Are you planning to improve to the newest launch of Debian 12 (codenamed “Bookworm”), from Debian 11? However do you know that as an alternative of downloading the Debian 12 ISO file and putting in it, you may merely improve your present Debian 11 to Debian 12 by following just a few steps? Sure, you heard proper.
On this weblog, we are going to talk about the easy process of upgrading Debian 11 to Debian 12.
Why Ought to Improve to Debian 12 (Bookworm) from Debian 11?
The secure model of Debian 12 was launched lately on tenth June 2023, after the event of virtually one yr and ten months. The Debian 12 codename is “Bookworm” and will probably be supported for the approaching 5 years.
Persons are planning to maneuver to Debian 12 as a consequence of varied causes, let’s listing just a few of them:
- It has launched over 11,089 new packages, and 43,254 present packages have been up to date.
- It contains a lot of translated man pages in a number of languages, reminiscent of German, Greek, Finnish, Indonesian, Czech, Norwegian, Swedish, Vietnamese, Serbian, Russian, and extra.
- It has an improved installer and helps a number of desktop environments like GNOME, Plasma, LXDE, KDE, LXQt, Xfce, and MATE.
- It helps 9 architectures: 64-bit ARM, ARMv7, IBM System Z, 32-bit PC (i386) and 64-bit PC, ARM EAB, and extra. Nevertheless, it doesn’t help any i586 processor of a 32-bit PC. In case you have one you need to maintain having fun with Debian 11.
- It has launched a brand-new repository referred to as “non-free-firmware” that separates non-free firmware from the remaining non-free packages. This aids in enabling the right functioning of {hardware} parts, reminiscent of community adapters or graphics playing cards.
- It comprises many up to date software program packages together with Apache 2.4.57, GnuPG 2.2.40, Nginx 1.22, PostgreSQL 15, OpenJDK 17, Vim 9.0, and the listing goes on.
To know extra about the advantages of Debian 12, hop to the Debian launch webpage.
Now energy in your Debian 11 and begin following the process to easily improve Debian 11 to Debian 12 in only a few minutes.
Upgrading to Debian 12 from Debian 11
To improve to Debian 12 (bookworm) from Debian 11 (Bullseye), comply with the steps listed under:
Step 1: Verify Debian Model
To verify the Debian distribution identify and model quantity, execute the next command within the terminal of Debian 11.
$ lsb_release -d Description: Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)
Let’s now show the model variety of our Debian 11 utilizing the cat command.
$ cat /and so forth/debian_version 11.7

Step 2: Replace Debian 11 Packages
The following step is to improve the put in packages by operating apt instructions:
$ sudo apt replace $ sudo apt improve
Each these instructions will eat a while, await the completion.

As soon as the package deal listing is up-to-date, it’s a greater method to take away pointless packages out of your system by executing.
$ sudo apt --purge autoremove
Step 3: Replace /and so forth/apt/sources.listing File
It’s time to switch the package deal sources to level to the Debian 12 repositories. For that goal open the “sources.listing” utilizing any textual content editor, right here we will likely be utilizing the nano editor:
$ sudo nano /and so forth/apt/sources.listing
After the execution of the above command, the “supply.listing” file will open within the terminal utilizing the nano editor. Observe the locations the place the package deal sources point out to Debian 11 (bullseye):

Now change all situations of “bullseye” with “bookworm” as proven under:
deb https://ftp.debian.org/debian/ bookworm contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware # deb-src https://ftp.debian.org/debian/ bookworm contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware deb https://ftp.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-updates contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware # deb-src https://ftp.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-updates contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware deb https://ftp.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-proposed-updates contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware # deb-src https://ftp.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-proposed-updates contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware deb https://ftp.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-backports contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware # deb-src https://ftp.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-backports contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware deb https://safety.debian.org/debian-security/ bookworm-security contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware # deb-src https://safety.debian.org/debian-security/ bookworm-security contrib foremost non-free non-free-firmware

Step 4: Improve to Debian 12
Because the package deal sources are modified, let’s replace the repositories by typing:
$ sudo apt replace

After the “replace” command, execute the next command to improve the prevailing packages:
$ sudo apt improve --without-new-pkgs

To complete the improve course of, comply with the on-screen directions rigorously, as the method might ask you just a few questions reminiscent of “Would you prefer to restart the service?” or “Maintain or erase configuration file choices?” all through the method.

Lastly, execute the command listed under to do a full system improve to Debian 12.
$ sudo apt full-upgrade

When the ':'
icon will seem, press enter till a configuration window seems. Within the package deal configuration window, choose “OK”.

Choose the specified locale for the system and click on on the “OK” button.

Choose the font to your Debian 12 and press “OK”.

The package deal configuration may even ask to put in the “ca-certificate” package deal.

Some prompts will seem to restart a few of the providers like libc and libssl. Choose “Sure” for these prompts to proceed:

After the completion of the complete improve, reboot the system to get pleasure from your upgraded Debian 12.
$ sudo systemctl reboot
The login display will show Debian 12 having the identical customers and credentials as Debian 11.

Open the terminal in your new Debian 12 and run the supplied instructions, which is able to show the system data:
$ lsb_release -a $ cat /and so forth/debian_version
Step 5: Take away Undesirable Packages from Debian
As we upgraded from Debian 11 to Debian 12, there should be many out of date or undesirable packages. To take away all these packages, kind this command:
$ sudo apt --purge autoremove
All of the pointless packages are faraway from Debian 12.
Conclusion
The newly launched Debian 12 affords quite a few advantages, together with up to date software program packages, enhanced safety, improved {hardware} help, and new options.
The consumer can simply improve to Debian 12 from the prevailing Debian 11 by modifying the package deal sources to level to the Debian 12 repositories (bookworm) after which totally upgrading the system.