Debian Linux: Complete Guide to Installation, Dualboot, and Software Management

What is Debian?

Debian is one of the most stable and reliable Linux distributions, widely used on both desktops and servers.
It’s well-known for its robust package management, long-term stability, and large software repository.
Debian is perfect for both beginners and advanced users who value security, reliability, and free software.

🛠 What You’ll Need

  • 💻 A computer with Windows installed and free disk space
  • 💾 USB flash drive (min. 4 GB, 8 GB or more recommended)
  • 🌐 Internet connection (recommended)
  • 📥 Debian ISO image (Get it here)
  • 🛠 USB creation tool (e.g., Rufus on Windows or balenaEtcher)

1️⃣ Download the Debian ISO

  1. Visit https://www.debian.org/distrib/
  2. Choose the stable release and download the 64-bit PC (amd64) ISO (netinst recommended for a smaller download).
  3. Save it to your computer.

2️⃣ Create a Bootable USB (Windows)

  1. Download and launch Rufus.
  2. Select your USB drive.
  3. Under Boot selection, choose the Debian ISO.
  4. Set:
    • Partition scheme: GPT (for UEFI)
    • File system: FAT32
  5. Click Start and confirm USB data will be erased.

📌 Note: All data on the USB will be deleted.

3️⃣ Prepare Windows for Dualboot

  1. Open Disk Management in Windows.
  2. Locate your main partition (C:).
  3. Right-click → Shrink Volume.
  4. Enter the size for Debian (e.g., 50,000 MB for 50 GB).
  5. Confirm – you will now have Unallocated space.

4️⃣ Boot from USB

  1. Insert the USB drive.
  2. Restart your PC and press the boot menu key (F12, ESC, DEL, or F2).
  3. Select the USB device.
  4. Debian installer will start.

5️⃣ Installing Debian with Dualboot

Step 5.1 – Language and Keyboard

  • Select your preferred language, location, and keyboard layout.

Step 5.2 – Network Setup

  • Connect to your network (wired or Wi-Fi) or skip for offline installation.

Step 5.3 – User and Password Setup

  • Set a root password (or leave empty to disable direct root login).
  • Create a regular user account and password.

Step 5.4 – Disk Partitioning

Choose Manual partitioning for dualboot:

  • Identify your Windows partitions (NTFS) – Do not delete or format them!
  • Find the free space you created earlier.
  • Create:
    Mount Point File System Size Notes
    / ext4 20+ GB Root (system)
    swap swap 2–4 GB Optional
    /home ext4 Remaining space User data

📌 Important: Keep the EFI System Partition untouched; Debian will add its bootloader there.

Step 5.5 – Install the GRUB Bootloader

  • Install GRUB to the EFI partition (usually /dev/nvme0n1 or /dev/sda).
  • This will allow you to choose between Debian and Windows at startup.

6️⃣ Finishing Installation

  • Wait until the installer completes.
  • Remove the USB drive.
  • Restart your computer.

7️⃣ Boot Menu

Upon restart, you’ll see the GRUB menu:

  • Debian GNU/Linux → Start Debian
  • Windows Boot Manager → Start Windows

🎉 You now have a fully working Debian + Windows dualboot setup.

🧩 Default Software in Debian

Debian uses .deb packages and the APT package manager.
You can easily install programs such as:

  • LibreOffice (office suite)
  • Firefox ESR (web browser)
  • GIMP (image editor)
  • VLC (video player)
  • Thunderbird (email client)

Install via Terminal:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install gimp

Install with a graphical package manager (e.g., Synaptic):

sudo apt install synaptic

📦 Installing Software with Flatpak

Flatpak allows you to install applications independently of the system and often offers newer versions.

✅ Advantages:

  • Large app selection at Flathub.org
  • Newer versions than Debian’s repositories
  • Secure sandboxing

🔧 Install Flatpak:

sudo apt install flatpak

Add Flathub:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

📥 Example (GIMP):

flatpak install flathub org.gimp.GIMP
flatpak run org.gimp.GIMP

📦 Installing Software with Snap

Snap, developed by Canonical, is another universal package format.

✅ Advantages:

  • Easy installation
  • Wide software availability

⚠️ Disadvantages:

  • Slower startup times
  • Larger package size
  • Less popular in the Debian community

🔧 Install Snapd:

sudo apt install snapd
sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socket

📥 Example (VLC):

sudo snap install vlc

📂 Running Programs with AppImage

AppImage packages are portable executable files – no installation needed.

✅ Advantages:

  • Portable
  • No system changes

📥 Run an AppImage:

chmod +x program.AppImage
./program.AppImage

🎓 Summary Table

Method Advantages Disadvantages
APT (.deb) Stable, verified, integrates with system updates Older versions
Flatpak Newer versions, sandboxed, large app selection Larger disk usage
Snap Easy to install, wide selection Slow startup, large size
AppImage Portable, no installation No auto-updates

💬 Need help?
Leave a comment – our community or team will gladly help you choose the best installation method for your Debian system.