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Download Debian: official images and preparation

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English edition published on .

Debian catalogue screenshot
Catalogue screenshot; the current release may look different.
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Updated on · Official sources checked on that date.

Which Debian image should you download?

To try Debian with a desktop before installing, choose a live image. To install your chosen software using an Internet connection, choose netinst. The button above opens the official download; distrib.wiki does not host ISO files.

The official Debian download page presents images from the stable branch, Debian 13 “Trixie” when this page was checked. Use the revision offered when you download: its number may change without a change of branch.

1. Netinst, live or DVD: three different uses

Netinst: install while downloading the required software
This image provides what you need to start installation and set up the base system. Plan for an Internet connection the installer can use to obtain additional software. It does not provide a live desktop session to try.
Live: explore a desktop before installation
Official live images boot a usable system from media and then offer the Calamares installer. Choose an available desktop, such as GNOME, KDE or Xfce. At the source-check date, official live images were offered for amd64 64-bit PCs; additional language packages may be needed after installation.
DVD: have more software on the media
DVD-1 contains more packages than netinst and facilitates offline installation. It does not necessarily include every application you want. Network access remains useful afterwards for updates and missing packages.

For a first trial on your PC, a live session lets you check display, audio and networking without launching installation. Use our trial checklist.

2. AMD64, ARM and older PCs: choose a compatible image

AMD64 also covers compatible 64-bit Intel PCs. The Debian supported-hardware manual distinguishes this architecture from ARM and other platforms. On an ARM device, check the exact model and its architecture’s instructions; an amd64 ISO is unsuitable.

An older 32-bit-only PC cannot use the Debian 13 installer. The Trixie release notes specify that i386 no longer has an official Debian kernel or installer. Choosing a lightweight desktop does not change this constraint.

Wi-Fi or some graphics components may require firmware. Since Debian 12, official images can include non-free firmware without covering every device. If the installer requests firmware, follow the missing-firmware chapter and use files matching the installed release.

3. Verify the downloaded ISO

A correct hash detects changes to a file. To verify provenance as well, authenticate the checksum list. The official Debian verification procedure supplies instructions and signing-key information.

  1. From the same official directory as your image, obtain SHA512SUMS and its SHA512SUMS.sign signature, or the SHA256 pair if using that algorithm.
  2. Verify the list’s signature with an OpenPGP tool, checking the key according to Debian’s procedure.
  3. Calculate your ISO’s hash with the chosen algorithm, then compare it with the line bearing its exact filename in the authenticated list.

If hashes differ, download again. If you cannot validate the signature, do not consider provenance verified. Keep the ISO, list and signature together to avoid mixing releases.

4. Create USB media and prepare the first boot

Choose a USB drive large enough for the image and back up its contents: writing the image replaces data on the target media. Use an image-writing or disk-image restoration function; simply placing the ISO on an ordinary USB drive is insufficient.

The Debian USB-media FAQ describes Windows and Linux methods. For Windows, it includes balenaEtcher and USBImager. Check the selected device’s name and capacity before writing, then wait for completion.

Reboot and select the USB drive in the computer’s boot menu, following the manufacturer’s instructions. With a live image, begin with the trial session. With netinst, you enter the installation process.

Before installing to disk, separately back up documents and check partitioning choices in the Debian installation manual for 64-bit PCs. Installing alongside another system and erasing the disk are different choices: do not confirm an operation whose effects you do not understand.

Prepare my Debian trial Understand Debian and its derivatives