[HowTo] Install and configure Debian bookworm

[Hallvor]

Table of contents

1. Who is this for?
2. Advantages and drawbacks of Debian
3. Installation
3.1 Checksum
3.2 Make a bootable USB-stick
3.3 Disk encryption
3.4 Desktop environments
3.5 Fix boot to black screen
4. Post install
4.1 Getting a functional system
4.1.1 Sources.list
4.1.2 Autoinstall firmware
4.1.3 Graphics
4.1.4 Install software
4.1.5 Containerized applications
4.2 Various tweaks
4.2.1 Add more users
4.2.2 Add a user to sudo
4.2.3 SSD optimization
4.2.4 Enable TRIM
4.2.5 Font Rendering
4.2.6 Improve your laptop’s battery life
4.2.7 Night Colors
4.2.8 Fix non-working plasmoids
4.2.9 Use Bluetooth loudspeakers with PulseAudio
4.3 Web browsing
4.3.1 Add GPU acceleration in Firefox
4.3.2 Addons
4.4 Add a printer
4.5 Advanced system tweaks
4.5.1 Swappiness
4.5.2 Cache Pressure
4.5.3 ZRam
4.5.4 Change GRUB timeout
4.5.5 Check for other operating systems
4.6 Security
4.6.1 Updates
4.6.2 Firewall
4.7 Backup
4.8 Upgrade to trixie
5. Useful external resources


1. Who is this for?
This guide is primarily intended for beginners, although it does assume some basic familiarity with GNU/Linux. You don't need prior experience with Debian to follow along. Additionally, this guide includes valuable tips for more experienced users who want to quickly configure a functional desktop environment.

My aim is for each step to benefit the majority of users in the intended audience. Please note that this guide is designed for Debian bookworm, and it may not be compatible with other Debian versions.


2. Advantages and drawbacks of Debian

Debian is an exceptional operating system, though not without its trade-offs.

Advantages
1. Debian is the second-oldest surviving distro, boasting a strong developer base, ensuring ongoing support and improvements.
2. Debian It supports all major desktop environments, giving users freedom in customizing their experience.
3. Debian's software is tested, stable, and backed by a vast repository, ideal for production systems.
4. Debian has a dedicated security team that actively monitors and addresses security vulnerabilities.
5. Debian excels in smooth, hassle-free upgrades between stable versions, reducing maintenance time.


Drawbacks (may) include

1. Debian prioritizes stability over the latest features, potentially disappointing users seeking cutting-edge software.
2. Debian's commitment to FOSS principles and systemd usage may not align with everyone's preferences.
3. The release cycle is relatively slow compared to many other GNU/Linux distributions.
4. Debian may have a steeper learning curve compared to some other distributions.

Note: Debian bookworm's installation images includes non-free firmware by default, addressing some of the limitations related to non-free software in previous versions. There is more info on this subject here: https://wiki.debian.org/Firmware

So is Debian for you? Debian is what you install if you just want your computer to work flawlessly for years and don't mind your software to be a couple of versions behind..

https://wiki.debian.org/WhyDebian

Why not just install Debian testing, you say? Debian testing is, well, you probably guessed it, the testing branch. It is not a rolling release version of Debian, but a testing environment meant to support the next stable release.


3. Installation
A Debian installation on incompatible hardware is a nightmare, while running it on compatible hardware is a breeze, so you may want to check it your system is compatible by running a LiveDVD from here: https://get.debian.org/images/release/c ... so-hybrid/

Generally, I have never had a problem with all-Intel hardware that is at least a couple of years old.

If everything works, I prefer to use the netinstall: https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/cu ... 64/iso-cd/ This image should work for the vast majority of computers.

3.1 Checksum
Make sure that the checksum for your downloaded image is correct. If not, you may encounter issues during installation.

In order to check a downloaded iso from the command line interface, one can issue the following command (as regular user):

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sha512sum debian-12.1.0-amd64-netinst.iso

Then compare it to the correct entry in the SHA512SUMS-file here: https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/cu ... SHA512SUMS

3.2 Make a bootable USB-stick
If you have a USB stick with enough space and a previous GNU/Linux-install, you can plug the USB stick into your computer and type the following command (as root or sudo) to list your devices:

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fdisk -l

Now check the size and the file system.

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Disk /dev/sdb: 7.5 GiB, 8053063680 bytes, 15728640 sectors
Disk model: ProductCode
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk label type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device     Boot  Start      End  Sectors  Size  Id Type
/dev/sdb1         2048  15726591  15724544  7.5G   7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

As we can see, /deb/sdb matches the size of the USB stick. My USB-stick is also of a different type than the others, being HPFS/NTFS/exFAT.

In order to make a bootable iso, I can just copy the iso to the unit:

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root@debian:/home/hallvor# cp debian-12.1.0-amd64-netinst.iso /dev/sdb

Make sure that all data has been transferred:

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root@debian:/home/hallvor# sync

This page has lots of useful information, including how to install Debian from Windows: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianInstall

Bookworm's comprehensive installation guide can be found here: https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual

Here is a video of an actual installation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf3EN7e-34g

3.3 Disk encryption
For any portable device, I strongly recommend selecting LUKS disk encryption in the installer. Overwriting the entire disk can be skipped. This will allow for a faster installation and reduced wear on storage media. However, it may also leave remnants of previous data on the drive, potentially introducing security and privacy risks.

3.4 Desktop environments
It is a good idea to do a little research before deciding for a desktop environment. Here is a comparison from 2023: https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-desktop-environments/

If you want a solid desktop environment for an older computer, the Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE) is a good option: https://wiki.trinitydesktop.org/Debian_ ... structions

3.5 Fix boot to black screen
When the installation is finished, you may be unfortunate enough to boot to a black screen, you may want to pass the nomodeset option on the kernel command line to boot into "fallback graphics" mode.

Once in the GRUB menu, use the arrow keys to select the Debian entry you want to boot into. (Do not press enter.)

Press the "e" key to edit the GRUB command line, and then look for a line start starts with "linux" or "linuxefi". The line will usually end with "quiet" and "splash", like this

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GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

Type "nomodeset" just before "quiet" and "splash", like this:

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GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="nomodeset quiet splash"

Then press Ctrl+x or F10 to boot with this parameter.

You should now be able to boot into your desktop and install a graphics driver. Please note that this is a temporary way to boot to the desktop and not a permanent solution.

If you for some reason need to use nomodeset on a permanent basis, just

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# nano /etc/default/grub

Add the nomodeset parameter. As above, press Ctrl+x to exit and save your changes.

Finally update GRUB with the following command:

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# update-grub

4. Post install
Please don't blindly copy and paste the commands below. It is probably a good idea to think twice.

The commands are divided in two categories:

$ means that the command should be issued as regular user

# means that the command should be issued as root or with sudo. (If you created a root password during install, sudo will not work out of the box.)

You switch from your regular user to root with su -:

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su -

You switch from root to regular user with su - username, for instance # su - hallvor. Or just type "exit" or Ctrl-D.

4.1 Getting a functional system
Debian's main source of software is determined by sources.list. It is a configuration file determining what and from where software can be fetched. Non-free firmware should be included for your hardware when needed, so not all steps below may be necessary.

4.1.1 Sources.list
You can edit sources.list by issuing the following command:

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# nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Then remove or comment out the CD-rom line with a #, if it is present:

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#deb cdrom://[Debian GNU/Linux 12.0.0 _Bookworm_ - Official amd64 DVD Binary-1 with firmware 20230610-10:23] bookworm Release

My sources.list looks like this: I added contrib and non-free because some packages are not found in main or non-free-firmware.

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deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
#deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian-security/ bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
#deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian-security/ bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
#deb-src http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

The deb-src can be commented out unless you want to build something from source. This will save data traffic.

Save and exit with Ctrl-x, and then y to confirm.

Update your sources.list and apply updates

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# apt update && apt upgrade

4.1.2 Autoinstall firmware
Firmware should be automatically loaded for your system, but if you suspect anything is missing when you run

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# dmesg | grep -i firmware

You can try the isenkram-cli package in case of errors:

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# apt install isenkram-cli

Then run it as root or sudo

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# isenkram-autoinstall-firmware

4.1.3 Graphics
Intel GPUs don't need any extras to work, but Nvidia and AMD/ATI may need some extra firmware. This may already be installed on your computer automatically during install.

NVIDIA
For support of GeForce 600 series and newer GPUs (supported devices). For older devices, you must use nouveau, which should be already installed and in use.

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# apt install linux-headers-amd64 && apt install nvidia-driver firmware-misc-nonfree

https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsD ... ookworm.22

AMD/ATI
AMD/ATI is generally easier to deal with than Nvidia. Please read this: https://wiki.debian.org/AtiHowTo


4.1.4 Install additional applications
No package manager is needed to install applications. You can easily search for and install applications using apt.

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# apt search nameofpackage

Then

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# apt install nameofpackage

To see GNU/Linux alternatives for Windows applications, see here: https://www.linuxalt.com/
You can also install package managers like Discover (KDE) or Synaptic, if they are not already installed.


4.1.5 Packages from outside the repository
A word of caution. Never ever install packages from distros like Ubuntu or its PPAs. Never ever install packages from Debian Testing or Debian Sid. You will probably end up breaking your install:https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian

If you need more recent software, use backports (but keep in mind that this is not as well tested as the software in the respository): https://backports.debian.org/Instructions/

If it is not found in backports, you can try containerized applications. If you still can't find what you are looking for, ask in the forum for a solution. A little word of advice: Your question may have been answered before, so please use a search engine and use the forum search before asking.

If you are new to GNU/Linux and would like to find native counterparts to your trusty Windows-applications, you may want to read this: https://www.linuxalt.com/

4.1.5 Containerized applications
Flatpaks, Appimages and Snaps and are containerized applications, which means that they are bundled with all the necessary dependencies, libraries, and runtime environments needed to run the application. This helps in avoiding compatibility issues and conflicts with system libraries. The tradeoff is increased disk space usage, higher CPU and RAM usage and less tested software. For these reasons I suggest only using these as a last resort.


AppImages
Setting up and using AppImages is very straightforward. Just download the AppImage, make it executable and click on it.

Get AppImages here: https://www.appimagehub.com/

Once you have downloaded an AppImage, make it executable with chmod, for instance

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$ chmod +x Firefox.AppImage

And it's ready to use.


Flatpaks

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# apt install flatpak

Gnome users can install flatpak support with a plugin

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# apt install gnome-software-plugin-flatpak

Add the Flatpak repository

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

Reboot the system

You can install flatpaks through the command line interface or through a web browser.

To install a newer version of Gimp, you can issue the following command:

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# flatpak install org.gimp.GIMP

Or just go to https://flathub.org/ and click the "Install" button.

To update all flatpaks on your system

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# flatpak update

List all flatpaks on your system

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# flatpak list

To remove a flatpak, for instance

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# flatpak remove org.gimp.GIMP

Snap
Install Snap

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# apt install snapd

Enable and start the Snap service:

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# systemctl enable snapd && systemctl start snapd

You may have to log out and log back in at this point.

Check that Snap is running and working

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# snap version

If you can see information about the version and core version, it is working.

To search for snaps, type for instance:

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# snap find vlc

To install the found application from the command line interface, for instance type:

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# snap install vlc

You can also visit https://snapcraft.io/ and just click "Install".

To list your Snaps:

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# snap list

To remove a Snap package, for instance

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# snap remove vlc

4.2 Various tweaks
Below are some common tweaks you may find useful.


4.2.1 Add more users
If multiple users will use the same computer, it is highly recommended to create separate user accounts. Each user can then seamlessly share the same computer with different customization.
You can add new user in KDE in Systemsettings → Manage users → Add user

It is of course also possible to create a new user account from the command line with the following syntax: adduser nameofuser. Issue the following command to add hallvor as user:

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# adduser hallvor

You will then be prompted to type name, password, etc.
If you want to delete this user completely, just type (as root)

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# deluser --remove-home hallvor

4.2.2 Add a user to sudo
If you set a root password during install and still would like to use sudo, you can add yourself to sudo using adduser <username> sudo. In my case that is:

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# adduser hallvor sudo

You can check that you have been added to the sudo group with id <username>, for instance

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$ id hallvor

4.2.3 SSD optimization
Add noatime: If you use an SSD, there are certain things to optimize the performance:

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# nano etc/fstab

Then add the noatime parameter like in the example below to reduce disk writes. Noatime is a little (probably not noticable) faster than relatime.

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/dev/mapper/debian--thinkpad--vg-root /               ext4    errors=remount-ro,noatime 0       1

(The discard option is sometimes recommended, but is not needed if you have enough free space. The discard option also has drawbacks when it comes to cryptography.)

Save and exit.

4.2.4 Enable TRIM
Fstrim is used on a mounted filesystem to discard/trim blocks which are not in use by the filesystem.

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# systemctl enable fstrim.timer
# systemctl start fstrim.timer

Verify that the timer is enabled:

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# systemctl list-timers --all

Your system should now TRIM all mounted filesystems once weekly.

Further SSD optimization is found here: https://wiki.debian.org/SSDOptimization


4.2.5 Font rendering
One of the first things I do is altering the font rendering. First we’ll install liberation fonts. These are metrically identical to Microsoft fonts, so they should yield the same result.

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# apt install fonts-liberation2

If you want to install Microsoft's fonts as well, you can install them with:

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# apt install ttf-mscorefonts-installer

If you are running KDE, you can enter Systemsettings in the menu --> Fonts and then experiment with the settings. I have enabled Sub pixel rendering, Type: RGB and Hinting: Full. Then reboot your computer. You may want to experiment with these settings to find your optimal settings.

GNOME fonts can also be adjusted in the GUI.

If you are not running a desktop environment with GUI options, you can use the following command:

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# dpkg-reconfigure fontconfig fontconfig-config

Type Ctrl + x to save and y to exit. Reboot to see the difference.


4.2.6 Improve your laptop’s battery life
This is very straight forward. TLP will have good default settings, so no tweaking should be necessary. If you already have laptop-mode-tools installed, TLP will conflict with it, so you must not have both installed at the same time.

Run the following command to remove laptop-mode-tools if installed and install TLP:

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# apt remove laptop-mode-tools && apt install tlp tlp-rdw

The following command lets you view system info and status of tlp

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# tlp-stat -s

OR just use laptop-mode-tools:

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# apt install laptop-mode-tools

If you have a ThinkPad, you may want to use TLP with battery charging thresholds. Read this:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=140768

KDE allows configuring battery charging thresholds directly in System Settings if your hardware allows it.

Reboot when done.


4.2.7Night colors
Night colours are nice if you can’t resist using the computer at night:

KDE:
Open system settings and search for night colours. Tick the checkbox, adjust the settings to your liking and enable.

Gnome:
GNOME should have a native blue light filter called Night Light. It should be found here: Open Settings > Display > Night Light tab > Turn on Night Light

Redshift is a good option for everyone else:

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# apt install redshift redshift-gtk

4.2.8 Fix non-working plasmoids in KDE
On a new installation, KDE may complain about a missing file when adding some plasmoids. To avoid it, run the following command (as root):

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# apt install qml-module-qtquick-xmllistmodel

4.2.9 Use Bluetooth loudspeakers with PulseAudio
In order to play music over Bluetooth with PulseAudio, you need the Bluetooth module for PulseAudio sound server:

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# apt install pulseaudio-module-bluetooth

4.3 Web browsing
Hardware acceleration and addons are are important in web browsing because they enhance functionality and performance.


4.3.1 Add GPU acceleration in Firefox
Note: These steps will make Firefox use GPU acceleration to render web pages and video. This should result in lower CPU usage and smoother scrolling. GPU acceleration may not be compatible with your graphics card, and it may not offer a noticeable improvement on older hardware.

The best way to enable hardware acceleration in Firefox is to set these flags below in about:config

media.ffmpeg.vaapi.enabled true

media.ffvpx.enabled false

Set the environment variable needed:


For X11:

gfx.x11-egl.force-enabled true

Restart Firefox.


For Wayland:

NOTE: This may not be an optimal solution. Please see below: viewtopic.php?p=790303#p790303

Type in your terminal

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echo "export MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1" >> ~/.profile

Reboot.

Check that it works:

Type "about:support" in the address bar and press Enter.
Scroll down to the "Graphics" section.
Look for the "Compositing" field, which should show "WebRender" if GPU acceleration is enabled.
Also, check the "GPU Accelerated Windows" field, which should show "1/1 Direct3D 12 (OMTC)" if GPU acceleration is enabled.

https://wiki.debian.org/Firefox


4.3.2 Useful browser addons
I highly recommend the following browser addons to block ads and trackers:
Ublock Origin: https://ublockorigin.com/
Privacy Badger: https://privacybadger.org/


4.4 Add a printer
We'll use CUPS (Common UNIX Printing System) to set up printing. Most modern printers are compatible with Debian, but make sure that your printer is supported before purchasing one.

Make sure cups is installed

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# apt install cups

Enable and start CUPS

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# systemctl start cups
# systemctl enable cups

Open a web browser and go to the CUPS web interface at http://localhost:631/. You may need to authenticate as root:

Click on the "Administration" tab, then click "Add Printer."
You may be prompted to enter your root password.
Follow the on-screen instructions to add your printer.
If your printer is connected locally via USB, it should be automatically detected.
If your printer is on the network, you'll need to specify its IP address or hostname.
If your printer is not automatically detected, you might need to install additional drivers manually. Refer to the manufacturer's website for Linux drivers.

After adding the printer, you can configure various settings, including the printer's name, description, default paper size, and print quality.

To ensure that the printer is set up correctly, you can print a test page from the CUPS web interface. Go to the "Printers" tab, select your printer, and click "Maintenance" > "Print Test Page."


4.5 Advanced system tweaks
Please don't change these values unless you know what you are doing. The default values are fine for most systems.


4.5.1 Swappiness
Swappiness determins how aggressively the Linux kernel swaps data out of RAM to the swap space. Keeping this number low is a good idea for a desktop system with ample RAM. Only adjust these values if you know what you are doing; the default values will be fine for most systems.

In order keep more data in RAM (and write less to disk), we will change the swappiness value to 10.

You can test a new value with this command:

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# sysctl vm.swappiness=10

Edit /etc/sysctl.conf to make permanent changes:

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# nano /etc/sysctl.conf

Then add the following content into the file:

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vm.swappiness=10

4.5.2 Cache pressure
Cache pressure determines how aggressively the kernel reclaims memory from the page cache. Lower values than 100 (maximum) make the kernel more reluctant to free up these cached objects, which can be beneficial for desktop systems with sufficient RAM to keep frequently used files cached in memory.

Do not set the cache pressure to 0, or you will risk running out of memory.

Issue the following command if you want to test a cache pressure of 75.

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# sysctl vm.vfs_cache_pressure=75

If you want to make the new cache pressure permanent:

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# nano /etc/sysctl.conf

Paste in the following line or replace "75" with your preferred value:

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vm.vfs_cache_pressure=75

4.5.3 Zram
Zram (also known as zswap or zcache) is a feature in Linux that allows you to create a compressed block device in RAM, which can help improve system performance by reducing the need to swap data to slower storage devices like hard drives or SSDs. Zram comes with tradeoffs of its own. You swap less with Zram, but you also use more CPU.

Keep in mind that you should keep cache pressure high if you are short on RAM.

If you have plenty of RAM, there is probably not much point using it.

You can install Zram with the following command:

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# apt install zram-tools 

Using 25% of available RAM for Zram is a common rule of thumb.

Configure Zram to use the efficient zstd compression algorithm and 25% of available RAM. Then reload the service to apply the changes.

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# echo -e "ALGO=zstd\nPERCENT=25" | tee -a /etc/default/zramswap
# service zramswap reload

If you would like more manual control, you can edit /etc/default/zramswap

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# nano /etc/default/zramswap

Press Ctrl-x, and y to save.

If you would like to see the status of ZRam, use the zramctl-command

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# zramctl 

Output may be like this, showing algorithm, disksize, data, compression, streams and mountpoint:

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root@debian:~# zramctl
NAME       ALGORITHM DISKSIZE  DATA  COMPR TOTAL STREAMS MOUNTPOINT
/dev/zram0 zstd          2,8G  8,8M 962,9K  8,1M       4 [SWAP]

4.5.4 Change the GRUB timeout
The Grub timeout is 5 seconds by default. You can set this at 2 seconds and shave a few seconds from your boot time:

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# nano /etc/default/grub

Change the line called GRUB_TIMEOUT=5 to GRUB_TIMEOUT=2

Save and exit.


4.5.5 Check for other operating systems
Edit /etc/default/grub:

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# nano /etc/default/grub

Uncomment this line:

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#GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

It should look like this:

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GRUB_DISABLE_OS_PROBER=false

Save and exit.


4.6 Security
Applying timely security updates and protecting your system from unauthorized access are critical for the safety of a Linux system. This manual is highly recommended for further reading: https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/secu ... ex.en.html


4.6.1 Updates
The system can simply be kept up-to-date by issuing the following commands:

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# apt update
# apt upgrade

Most desktop environments have built-in update notifiers, prompting the user to install updates.

Updates can also be automated with unattended-upgrades: https://wiki.debian.org/UnattendedUpgrades


4.6.2Firewall
If you want a basic firewall that blocks incoming traffic while allowing outgoing traffic, one of the easiest ways to administer Debian's Netfilter firewall is by using ufw.

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# apt install ufw

Then enable and configure the firewall

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# ufw enable
# ufw default deny incoming
# ufw default allow outgoing

Check that everything works

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# ufw status verbose

A different option can be found here: http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=143876
Just add the ports you would like to keep open in the text file. Very conventient.


4.7 Back up your system
Any computer user has lost data, or has not lost data *yet*. Fortunately, creating a backup is very easy.
KDE has an integrated backup utility in System Settings.

Timeshift is a different option

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# apt install timeshift

Launch the application and choose RSYNC as snapshot type. Select where you want to save your backup and when the backup needs to be created. Then click finish.


4.8 Upgrade to trixie
You should always read the release notes for the next version before attempting a dist-upgrade: https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/releasenotes Debian trixie will be released some time in 2025, so be patient.

https://www.debian.org/releases/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian_version_history


5. Useful external resources
The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ: https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-faq/
The most common command line interface commands: https://www.debian.org/doc/user-manuals#refcard
The Debian Wiki: https://wiki.debian.org/
The Debian Reference: https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/
To file bug reports, use the Mailing Lists: https://www.debian.org/MailingLists/
Here you can reach Debian: https://www.debian.org/contact

[rodw]

A very interesting list in the link but not much I need. I suggest to include how to set up auto logon (gnome is different to Xfce here)
And also how to set power saving to disable screen lock on a screen saver.
These are the two most asked for features from our community.
Possibly some words about Wayland vs xorg. Not every application runs on both.
And how to select xorg based and other alternative desktops from the logon screen as thats a bit obscure.

[Hallvor]

Thank you for your feedback! I don't use Xfce or Gnome, so I am not sure how to set up auto login there. If you can write step by step instructions, I will include it and give you full credit. There is one condition, though; you provide support for users in this thread concerning the parts you write.

And also how to set power saving to disable screen lock on a screen saver.These are the two most asked for features from our community.

I made a forum search, and I only got one hit: Your post above.

Please forgive me if the howtos are somewhat KDE oriented, but that is what I use and that is what I know. Sorry. The things you ask are point and click in KDE. if anyone else would like to share their knowledge on how to do this in other desktop environments, I'll include it here on the condition mention above.

[CwF]

I suggest to include how to set up auto logon (gnome is different to Xfce here)

search.php?keywords=getty%40

Some of the methods discussed should be DE agnostic.

I don't use any logon manager on most installs and use the systemd unit files mentioned in a few of those discussions. There are variations, so the best way is for people to grasp first, then choose.

I use getty@tty2 and 3 to login. This boots to tty1 in a raw state and involves the user to switch to the tty of their choice. You can easily make tty1 auto login. In the others a manual login and startx still is possible. This still works in bookworm. Of course I could be way off base since I only use XFCE. But I assume when you mention differing methods you were considering lightdm vs gdm.

Hallvor puts out excellent guides. A good guide needs to narrow choices since alternatives never end the discussion, they diffuse it. I keep an eye on this in case I have a simpletons way to contribute...I like simple and work to eliminate friction, so no screensavers, no lockers, no passwords, etc.

[cds60601]

If you intend on covering full disk encryption, please include how a user can bypass the long wait of writing of the zero's and one's on the drive by simply pressing "cancel" I have seen lots of folks get hung up on that.

[Hallvor]

If you intend on covering full disk encryption, please include how a user can bypass the long wait of writing of the zero's and one's on the drive by simply pressing "cancel" I have seen lots of folks get hung up on that.

I will add it, and will cover pros and cons of skipping the step of filling the drive with random data. Thanks for your input.

[Alt+F4]

The best way to enable hardware acceleration in Firefox is to set these flags below in about:config:

media.ffmpeg.vaapi.enabled true

media.ffvpx.enabled false

Set the environment variable needed:

For X11 in about:config change the flag to true

gfx.x11-egl.force-enabled

Restart Firefox.

For Wayland type in your terminal

echo "export MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1" >> ~/.profile

Reboot.

https://wiki.debian.org/Firefox#Hardwar ... celeration

[Hallvor]

I have tried to clean it up a little. Please notify me of any problems you may see/encounter.

[None1975]

Nice tutorial.

[cds60601]

@Hallvor So, when are you releasing the hardcopy
I'd buy it.

[rhinjard]

Nice post @Hallvor. The drawbacks of Debians are it's biggest strength IMHO. In fact, I've migrated to Debian instead of other distros because of the said drawbacks.

[Hallvor]

Thanks! Indeed, these are drawbacks for some, but likely to a lesser extent for those who choose to stick with Debian.

[None1975]

The best way to enable hardware acceleration in Firefox is to set these flags below in about:config:

For Wayland type in your terminal

echo "export MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1" >> ~/.profile

If you want Firefox (firefox-esr) to crash constantly (in wayland), then yes, you should export this variables.

For Firefox rapid release, starting with version 121, Firefox defaults to Wayland instead of XWayland and does not require any configuration. But it is buggy in wayland sessions (tested in Debian 12 with sway).

I suggest using

Code: Select all

export MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=0

This opting Firefox into xwayland mode.

[Hallvor]

If you want Firefox (firefox-esr) to crash constantly (in wayland), then yes, you should export this variables.

[...]

I suggest using

Code: Select all

export MOZ_ENABLE_WAYLAND=0

This opting Firefox into xwayland mode.

Thank you! I have added a link to your post, describing possible problems with the first command.

[pugwall]

Oh no. Followed most of the relevant steps above & boot is now hanging at line:

[ OK ] Finished logrotate.service - Rotate log files

[Hallvor]

Oh no. Followed most of the relevant steps above & boot is now hanging at line:

[ OK ] Finished logrotate.service - Rotate log files

Still hanging?

[pugwall]

Oh no. Followed most of the relevant steps above & boot is now hanging at line:

[ OK ] Finished logrotate.service - Rotate log files

Still hanging?

Yes, unfortunately. I haven't tinkered too much with it yet for a solution.

Looking back through your tutorial, I only did:

Commented out the deb-src in sources.list
Enabled TRIM
Font rendering
Added GPU acceleration in Firefox for X11
Installed ufw, but never actually ran/enabled it as it didn't seem to be in my $PATH
Rebooted and hang time!

TRIM seems to be the only step that would have significantly changed anything.

[Hallvor]

None of that should cause any trouble. Try booting into recovery mode in GRUB to get to a command line interface. Get a root shell and then check the log for last boot

Code: Select all

journalctl --boot=-1

Hopefully it shows why things have gone wrong.

You could also disable TRIM once you have a root shell.