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edbarx

Member

Registered: 2016-12-01

Posts: 20  

[SOLVED] Can I convert Debian 12.4, bookworm, into Devuan?

Lately, I installed Debian 12. Can I convert it to Devuan without reinstalling everything? I know, this was an option when Devuan came into existence a decade ago.

Thanks.

ChatGPT

Yes, it is possible to convert a Debian system into a Devuan system without reinstalling, although it requires some caution and manual intervention. Devuan is a Debian derivative that aims to provide a Debian-compatible distribution without using systemd.

Here's a basic outline of the process:

1)    Backup: Before making any major changes to your system, it's crucial to back up your important data. While the conversion process itself is generally safe, there's always a chance of unexpected issues.

2)  Update Debian: Make sure your Debian system is fully up to date by running sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade to ensure that you have the latest packages installed.

3)  Add Devuan Repositories: Replace your Debian repositories with the corresponding Devuan ones. This typically involves modifying your /etc/apt/sources.list file. You can find the Devuan repository URLs on the Devuan website.

4)  Update Package Lists: After modifying your sources.list, run sudo apt update to update the package lists with the Devuan repositories.

5)  Install Devuan Keyring: Since you've added Devuan repositories, you'll need to install the Devuan keyring to verify package integrity. You can do this with the following command:

sudo apt install devuan-keyring

6)  Perform the Upgrade: Now, you can perform the distribution upgrade. Use the following command:

sudo apt full-upgrade

    This command will upgrade all installed packages to their latest versions available in the Devuan repositories. Follow any prompts or instructions that may appear during the upgrade process.

7)  Remove Unnecessary Packages: After the upgrade, you may want to remove any leftover Debian-specific packages that are no longer needed or compatible with Devuan. You can use commands like apt autoremove or apt purge to clean up the system.

8)  Reboot: Once the upgrade process is complete, it's a good idea to reboot your system to ensure that all changes take effect properly.

9)  Verify: After rebooting, log in and verify that your system is functioning as expected. Check for any errors or issues that may have arisen during the conversion process.

Keep in mind that while this process is generally straightforward, there's always a risk of something going wrong, so proceed with caution and make sure you have backups of your important data. Additionally, be aware that some Debian-specific configurations may not be fully compatible with Devuan, so you may need to adjust your system settings accordingly.

Last edited by edbarx (2024-03-17 08:33:53)

rolfie

Member

Registered: 2017-11-25

Posts: 1,171  

Re: [SOLVED] Can I convert Debian 12.4, bookworm, into Devuan?

https://www.devuan.org/os/documentation … o-daedalus

edbarx

Member

Registered: 2016-12-01

Posts: 20  

Re: [SOLVED] Can I convert Debian 12.4, bookworm, into Devuan?

Thanks. It worked but the USB thumb drive automounter does not work. Can I have USB thumb drive automatically mounted as in Debian?

rolfie

Member

Registered: 2017-11-25

Posts: 1,171  

Re: [SOLVED] Can I convert Debian 12.4, bookworm, into Devuan?

Sure, should work. Have you rebooted?

If that doesn't solve the problem, please post the output of inxi -F

Last edited by rolfie (2024-03-17 12:53:28)

edbarx

Member

Registered: 2016-12-01

Posts: 20  

Re: [SOLVED] Can I convert Debian 12.4, bookworm, into Devuan?

Yes, I rebooted. I will insert the USB thumb drive and issue the command inxi -F.

inxi F:

System:
  Host: debian Kernel: 6.1.0-18-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: Xfce
    v: 4.18.1 Distro: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Portable System: Dell product: Inspiron N5110 v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: 034W60 v: A11 serial: <superuser required> BIOS: Dell
    v: A11 date: 08/03/2012
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core i3-2310M bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache:
    L2: 512 KiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 799 min/max: 800/2100 cores: 1: 798 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics
    driver: i915 v: kernel
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: crocus gpu: i915 resolution: 1366x768~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 3.3 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB
    GT2)
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio
    driver: snd_hda_intel
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-18-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PulseAudio v: 16.1 status: active
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet driver: r8169
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: 78:2b:cb:dc:e5:ec
  Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter driver: ath9k
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: c0:f8:da:17:b5:5f
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR3011 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 state: up address: C0:F8:DA:17:B5:60 bt-v: 2.0
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 355.83 GiB used: 11.2 GiB (3.1%)
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Seagate model: ST320LT020-9YG142 size: 298.09 GiB
  ID-2: /dev/sdc type: USB vendor: Kingston model: DataTraveler 3.0
    size: 57.73 GiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 291.41 GiB used: 11.2 GiB (3.8%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 976 MiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) dev: /dev/sda5
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 53.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0
Info:
  Processes: 174 Uptime: 1h 8m Memory: 2.75 GiB used: 1.71 GiB (62.4%)
  Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.26

Last edited by edbarx (2024-03-17 13:31:21)

delgado

Member

Registered: 2022-07-14

Posts: 212  

Re: [SOLVED] Can I convert Debian 12.4, bookworm, into Devuan?

Auto-mount is usually done by gvfs.
apt install gvfs should do it. Maybe the package gvfs-backends is needed too.

aluma

Member

Registered: 2022-10-26

Posts: 646  

Re: [SOLVED] Can I convert Debian 12.4, bookworm, into Devuan?

My case
https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=5959

edbarx

Member

Registered: 2016-12-01

Posts: 20  

Re: [SOLVED] Can I convert Debian 12.4, bookworm, into Devuan?

I installed gvfs and gvfs-backend and rebooted. USB stick drives are now automounted on Thunar.

Thanks.

bilhook

Member

Registered: 2024-02-13

Posts: 78  

Re: [SOLVED] Can I convert Debian 12.4, bookworm, into Devuan?

Go to wiki dot debian dot org and search init.
So best to go sysvinit install time.