Debian 13 Xfce installation guide

Why Debian?

Debian GNU/Linux is a free and open source UNIX-like operating system, known for prioritising reliability over shipping the latest half-baked software to users, a problem that continues to plague other distributions and operating systems. Nevertheless, it has some of the largest official package repositories of any distribution – roughly three times larger than Fedora and six times larger than Arch Linux. New stable versions are released every ~2 years and are officially supported for ~3 years.

Debian 13 (codename "Trixie") was released on 9^th August 2025.

Why Xfce?

Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment (DE) with a reputation for performance and stability. Compared to other DEs, it also retains a more traditional look and feel; however, as we will see, the default experience can be improved very easily. Xfce's developers have committed to retaining X11 compatibility for the foreseeable future even as other DEs drop support in favour of Wayland despite serious gaps in functionality.

Installation

Before starting, ensure that you have backed up any files you wish to keep, as all data will be removed during the installation process.

First, you will need to download the Debian 13 network installation image. Once it has been downloaded, you can write it to a USB drive. This can be done using balenaEtcher on Microsoft Windows or GNOME MultiWriter on GNU/Linux. In the case of the latter, make sure to uncheck Wipe in the settings menu. All data on the drive will be removed, so copy any important files elsewhere before doing this.

Next, if you are on Windows, you will need to disable Fast Startup. This can be done by opening Control Panel and clicking on Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable and unchecking Turn on fast startup.

Then, reboot your computer into the UEFI BIOS settings. This can be done via a hotkey (often F2) before your operating system loads or by opening the Windows Settings app and clicking on System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings. Ensure that USB boot is turned on and set to a higher priority than the other options in the boot priority list. You should also consider disabling Secure Boot; otherwise you may have to self-sign kernel modules. In any case, there is evidence to suggest that threat actors do not find it difficult to bypass Secure Boot.

Reboot your computer. The Debian installer menu should appear. Click on Graphical Install, then select your language, region and keyboard.

Next, you will need to connect to the Internet. Enter a hostname and domain name for the computer. If you are using a wired Ethernet connection, you should not have to do anything further. If you are using Wi-Fi, you may be prompted to select the correct adapter. Then, select the network you wish to use and enter the security key (if required).

Do not set a root password and continue with the installation, setting up your user account etc. This will disable the ability to log in as the root user directly. You will still be able to perform privileged operations using sudo.

Next, you will need to partition your hard disk(s). Select Manual. A list containing your disks and their partitions will appear. Double-click on each partition in turn, then double-click on Delete the partition. All disks should show FREE SPACE only. Next, on one of the disks, double-click on FREE SPACE > Create new partition. Make the size around 2 GB and set the location to Beginning. Double-click on Use as and select EFI System Partition. If Bootable flag is set to off, double-click to turn it on. Double-click on Done setting up the partition.

Double-click on FREE SPACE directly below the newly created ESP partition and create a new partition, keeping the default size and selecting physical volume for encryption in the Use as menu. Double-click on Erase data to change it to no, then double-click on Done setting up the partition. Repeat this process for the remaining FREE SPACE entries on the other disks. Do not create additional ESP partitions.

Double-click on Configure encrypted volumes and write the changes to disk. Double-click on Create encrypted volumes and select the crypto partitions you created in the previous step. Click on Continue, then double-click on Finish. You will then be prompted to set a disk encryption password for each disk. It is probably best to think of a strong password and reuse it across each disk. As per UK NCSC guidelines, your password should include three random words.

New encrypted volume entries should appear in the list of disks/partitions. These volumes will contain Ext4 partitions. Select each one in turn and set Use as to physical volume for LVM. Then, double-click on Configure the Logical Volume Manager, writing any pending changes to disk. Select Create volume group and enter the system hostname. Check all of the devices ending in crypt and click on Continue.

Next, select Create a new volume > Hostname and set the volume name to "swap". Change the size to 2 GB. Repeat this process, but name the volume "root" and keep the default size. Double-click on Finish.

These new LVM volumes will appear in the list of disks/partitions. Select the partition under swap and set Use as to swap area, then double-click on Done setting up the partition. Select the partition under root and set Use as to Ext4 partition. Change Mount point to / (root) and double-click on Done setting up the partition.

Click on Finish partitioning and write changes to disk. You will be prompted for confirmation and then the base system will be installed. If you are prompted to scan additional media, just leave No selected and continue. Choose your country and then select deb.debian.org as your mirror. Leave HTTP proxy information blank.

You will then be asked to select software to install. Leave Debian desktop environment and standard system utilities checked. Uncheck GNOME and check Xfce. When you click on Continue, the installer will download the required packages from the mirror you selected in the previous step and complete the installation.