Shortcut for installing Buster over an Ubuntu installation?

[HippoPotamus]

I am running Ubuntu 20 and want to switch to the latest Debian 10 release. I know how to back up my current important files, install Debian 10 from ISO, and then restore the backed-up files.

However, I'm wondering if there might be some sort of shortcut involving apt or perhaps some other utility that would allow me to go directly from Ubuntu 20 to Debian 10 without going through the full installation procedure.

I'm not optimistic about this being possible, but I want to ask here, just in case there might be some way to accomplish this.

Thank you very much in advance.

[dilberts_left_nut]

No.

[mm3100]

I have never used it, but there is a tool for something like that called Debootstrap. Could be fun experiment for you if you wanted to try it.
You can find more about it here

https://packages.debian.org/buster/debootstrap
https://wiki.debian.org/Debootstrap

Edit: I wouldn't really call it shortcut tho, as it creates only base Debian.

[sgosnell]

Your system is entirely Ubuntu packages. The only possible shortcut that I'm aware of is installing Debian from an installation disk, and formatting the HDD in the process. Be aware that Ubuntu is based on Debian Sid (Unstable), so the software in Debian Buster (Stable) is far behind what you're using now. Debian Stable is a wonderful OS for productions servers which must work all the time, with no issues. It's not so great as a personal desktop system, and IMO Sid is a better choice. But not everyone agrees with me.

[HippoPotamus]

Thanks to all. It looks like I will just need to do the full HDD-reformat-based ISO install, after all.

Debootstrap indeed looks interesting, but it doesn't replace my OS with the one it installs; rather, it just sets up a chroot jail with the second OS. I will definitely play with this in the future, but it isn't accomplishing what I want to do now.

As for going back to a somewhat earlier version, that's OK with me. I just want to get out of the Ubuntu world, and I know I can get Debian working the way I want.

[CwF]

The funnest way would be to setup qemu/kvm and build your debian replacement in a vm to match as close as you like , and then figure out how to swap disk!

[Head_on_a_Stick]

then figure out how to swap disk

It's actually pretty simple, I've done that with MX Linux: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Moving_an_existing_install_into_(or_out_of)_a_virtual_machine#Moving_out_of_a_VM

And for installing Debian with debootstrap see https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/ ... 03.en.html

[CwF]

It's actually pretty simple

Yes it is. Thanks for a link.

I got docks, build them in ram, then write to a disk pass the disk, boot from it..They all run in any mode, well a few don't. Debian is easily set up to boot wherever it finds itself.