How to Install Devuan Linux from a Bootable USB

To install Devuan Linux, boot an official ISO from USB and run the installer. Devuan Excalibur Desktop Live boots Xfce and includes Refracta Installer; its official archive lists 6.1.1 for amd64 PCs. It requires manual partitioning. For automatic partitioning or the more extensively tested UEFI path, use the separate console-based regular installer.

What you need

• Back up files; formatting the wrong partition erases them.
• A USB drive with at least 4 GB; Etcher erases it.
• Internet access; identify the target disk if keeping another OS.

How to install Devuan Linux

1. Download the Desktop Live ISO

Open Devuan's download page and choose Desktop Live for your architecture. Most 64-bit Intel or AMD computers use amd64. The current archive lists devuan_excalibur_6.1.1_amd64_desktop-live.iso. Use the official Excalibur archive or a mirror linked by Devuan.

2. Verify the downloaded ISO

Download the ISO's .sha256 sidecar from the same directory. On Linux, check it with sha256sum --check filename.iso.sha256; on macOS use shasum -a 256 filename.iso; in PowerShell use Get-FileHash .\filename.iso -Algorithm SHA256. Compare the computed digest with the published value. For authenticity, verify the matching .sha256.asc signature with GPG and confirm the key against Devuan's developer list. If the digest does not match, download the ISO again.

3. Write the ISO to a USB drive

Install balenaEtcher. Choose Flash from file, select the ISO, choose the USB drive, and start the flash. Check the drive name and capacity first because its existing contents will be erased. Let Etcher finish verifying, then safely eject the drive.

4. Start the live system

Restart and open the computer's one-time boot menu. Select the USB entry; for UEFI, choose its UEFI USB option. If keeping another OS, boot Devuan in the same mode, UEFI or legacy BIOS. Choose the live desktop from the startup menu.

5. Change the live-session passwords

The Desktop Live README lists the public credentials: user devuan / password devuan, and root password toor. Before connecting to a network, open a terminal and run passwd, then sudo passwd, to change both. Refracta Installer copies the running system, so the new passwords carry over.

6. Prepare disk partitions

Open GParted and identify the target disk by its size and existing partitions. Desktop Live has no automatic partitioning. A legacy BIOS install needs a system partition; UEFI also needs an EFI System Partition (ESP). Devuan's guide specifies a 50–500 MB FAT32 ESP with the esp flag. Reuse an existing ESP when keeping another OS, and do not format it. Create Devuan's root partition in free space; ext4 is a common choice. If unsure which disk or partition is safe, stop before applying changes.

7. Launch Refracta Installer

Double-click Install Devuan or open it from the applications menu. The graphical installer can also be started with sudo refractainstaller-yad. Read the help if an EFI warning appears; for UEFI, Devuan says the EFI partition should be on the first disk.

8. Assign the root and EFI partitions

Select the prepared root partition, assign it to /, and choose ext4. In UEFI mode, select the ESP for the EFI mount point if prompted, and leave its contents unformatted. For BIOS, follow the GRUB prompt for the boot disk. A separate /home or /boot is optional.

9. Choose system settings

Select your time zone, locale, keyboard, and layout. Set a hostname, root password, and everyday user account. Refracta can encrypt root and home filesystems; read its help before enabling encryption, particularly if you plan a separate /boot or swap partition. See Devuan's Excalibur Live Install Guide for partitioning details.

10. Review and confirm disk changes

Check the summary's disk, partitions, mount points, and format actions. Formatting erases the selected partition. Go back if the plan names the wrong disk or includes a partition you need; confirm only when the changes match your plan. The installer then copies the live system to disk.

11. Install GRUB

Let the installer install GRUB so the computer can start Devuan. In UEFI mode, it goes to the EFI partition. For legacy BIOS, Devuan's guide generally recommends the first boot disk's MBR. When asked for a BIOS location, select the disk rather than a Linux partition.

12. Restart and sign in

Finish the installer, remove the USB drive as the computer restarts, and select Devuan if a boot menu appears. Sign in with the account you created. Check network, time, and hardware, then follow Devuan's Excalibur package guidance for updates.

Troubleshooting

If the USB is not listed, retry the one-time boot menu and re-create the drive if needed. If the installer cannot find an ESP, confirm you booted in UEFI mode and that the FAT32 partition has the esp flag. Do not format a disk until its identity is clear. For automatic partitioning or the regular console installer, follow Devuan's separate Excalibur installation guide.