Debian is one of the most robust and widespread Linux distributions in the world. It has more than 100 million lines of code and, on average, more than $ 1.2 trillion required to rewrite Debian from scratch.
After having access to this curious information, you may realize how important Debian is to the developer community. Even, its structure serves as the basis for the most recent operating systems such as Ubuntu.
Throughout this article, we will show you how to install and update Debian on any computer that meets the minimum installation requirements. You will also know the alternatives you have in case this system does not meet your expectations.
What are the benefits of using Debian as your Linux distribution?
Because it is one of the oldest systems with proven experience, it is one of the best options to look for for the following reasons:
- It is a 100% free and license-free system, so you can make the necessary adjustments for your projects.
- Works seamlessly on any device such as desktops, mobiles, tablets and laptops.
- Has additional hardware support, which means that when free software is not enough, you can access third parties for support.
- Your updates are more and more frequent. In addition, it has a control center that alerts you when it is necessary to update components or the entire operating system.
- There are already more than a thousand collaborators who have expanded the base code and they offer software packages to meet various user needs.
- People oriented, to companies and to the concept of “Internet of things”.
- Can be supported by many hardware architectures such as ARM, MIPS, POWER7, POWER8, IBM System z.
- It has versions for any device, even a Raspberry Pi with all of its physical limitations.
Learn step by step how to install Linux Debian on your computer from scratch like an expert
The best thing about Debian is that it has a Setup Wizard. Nevertheless, you must have a certain domain in Linux so you know some terms and don’t get lost in the process of doing a clean install, without glitches.
These are the steps you must follow to have Linux Debian 10, known as “Buster”, on your computer:
Before install
To do this installation, it is recommended to have the Debian image (ISO) on a CD with which you can boot the computer where this operating system is going to be placed. You can also have the image on a pendrive or a portable hard drive. The second thing you should know is that it is required to have at hand the IP address of your device, during the installation you will require it and you will not be able to stop the action midway.
Booting from CD
To make a good boot, you must first tell your PC that you are going to want to boot from CD. In case of having the image on a pendrive or portable hard disk, the boot must be from a USB connection.
When the installation starts, a screen will appear with several options:
- Select “Install”.
- Press “Enter”.
- Select the language of your preference. Some users claim that it is better to leave English, for some compatibility reasons.
- Choose the country.
- Select again your language.
- Now, the installation asks to choose the “Keyboard map”. You must press “Spanish” (There will be no conflicts with the language).
Internet connection
It is important that you can configure the internet connection from the beginning, so that Debian can make some updates during the installation:
- The assistent will automatically search for the IP adress.
- If you don’t, you can add it manually. Select the option “Configure network manually”.
- Writes the direction IP.
- Choose the “Network mask” suggested.
- Choose the “Gateway” suggested.
- Choose the “DNS” suggested.
If you pass this step without problems, the most complex is already overcome. What remains is to do some final adjustments.
User and password
Like Windows, Debian needs to know who you are and the password you must write down because with it you can have access to all its functions:
- Write the name of the system.
- Indicates the name of a domain, you cannot copy names like www.google.com.
- Now, Debian asks to create two accounts of great importance. The first is the “Root” and the second is the administrator user.
- In both you must enter name and passwords.
- Finally, put the corresponding time.
Disk partition
Although Debian has several preset configurations, you should know that it is advisable to partition for three specific functions:
- For the installation files.
- For him data storage.
- For the virtual memory or “swap”.
If you have doubts, it is best to select the option “Guided partitioning”, so you will have the minimum option by default that it requests Debian to operate at a 100%.
You will see the partitions like this:
/ (root)swap/home
Base system
At this stage of the installation, three types of processes are carried out: all the necessary solution packages are downloaded, the “Base packages” and the Linux kernel is installed. You must also select again the country where you are, select the “Mirror” closer and we just have to wait for the installation to finish “base”.
Environment selection
Debian has several work environments that can serve different purposes. These environments are Cinnamon, Mate and Xfce, among others that are less common due to the functions they fulfill. Total, there are 11 possible selections you can achieve. It is best to read what each of these options is for before installing, you can only use one environment at a time.
Login
If at the end of the installation, you can see the reference image, then the installation has been completed successfullyAll that remains is to log in with your username and password so that you can start enjoying the benefits of Debian as an operating system for the purpose that suits you best.
List of the best Linux distributions alternatives to Debian that you can also use on your desktop or laptop
Yes OK, Debian is not the only operating system out there, is one of the best and most complete. However, there are options that are adjusted to specific needs and that consume less resources than this option.
We leave you a list of the five alternatives that do similar work to Debian and that you should try at some point:
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
It is a commercial proposition of Linux that is oriented to the attention of large companies. It is based on the interconnection of workstations and your alliance with thousands of servers and cloud space.
They also dedicate effort and time to reinforce the security and privacy of their clients’ data:
- Has interesting Online services.
- No is recommended for end users in their homes.
- Has a package of updates, like Debian.
OpenSUSE
It also has a penchant for offering enterprise solutions, although it also has an environment for servers and end users. The latest version is 15.3, which has several improvements to its user interface.
It has three work environments that have been changing to have a better usability experience:
- It has a similarity to Windows who is loved and hated at the same time.
- Serves as a transitional system for Microsoft users what do you want to try Linux.
- Work with a wide range of hardware architectures.
Fedora
This is an operating system intended more for developers than end users. His followers prefer to follow the beta versions because they are stable and offer the latest possible changes that the company has on demand.
It has the advantage of allowing you to choose several workspaces and dock several monitors at the same time:
- Have a own file management system.
- Have a own ecosystem for users who work with professional audio.
- The update cycle it is more prevalent than its competitors.
Arch Linux
This is a project based on provide solutions to end users, so there are no functions that may be of interest to large companies. Its installation is somewhat complex, perhaps it lacks more assistance at this point so that people can work without problems.
It has its own solution packages, although it allows other packages to take action:
- Have a large application repository.
- Unlike Ubuntu, you can have more than one work environment installed on a machine.
- Have more control to the user’s hand in the settings.
Manjaro
This operating system goes for version 21, with which it has an installer that is quite intuitive. Too has several pre-installed packages so you can start doing some office automation tasks.
It has a new kernel, it shares the update manager with Arch and there is also the possibility to work on multiple desktops:
- The advantage is that it has the most up-to-date Arch Linux packages.
- Has a complete central installation assistant called Calamares.
- It is a completely free system, with alliances with other distributions to share solution packages.