How to Install Debian 11 Easily

Debian is known for its rock-solid nature and this is the reason why one of the most popular Linux distros such as Ubuntu uses a Debian base. So if you are tired of occasional system breaks, you should try Debian for sure as it would take quite work to break it (if you intend it).

It took more than 2 years of testing and development to bring the recent version of Debian 11 which is known as “bullseye” that will provide 5 years of support without any cost. In their recent version, they have included 11,000+ new packages with a total count of 59,551 packages.

So if you want to benefit from Debian’s stability, we have made a simple guide by which you can install Debian 11 easily and use it for many years without any issues. But before that let’s discuss some key features of Debian that make it so special over other Linux distros.

Key Features of Debian 11

You must be thinking that what makes Debian so special is that some of the most popular Linux distros such as Ubuntu, MX Linux, and many others use it for their base. Well there are numerous reasons behind it and we have mentioned some of them below:

• Rock-solid Linux distribution: Debian is the most stable Linux distribution that you can ever get. You just have to install it and do not need to worry about its maintenance.

• Support for many architectures: We often see that many Linux distros have started to discontinue support for 32-bit architecture but Debian not just provides support for 32-bit architecture but also supports ARM, MIPS, and even 64-bit PowerPC.

• Long-term support: Debian does not push frequent updates as they prefer stability and gives you 5 years of support. It would take 2-3 years for their new update but you can halt those updates if you are comfortable with your current system.

• Best for Servers: Debian is ideal for Servers as it provides stability and long-term support. You don’t need a separate version for Sever, you just have to skip Desktop Environment during installation and choose Server utility packages instead.

• Large community: If you have any doubts ant any issues related to Debian, the chances of many others have faced the same issues and provided a solution to it. If not, then you can ask your question and will get an answer for sure.

If these reasons are enough for you to switch from your current Operating System to Debian, let’s discuss the essential requirements for installing Debian without any issues.

Requirements for Installing Debian 11

Compared to other Linux distros, Debian doesn’t ask much as it can be easily installed on any system with given requirements:

• 2GB RAM or more

• Dual-core processor or higher

• At least 15GB of free Disk space

• Bootable media (USB or DVD) for installing Debian 11.

Installing Debian 11 Using Simple Method

You might have heard some rummers about how much it is difficult to install any new Operating System. Anything can be drawn to a harder way if you don’t know the correct way of doing things. So let us start our process with the first step.

Step 1: Download Debian 11 ISO File

This is the most essential step for installing any Operating System. You just have to visit the homepage of Debian and from there you can download the latest version of Debian.

If you are going to use Wi-Fi during the installation, we would highly recommend you to download an unofficial version of Debian 11 that contains all Wi-Fi drivers, that are essential for installing Debian 11 as the official version does not contain any proprietary drivers.

Step 2: Installing balenEtcher

To install the downloaded ISO file in our system, first, we are required to make our external drive bootable. Bootable drive behaves as the medium which is used to install a new Operating system. There are many options available but we are going to use balenaEtcher.

balenaEtcher is a cross-platform software that can be used on any platform and it is easier to configure and use.

Visit the official site of balenaEtcher and from there you can download balenaEtcher.

Once you download balenEtcher, install it. If you are using Linux, you have to use AppImage as there is no option for installation.

Step 3: Burning ISO on Drive

Now, it’s time to install our ISO file on a USB or DVD drive using balenaEtcher. Insert your USB/DVD drive and open balenEtcher and select your ISO file by clicking on Flash from the file.

Now, click on Select target.

It will open all the available drives attached to your system. Choose your preferred drive and click on the Select button.

Click on Flash.

If you are a Windows user, it will ask for your Administrator permission and if you are a Linux user, it will ask for your root password.

Once you enter your password, it will start the flashing process and show you a similar screen.

Step 4: Setup BIOS Settings

Reboot your device and once it starts booting up, use F1, F2, F10, or Esc keys to get into BIOS. If you are someone who is using Windows, you have to disable secure boot.

To disable secure boot, go to Advanced Mode.

Click on Security. From here you will find an option of secure boot. Disable it.

Now, use F7 to get back on the main BIOS and click on Boot Menu. Step 5: Configure Debian Installation

Select the USB drive and hit Enter. It will start with Debian from our bootable drive.

Step 5: Configure Debian Installation

Once you select the USB drive from the boot menu, it will start Debian installation using our bootable drive. Select Graphical Install to begin our installation.

Select your preferred language, for most of the users, English would be their choice so we are also going with it.

Select your location by which Debian would get time zone.

Select your keyboard layout. For the majority, American English would be good enough.

Now, choose hostname. The hostname is useful when you want to find your system from the network or identify it from the local network.

Enter Domain name. This is only required when you want to use your Debian system as a server. If not, leave it empty and click on continue.

Set root password for your system. You have to enter this password twice for confirmation.

Enter the full name of the user. You can choose whatever you like.

Enter username. Username will be displayed all over the system so choose something good enough.

Create a password for the recently created user. You will be required to enter the password twice to confirm it.

From here we are going to use the entire disk as we want to remove everything and get a clean Debian install.

Select the drive in which you want to install Debian.

Here we have a choice for creating a separate Home partition. But we are going with “All files in one partition” as it is easy to manage and less complex compared to other options.

Click on Finish partitioning and write changes to the disk option and hit Enter.

It will show you a summary of partitions. To confirm changes, select Yes and click on continue.

It will start the installation process.

If you have some dome drivers, codecs, or anything that you want to install, you have the option to scan. But as of now, we don’t want to scan anything so select No.

As we need to have network mirrors added to our system which is useful to supplement software and even get us newer versions. Select Yes and hit Enter.

Now, choose the closest option to your network. You should select your country for better support.

Select “deb.debian.org ” because it has been working fine in our case and click on continue.

If you need any proxy, you can add it here. Otherwise, leave it blank.

This shows the survey where Debian will collect the number of packages that you use without any personal data involved. As of now, we are going with No option.

Select your Desktop Environment. As per our opinion, you should go with GNOME but if you have any other choice in mind, you can select whatever you want.

As we are only going to use Debian, we can install the GRUB bootloader on our primary drive. Choose Yes and hit Enter.

Select your primary drive which should be vda or sda.

Once your installation is finished, click on continue and it will eject all the drives. Remove your USB/DVD and reboot.

You will see the GRUB bootloader. Select Debian GNU/Linux and hit Enter.

You will see a log-in screen. Log in with your password.

Now, you can enjoy Debian as much we do.

Frequently asked questions related to Debian installation

Is Debian 11 available?

Yes after more than 2 years of research and development, it has been launched on 14th August 2021 that will be supported for 5 years.

Is Debian 11 stable?

As long as you are using a stable branch of Debian, there is no match of stability that it gets compared to others.

Is there a Debian server version?

Unlike Ubuntu, you don’t get any server edition on Debian rather than you can choose server utilities while installation. That will give you all the tools and services required for running a server.

Final words

Debian has always been known for its stability but to enjoy the stability it offers, you require a straightforward installation process and this is why we came up with a complete process for Debian 11 from download to installation with easy explanation.