Muhammad, I will offer you my quick explanation:
You should end up with the same result, no matter which media you use to install to your computer. 1) Live media is for people who want to run Debian from a DVD/USB before actually installing to their computer. This allows them to 1) check that their hardware is supported before installing Debian, and 2) check out how Debian looks to see if they like Debian or not (before an installation). I have not personally used Live media, but I would expect that you can also then choose to go into the installation of Debian to a drive in your computer. 2) The netinst.iso is a CD sized installation that only contains the Debian packages to start an installation, then as you go through the installation process, it uses the network (e.g. Internet) to download and install whatever packages are required to satisfy the selection of software that you selected during the installation process. An Internet connection is required for the installation (well actually just a network connection to a Debian repository, it is possible for a company to run their own Debian repository onsite for installations). 3) The DVD-1.iso to DVD-X.iso images are DVD sized installation media that you can use from DVD or write to a bootable USB which contain many more Debian packages. My understanding is that the DVD-1.iso contains enough packages to give you a working installation of Debian even without an internet connection. If you create the full set of DVD media (DVD-1.iso to DVD-X.iso) I believe you can build a complete Debian Installation even without any Internet connection. 4) I believe it is possible to create a BluRay or bootable USB of the entire Debian repository of packages by combining the packages using the jigdo tool. This seems like too much effort so I have never bothered to do so. If you have Internet access when you are building your Debian Server, then I recommend using the netinst.iso as it is smaller, but the end result will be the same whether you use the live media. I sometimes use a DVD-1 iso. If you have Internet access all of the above methods will get the latest packages from the Internet during the installation process, and the final installation will be the same. If you have Internet access, the installation process will download the latest packages hence your installation will be fully up to date at the end of the installation process. Headless verses GUI installation One comment I would like to make in case you are not familiar with is that of a "headless server", which just means not installing a GUI like Gnome/KDE/XFCE, etc but instead only using a terminal interface (CLI) to manage the server. This is a great idea as a "headless server" only installs the necessary packages to run Linux without all the applications that a GUI installation has. For example if I am installing for a server to run a particular service, like an email server or a web server, I usually do not install a GUI (e.g. I don't install Gnome/KDE/XFCE, etc) or the Desktop environment, I just select install ssh server, then after the installation I install any other software that is required. A few useful links: https://wiki.debian.org/DesktopEnvironment https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ch07.en.html https://www.tecmint.com/setup-headless-linux-server/ Even if you already knew much of the above information, I hope this helps, George. On Wednesday, 16-10-2024 at 07:03 deb...@nexgntech.com wrote: > Dear All, > > > > A few days back, I had the opportunity to dive into the OpenWISP / OpenWRT > project, and I learned that it is best supported on Debian. While studying, > I encountered four different modes of installation for Debian, and I would > appreciate it if someone could explain the differences between these modes > in detail. Specifically, I would like to understand what each mode includes > initially and what additional packages can be added later to the operating > system. > > > > Here are the installation modes that I found: > > 1. debian-11.0.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso (Size: 3.7G) > > * It seems this is a larger installation image, presumably containing > more packages and software. > * What does this image include by default, and how does it differ from > the others in terms of available software? > * What additional options or desktop environments can be added later? > > 2. debian-11.0.0-amd64-netinst.iso (Size: 377M) > > * This appears to be a smaller network installation image. > * Could someone clarify how this image works and what it installs by > default? > * What is the process for adding packages during and after > installation? > > 3. debian-live-11.0.0-amd64-standard.iso (Size: 903M) > > * This looks like a live image meant for testing or use as a > lightweight OS. > * What is included in the "standard" version, and how does it compare > to the others in terms of pre-installed software? > * How would one proceed with adding other packages or a desktop > environment? > > 4. debian-live-11.0.0-amd64-xfce.iso (Size: 2.3G) > > * This image includes the XFCE desktop environment. > * Besides XFCE, what other software comes pre-installed, and is it > possible to switch or add other desktop environments later? > > > > I would appreciate a detailed explanation to help me make an informed > decision on which mode to use based on the project requirements. > > > > Looking forward to your insights. > > BR, > > Muhammad Nadeem Anjum > > Nexgn Infrastructure Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. > > > >
