How To install Debian 12 on VirtualBox | Darren's Tech Tutorials

Complete Guide: Install Debian 12.5 Bookworm on VirtualBox (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

Hi guys, Darren here from Darren’s Tech Tutorials, and I am excited to guide you through installing one of the freshest and most stable Linux distributions available: Debian 12, codenamed “Bookworm.”

Specifically, we’ll be setting up the latest point release, Debian 12.5, right inside Oracle VirtualBox.

While many tutorials focus on automated or “unattended” installs, we’re taking the manual route. Why? Because walking through every option ensures you understand exactly what’s happening under the hood. This knowledge is crucial if you ever decide to install Debian 12 on bare metal hardware, not just within a VM.

Ready to dive into the world of stable, powerful Linux? Let’s get started!

Phase 1: Downloading the Debian 12 ISO

The first step is securing the installation media. Always make sure you download the ISO image directly from the official Debian website to ensure authenticity and security.

Search: Open your browser and search for “Debian 12 download.”
Navigate: Click the official Debian download link.
Select the ISO: Locate and click to download the current stable release ISO image (which, at the time of this guide, is 12.5).

Pro Tip: These ISOs can be large, but you don’t need to wait for the download to finish to start setting up the Virtual Machine environment.

Phase 2: Creating the VirtualBox Machine

Now that the ISO is downloading, let’s prepare the sandbox within VirtualBox.

Open VirtualBox: Launch the VirtualBox Manager.
Create New VM: Navigate to Tools and click New.
Configure Basics:
- Name: Give your VM a descriptive name, like Debian 12.5 New.
- ISO Image: Click the dropdown menu and select the Debian ISO file you just started downloading.
Skip Unattended Install: This is important. Check the box to Skip Unattended Installation. This allows us to manually step through every configuration option, giving you total control.
Hardware: Leave the default RAM and CPU settings for now; they are usually sufficient for a quick test VM.
Disk Size: The default of 20 GB is perfectly fine for testing. Click Finish.

Your virtual machine shell is now ready!

Phase 3: Step-by-Step Debian 12 Installation Walkthrough

Once the VM is configured, double-click your newly created Debian 12.5 entry to power it on.

1. Starting the Installer

When the boot menu appears, use your arrow keys to select:

Graphical Install
Hit Enter.

(Reminder: If your cursor gets stuck inside the VM window, press the Right Control key to release it.)

2. Localization Settings

The installer will first ask you about your location and language settings:

Language: Select English (or your preferred language).
Location: Select your country (e.g., Ireland, United States, etc.).
Keyboard Layout: Select the appropriate layout (e.g., Irish, American English).

3. Network Configuration

The system will now attempt to configure your network.

Hostname: You can leave the default or set a descriptive name.
Domain Name: For a test machine, we can simply enter test.com and click Continue.

4. Setting User Accounts and Passwords

We need to set up two critical security accounts: the root user and your primary standard user.

Root Password: Input a secure password for the administrative root user.
Full Name of User: Enter your full name (e.g., Darren).
User Name: This will default to a lowercase version of your name (e.g., darren).
User Password: Input a separate password for your daily user account.

5. Partitioning Disks

For a VirtualBox installation, the simplest method is to use the guided option.

Select Guided – Use entire disk.
Select the virtual disk you created (this should be the only option).
Choose All files in one partition (recommended for new users).
Review the summary and select Finish partitioning and write changes to disk.
Confirm by selecting Yes to write the changes.

The base system installation will now begin. This is a good time to grab a coffee, as this step typically takes a few minutes!

6. Configuring the Package Manager

After the base system is installed, we need to configure where the system gets its software updates.

Scan additional installation media? Select No.
Mirror Country: Select a country geographically close to you (e.g., United Kingdom).
Debian Archive Mirror: Leave the default (deb.debian.org) unless you have a specific mirror preference.
Proxy: If you don’t use a network proxy for internet access, leave this blank and click Continue.
Participation: When asked if you want to participate in the package usage survey, select No and click Continue.

7. Software Selection (Desktop Environment)

You now get to choose which applications and interfaces you want installed.

Desktop Environment: We recommend selecting GNOME, as it’s the most commonly used and generic graphical Linux environment.
Standard System Utilities: Keep this checked.
Optional: Unless you need them immediately for testing, keep Web Server and SSH Server unchecked for a basic desktop setup.
Click Continue. More packages will now download and install.

8. Installing the GRUB Boot Loader

The GRUB boot loader is essential for booting your operating system.

Install the GRUB boot loader to the master boot record? Select Yes.
Select the virtual hard drive (usually /dev/sda) to install the boot loader.

9. Final Steps and Reboot

The installation is now complete!

Click Continue to finish.
The VM will automatically reboot. Ensure the virtual installation media is removed (VirtualBox usually handles this).
When the GRUB menu appears, select Debian GNU/Linux.

The system will boot to the login screen.
Click on the user account you created (Darren).
Enter your user password.

You might be presented with a final welcome wizard to confirm language, keyboard, and location services. Complete these quick steps, and you will be successfully greeted by the beautiful Debian 12 Bookworm desktop!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully navigated the manual installation of Debian 12.5 Bookworm on VirtualBox. You now have a stable, powerful Linux environment ready for development, testing, or just exploring the Linux desktop.

By skipping the unattended install, you learned exactly how Debian configures networking, users, partitioning, and package management—knowledge that will serve you well on any system.

If this guide was helpful, please let me know! Drop a comment below with any questions, and don’t forget to Like the video and Subscribe to Darren’s Tech Tutorials for more clear, accessible technology guides.

Thanks for watching, and happy computing!

Cheers, Darren