 desktop. If this does not happen, please review all the points in the installation manual and if you find inconsistencies with your actions, try starting the operating system installation process again to achieve the desired result. .