DEV Community: Sohrab Behdani

How to install a minimal Debian system on Qemu

Sohrab Behdani — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 17:06:51 +0000

I was working on a project that required a minimal debian installation. i didn't had the iso at the time, so i came up with an idea.

Debootstrap

Debian has a tool called debootstrap, which installs Debian base systems in a subdirectory of another, already installed system.

Debian wiki:

debootstrap doesn't require an installation CD, just access to a Debian repository. It can also be installed and run from another operating system - for example, you can use debootstrap to install Debian onto an unused partition from a running Gentoo system. It can also be used to create a rootfs for a machine of a different architecture, which is known as "cross-debootstrapping".

I'm Running Parch Linux which is a distribution based on Arch.
For start, i installed the qemu, debootstrap and other tools using pacman:

sudo pacman -S qemu-system-x86 qemu-img qemu-ui-gtk arch-install-scripts debootstrap

Disk image

now we need to create the disk image that we want to install the debian on, we use the qemu-img command to create a new 60GB virtual disk for installation.

qemu-img create -f qcow2 debian.qcow2 60G

after this, we would load the nbd module into the kernel for mounting the disk via qemu-nbd command.

qemu-nbd: QEMU Disk Network Block Device Server which allows us to expose disk image files such as .qcow2 , .vmdk , .vdi and etc as a Network Block Device (nbd) on linux.

for short: It enables a virtual disk image to be treated like a real block device.

Using nbd

for start, we need to load the module. for that we should run this command:

sudo modprobe nbd

then after that, we would use the qemu-nbd command to mount the disk as a network block.

sudo qemu-nbd --connect=/dev/nbd0 debian.qcow2

this would mount the virtual disk as /dev/nbd0

now we should partition the disk, you can use your preferd tool, i would use the parted itself.

sudo parted /dev/nbd0 -- mklabel msdos
sudo parted /dev/nbd0 -- mkpart primary ext4 1MiB 100%

now we need to format the disk:

sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/nbd0p1

Installation

Now after partitioning we need to start installing the debian itself.

we would first mount the disk at /mnt:

sudo mount /dev/nbd0p1 /mnt

Now we run this command to install the base system at /mnt which is our mounted disk:

sudo debootstrap --arch=amd64 trixie /mnt http://deb.debian.org/debian

notes: I'm using Trixie, because it is now stable enough to be used.

You can change the mirror and arch to your preferred one.

the installation would start after running that command.

Post installation

now we need to chroot in our newly bootstrapped debian and configure it.

we have two options

For Arch users

if you are running Arch Linux or it forks, there is a handy tool called arch-chroot.

we need to simply run this command to chroot into it, then you can jump right to the next section.

sudo arch-chroot /mnt

For other distros:

sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev

sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys

sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc

sudo chroot /mnt

configuration:

We need to set our hostname and hosts file, for that you can run this command:

echo debian > /etc/hostname

echo "127.0.0.1 localhost" > /etc/hosts

You can change the debian with whatever you like.

Now we need to configure the local time:

ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC /etc/localtime

/usr/sbin/dpkg-reconfigure tzdata

Now we set the root user password:

passwd

Now we need to install other system components to make it work properly:

apt update

apt install linux-image-amd64 grub-pc systemd-sysv sudo nano net-tools network-manager

now we install the bootloader:

grub-install --target=i386-pc --recheck /dev/nbd0

/usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

now we need to exit from chroot with exit command and generate the fstab file.

sudo su

genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

note: genfstab is a command from arch install scripts.

Booting into it

after all of this, we need to unmount our disk.

sudo umount /mnt

sudo qemu-nbd --disconnect /dev/nbd0

after that, you need to run this command to boot it.

qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024 -hda debian.qcow2 -enable-kvm

Note: You can change the memory if you want or add more cpu cores, for that read the qemu docs.

Thanks for reading this, i might create a video from this later :)

Linux on mobile, my experience so far

Sohrab Behdani — Thu, 22 May 2025 17:06:46 +0000

I spoke about this subject at MashhadLUG a few weeks ago but regretfully didn't record it. So I figured I would make the essence of what I talked about a blog entry—something useful and permanent and easy to access. Here's a glimpse at my experience with Linux on mobile devices, how it runs, the application base, and whether or not it's actually usable in everyday life.

Hold on a minute. Isn't Android also Linux?

Technically speaking, Android is indeed Linux. Sort of.
Android employs the Linux kernel but otherwise shares little in common. Unlike a standard GNU/Linux distro, Android has a non-identical C standard library—Bionic rather than glibc—which results in binary incompatibility from most standard Linux software. And on top of all this, Android isn't exactly the freest or most open OS in the universe either.

So when we mention Linux on Mobile, we're talking about installing a true GNU/Linux distribution on your phone—just like on your desktop or notebook, but (ideally) tailored for use on a phone.

How Linux operates on Smartphones: The Two Fundamental Approaches

Middleware (Halium / libhybris) This is the "compatibility layer" approach. libhybris and Halium cooperate and fill the compatibility gap between Android's kernel/hardware and a Linux distro. The majority of the systems based on Halium (e.g., Sailfish OS, Droidian, and Ubuntu Touch) enjoy good hardware support as they reuse Android drivers.

There's a catch, however: they're based on the Android kernel, usually very outdated and not supported. So although this method "just works" for most devices, you give away freedom and future-proofing.

How it works:

Halium operates on top of the Android kernel
libhybris resides on your Linux distribution and translates glibc syscalls to Bionic So when you flip your flashlight on, for instance, libhybris converts the demand into a form which can be forwarded on to the Android hardware level. It's magical, really. But also a bit... Frankenstein-esque.

You can't bolt the full Linux experience on an Android platform and hope for it to be perfect. It's a hack—and hacks tend to have their limits.

Mainlining the Kernel (a.k.a: Doing it the right way) With this approach, developers port a mainline Linux kernel on a phone's SoC. Rather than leveraging Android's driver stack and reusing it, everything gets rebuilt from the ground (or nearly so) from upstreamed Linux support.

This provides a much "cleaner" and more native Linux experience. Distros such as Mobian, postmarketOS, Koofr, and upcoming Parch make use of this approach.

But it's not all sunshine and rootshells:

Relatively few of the SoCs enjoy full mainline support (primarily Snapdragon chips)
Hardware support remains limited—cameras don't usually function, for example
Development is less device-friendly and slower compared to Halium setups

📲 Mobile Linux App Ecosystems

One of the things GNU/Linux distros are well known for is having plenty of choices available. That legacy carries over on the phone as well. You can execute apps designed for GNOME, KDE Plasma, or even alternative desktops—on your phone.

GNOME Ecosystem
GNOME has a fairly good mobile-optimized ecosystem. It's possible to use GNOME Mobile or Phosh or any of the countless GTK apps which scale well on small screen sizes. Personal favorites of mine are:

GNOME Podcasts
Dino - a great XMPP client

You won't really notice anything's lacking in this world—most apps work really well on phone.

Plasma Mobile
KDE's Plasma Mobile offers you a neat, contemporary, and familiar experience. In my experience, I've found Plasma Mobile has a noticeably longer battery life compared to GNOME or Phosh and so it seems more optimized.

Its app catalog is not as large, however. Nevertheless, there are some positives:

PlasmaTube – a YouTube client
Kasts - a Podcast App

😬 Things That Don't Feel Great

🧭 Web Browsers
This is part of the more frustrating aspects.

GNOME Web (Epiphany) employs WebKitGTK, which has trouble with contemporary websites and will sometimes crash.
The Angelfish browser from KDE has somewhat improved courtesy of QtWebEngine but remains barebones in features and polish.
Firefox, as available, takes a huge amount of tweaking through CSS just to look properly. It's far from as fluid or even as mobile-friendly as you might expect.

So yeah—don't look for a browsing experience comparable to Android or iOS yet.

📵 Telegram
No decent mobile-optimized Telegram client on Linux yet. The desktop version sorta works. You'll have to shrink it way down just so it'll even fit on screen, and even then it's about as useful as a screen door on a submarine without a magnifying glass.

🔬 My Real-World Usage

I've used Droidian, postmarketOS, Ubuntu Touch, and Parch on my phone.

Here's the real story:
Linux on a cell phone isn't anywhere close to being suitable for ordinary users. It's a playground for tinkerers and trouble shooters even now.

Main Issues:

Absence of critical apps
Limited Hardware Support
Strange and inconsistent UI/UX in most apps

Yes, Android emulators can certainly fill some voids—but now you're missing the point. The true objective is to run Linux apps on a Linux phone, not resort back to Android compatibility.

📷 Some Screenshots

🗨️ So....

This Post has turned out brief—I didn't feel I could elaborate without making it a little book. 😅

I'll make it up in a subsequent entry, perhaps a bit technical or a how-to-type post.

Why I Created Parch Linux: Making Arch Accessible for Everyone

Sohrab Behdani — Sun, 18 May 2025 22:26:00 +0000

Arch Linux has always been my go to, it’s fast, powerful, and incredibly flexible. But let’s be honest: it’s not the most welcoming option for newcomers. The installation process alone can scare people off, and setting up a clean, personalized desktop takes a lot of manual work.

What’s Parch Linux?

Parch stands for Persian Arch, a tribute to my roots and a distro built around one idea: Arch can be fast and clean without being intimidating. It’s built on top of Arch Linux but adds a friendlier interface, easier setup, and smart defaults. I wanted to keep the best parts of Arch, just make it usable right out of the box.

Why Not Stick with Vanilla Arch?

Because not everyone wants to build an entire OS from scratch every time they install it. Arch gives you unmatched control, but that often comes at the cost of time, patience, and a second screen open to the wiki 24/7.

Parch takes that same power and wraps it in something that’s much easier to live with.

What Sets Parch Apart?

Here’s what I focused on while building it:

Simple, Guided Installer
Parch has a graphical installer that walks you through the whole process—no command-line acrobatics unless you want them.
Preconfigured Desktop Environments
Choose from GNOME, KDE, XFCE, and more each one ready to use without hours of tweaking.
Built-in Performance Optimizations
Parch is fast by default, even on older hardware. Lightweight and responsive, without losing usability.
Access to All the Software You Need
You still get the full Arch repos and the AUR, so the software library is virtually endless.
The Parch Store (Coming Soon)
I’m working on a sleek native app store for easier package and update management, tailor-made for Parch.

Who’s It For?

New users who want to explore Arch without diving into the deep end.
Power users who want a clean install without wasting hours on setup.
Developers looking for a fast, minimal, and up-to-date dev environment.

Under the Hood

Parch sticks close to its Arch roots. It runs the Linux kernel, uses systemd, and manages packages through pacman. So you're still getting the full Arch experiencejust with a smoother ride.

Security? It’s baked in. Parch includes good defaults like a firewall, optional disk encryption, and frequent updates.

Install Experience

The installer is built to be beginner-friendly without holding you back. Choose your desktop, toggle extra packages, and get going fast. Advanced users can customize everything nothing’s locked down.

Real-World Use

Parch isn’t just a weekend project. It’s built for real use:

Daily tasks: browsing, streaming, productivity.
Development: comes with tools, fast startup, and a light footprint.
Education: ideal for teaching Linux in a stress-free way.

Growing Together

There’s already a growing community behind Parch with forums, support channels, and detailed guides. We’re building this together, and if you want to contribute or just be part of it, I’d love to have you onboard.

What’s Next?

Here’s what’s coming down the pipeline:

First release of the Parch Store
More desktop flavors, prebuilt and polished
Broader hardware support
More core apps tailored to the Parch experience

Final Words

Parch is my way of making Arch more accessible without stripping away what makes it special. It’s clean, fast, flexible, and actually enjoyable to install and use.

If that sounds like something you’d be into, give it a try. I’d love to hear your thoughts and have you join the journey :)

Parch Linux new releases

Sohrab Behdani — Sun, 16 Apr 2023 09:29:13 +0000

Hello everyone,
We are proud to offer you the new releases of the Parch Linux.
Important changes of these releases:

Removing Kde Falkon and changing the default browser to Firefox (in the version of CuteFish, the default browser is Chromium)
Fixed slow boot problem
Added ibus to CuteFish version to solve the problem of changing the keyboard layouts
Fixed network manager problem in GNOME version
Fixed the sudden closing of the installer in the xfce version
Fixed reported problems

Click on The version names to download them: