Introduction

If you’re tired of systemd’s labyrinthine dependency puzzles and crave the old-school simplicity of SysV init, welcome aboard! Devuan GNU Linux is a systemd-free fork of Debian that brings back the init you know and love, with modern package trees and rock-solid stability. In this guide we’ll cover every nitty-gritty detail—download, verify, partition, install, tweak—and even sprinkle in a little humor so you won’t nod off halfway through partitioning your /home.

Why Choose Devuan?

• systemd-free: No PID 1 monolith breathing down your processes.
• Familiar Debian base: Aptitude, dpkg, and the vast Debian repository—minus the systemd bits.
• Community-driven: A dedicated team keeping init simple again.
• Lightweight modular: Great for servers, desktops, embedded devices—heck, even your toaster if it has an x86 board.

Prerequisites

Pro tip: Keep an eye on the BIOS/UEFI mode (Legacy vs UEFI). You don’t want to be locked out of your shiny new OS because of a boot mode mismatch.

Step 1: Download the ISO

Head over to the official Devuan download page:
https://www.devuan.org/os/download.
Choose your architecture (amd64 for 64-bit, or i386 for older hardware).
Pick your flavor:

• Desktop (with Xfce/MATE/Cinnamon KDE options),
• Live (boot test without installing),
• Minimal (netinstall, manual package selection).

Step 2: Verify the ISO

Nothing says “oops” like a corrupted ISO halfway through installer rambling. Always check your download:

• Download the .sha256 or .sha512 checksum file from the same directory.
• Run sha256sum devuan_iso_name.iso and compare with the provided checksum.
• Optionally, verify with GPG if you like living on the edge:

  gpg --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 0xXXXXXXXXXXXX
  gpg --verify devuan_iso_name.iso.sig

Step 3: Create a Bootable USB

Two popular methods:

a) Using dd (Linux/macOS)

sudo dd if=devuan.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

Replace /dev/sdX with your USB device (be very sure!).

b) Using Etcher (Windows/macOS/Linux)

• Download from https://www.balena.io/etcher/.
• Select ISO, select USB, click “Flash!”
• Marvel at the progress bar.

Step 4: BIOS/UEFI Settings

• Reboot and enter setup (F2, Del, F12, Esc—depends on your motherboard).
• Disable Secure Boot (Devuan’s shim might not play nice).
• Set USB as first boot device (or enable boot menu and press F12).
• Save exit. Don’t worry, your BIOS knows you love Devuan.

Step 5: The Installer—Classic Yet Plastic

1. Select Language: English, Klingon (JK), etc.
2. Select Location Keyboard: So time, locale, and key mappings are correct.
3. Detect Network: DHCP or manual. If Wi-Fi, choose your SSID and enter passphrase.
4. Set Root Password: Please choose something stronger than password123.
5. Create a Regular User: Best practice—don’t run daily tasks as root.
6. Partition Disks:
   • Guided: Use entire disk (LVM optional).
   • Manual: For power users—create / (root), /home, swap, maybe /var.
7. Configure Package Manager:
   • Choose a mirror near you.
   • Enable Devuan Backports if you need newer packages.
8. Install Base System: Grab the essentials.
9. Select Init: SysV init is default no systemd here.
10. Choose Desktop Environment:
    • Xfce: Fast and lightweight.
    • MATE: Traditional GNOME2 feel.
    • Cinnamon: Modern, slick.
    • KDE: Fancy but heavier.
11. Install GRUB Bootloader: Usually on /dev/sda—it will politely manage your boot entries.
12. Finish Installation: Remove the USB, reboot, and cross your fingers.

Step 6: First Boot Post-Install Tweaks

Upon reboot, log in as your new user. Now:

• Update Package Lists:

  sudo apt update  sudo apt upgrade

• Install Favorite Apps:

  sudo apt install vim htop git curl

• Enable Firewall (ufw):

  sudo apt install ufw
  sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
  sudo ufw enable

• Multimedia Codecs:

  sudo apt install media-player-info libavcodec-extra

• Printer Support:

  sudo apt install cups

• Swap Tweaks: Edit /etc/sysctl.conf to adjust vm.swappiness if desired.

Advanced Customizations

Adding Backports Third-Party Repos

Edit /etc/apt/sources.list and add:

deb http://deb.devuan.org/merged beowulf-backports main contrib non-free

Replace beowulf with your release (chimaera, daedalus, etc.). Then:

sudo apt update
sudo apt -t beowulf-backports install some-new-package

Kernel Upgrades

• Use official Devuan kernels: sudo apt install linux-image-amd64
• Try Liquorix (for performance): see https://liquorix.net/.

Tip: Swap on SSD?

Consider zswap or a small swap file instead of a partition to reduce wear.

Troubleshooting Quick-Fixes

• No network? sudo ifconfig / ip a and look for interfaces. sudo dhclient eth0.
• Broken packages? sudo apt --fix-broken install.
• Missing drivers? Check /usr/share/doc/ for firmware packages or Debian Firmware Wiki.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you now have a sleek, systemd-free Devuan installation ready for desktop use or server duties. Enjoy the lighter init, fewer surprises, and the warm fuzzies that come from knowing you’re running a community-driven distro. And remember: if you ever get stuck, Google, Devuan forums, IRC channels, and mailing lists are your friends. Happy hacking!