Introduction

If you’re a Linux user planning to switch to Debian, it’s better to try it as a virtual machine before making it your host or primary operating system. Once you’re satisfied, you can replace your current operating system with Debian.

This article provides a brief introduction to Debian and guides you on how to install it in VirtualBox to explore its features.

What is Debian?

Debian GNU/Linux is a free, open-source distribution created by Ian Murdock in 1993. It serves as the foundation for many Linux distributions, i.e. Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Kali Linux. Debian is known for its ease of use and offers DVD and CD images for installation on desktop environments like GNOME and Cinnamon. Overall, it’s the most widely used Linux distribution after Ubuntu.

Installation of Debian in VirtualBox

Let’s begin with the installation of Debian as a virtual machine in VirtualBox.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation of Debian in VirtualBox, you require the following things in your system:

• VirtualBox
• Debian ISO file
• Minimum 20GB disk space
• Minimum 4GB RAM

NOTE: If you’ve already installed VirtualBox on your system, you may skip this section and jump directly to the installation of Debian.

If you don’t have VirtualBox installed on your system, you can install it via your system’s package manager or directly from Oracle’s official site. To install VirtualBox from Oracle, simply download and install it from Oracle VirtualBox.

Install Debian 12 as a Virtual Machine

After successfully installing VirtualBox, you can begin installing Debian in VirtualBox.

Firstly, head to the official download page on Debian’s website. Then, download the ISO file of the latest Debian:

The installation will take some time, depending on your internet connection. Wait until the Debian 12 ISO file downloads completely:

Afterward, open the VirtualBox and click on the New button:

Next, enter the name of your Virtual machine:

Now, select the ISO image you downloaded. You can search for it on your system by selecting Other if it’s not listed in the options below. Finally, click Next to proceed further:

Now, set the Username and Password of your Virtual Machine. Additionally, you may change the Hostname of your machine. Then, click Next to proceed:

Subsequently, you must select the maximum amount of RAM and CPU count that your virtual machine can use. To increase the performance of your machine, you should select a larger amount of RAM and increase the CPU count. However, you can leave the settings as they are if you’re just creating the VM for test purposes, as you can modify them later. Afterward, click Next:

Then, select a Virtual Hard Disk size and click Next to proceed:

Finally, you’ll see the complete summary of your VM. If you want to edit or change something, select Back, or press Finish to proceed:

You have successfully created your Debian 12 virtual machine. Now, it’s time to install Debian 12. To begin the installation, start the virtual machine and wait for the installation to complete:

Finally, Debian is successfully installed:

Enter the password of the user that you’d set while creating the virtual machine:

Finally, the installation is complete. Now, you’ll receive post-installation configuration prompts for setting the keyboard layout and online accounts. Set them according to your preferences and enjoy using Debian:

Thus, we’ve successfully installed Debian 12 in VirtualBox.

Conclusion

Debian is a popular, user-friendly Linux distribution that offers many useful features. This article has covered the process of installing Debian as a virtual machine in VirtualBox. This way, users can explore Debian and decide if they want to make it their primary operating system.