How To Install Debian 9 "Stretch" DVD1 with GNOME Desktop

This tutorial guides you to install Debian 9.0 with GNOME Desktop through Graphical Installer from DVD1. You'll first prepare 2 partitions as main and swap, then make a bootable USB and finally run the installation in step-by-step. You can follow this tutorial in either singleboot or dualboot mode. This tutorial is simplified for Ubuntu users who are never installed Debian. Happy installing!

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a. Summary

There are at least 9 steps to go through the Debian 9.0 Graphical Installer:

1. Choose language
2. Choose keyboard
3. Configure network
4. Setup username & password
5. Partitioning
6. Install base system
7. Configure APT package manager
8. Install desktop environment (GNOME)
9. Install GRUB bootloader

b. Download Debian DVD

You just need DVD1 to install Debian. Download the DVD1 (as 3.5GB) and not the LiveDVD version one (2.2GB). Here's Debian 9.0 Download Links. 

c. Prepare 2 Partitions

You need to create 2 blank partitions to be the main and swap. Main partition is the place where Debian OS belongs (like C:\ for Windows) while swap partition is a virtual memory & hibernate storage. For main, give it at least 20GB and not less. For swap, it's optional, you may give it 1GB. You can do this with GParted Partition Editor on Ubuntu LiveCD or such.

For example, for this installation tutorial I created 2 partitions:

• main partition /dev/sda6 as 42GB
• swap partition /dev/sda3 as 2.6GB

d. Create Bootable USB

Don't use Unetbootin! Use dd command instead. For example, change the 'X' with your USB drive letter and 'debian.iso' with your Debian image file:

sudo dd bs=5M if=debian.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress && sync

If you don't know the steps, learn it from creating a Debian-based OS bootable USB drive.

e. Booting

Reboot your computer to USB and you should see a Debian splash screen here. Choose "Graphical Install" from the choices.

1. Choose Language

First step: select a language. This will be the whole language on your desktop & applications.

2. Configure the Keyboard

Second step: select a keyboard layout. Default choice is safe.

3. Configure The Network

Third step: ignore the network interfaces shoice and press "Go Back" instead. This should bring you to the list of installation steps.

4. Usernames & Passwords

Fourth step: this is the most important step, determine 2 things: root password and your own account's password. Without root password, later, you cannot configure your system and cannot install programs (worse, even you cannot install 'sudo').

Root password:
Determine a password for the root superuser of Debian.

Nonroot Username:
Define your own account's username.


Nonroot Password:
Define your account's password.


Fullname:
This could be your real name or anything.

5. Partitioning

Fifth step: create main partition and swap partition.

Choose Manual Partitioning:
Press "Manual" and press Continue.


Edit main partition:
Double-click the main partition you've prepared and edit its properties like these:


Edit swap partition:
Do the similar thing to make swap partition.

What it should look:
See here the swap and the main partition entries. Make sure they look like that.


Select "Finish partitioning" and continue.

6. Install Base System

Sixth step: after finishing the partitions and continue, the installer will install base system. Base system is the basic OS Debian should be but without GNOME desktop. You should wait for ±20 minutes (it depends on your hardware specs).

7. Configure Package Manager

Seventh step: after installing base system, you'll be asked to configure APT package manager. You can go through with "Yes" or any selection here in offline mode (without network connection). Ignore any error here because you can reconfigure anything once Debian installed.

8. Install GNOME Desktop

Eighth step: select GNOME from the software selection. This will install GNOME Desktop as the user interface for this Debian 9.0.

9. Install Bootloader

Ninth step: determine GRUB Bootloader to be installed so you (if dualboot) can choose between OSes at booting time.

Select YES:
The installer is smart it could detect another OSes installed on the same computer. See below, it detects my Ubuntu 12.04 and 17.04, the other OSes on my laptop. So select "Yes" and Continue.


Choose your parent disk:
For example, if your main partition is /dev/sda6, then the parent is /dev/sda.

Finish Installation

Once finished, Debian asks you to reboot. Press Continue and enjoy your Debian 9.0 Stretch with GNOME desktop.