Debian 13: install OpenBox, Fluxbox and IceWM with XFCE installed

Hardware:

• HP 15-AF109AX
  AMD A8-7410 APU 
• ASUS EEE PC 1215B
  AMD E-350 Processor

Compare 

Feature	Fluxbox	Openbox	IceWM
Ram idle	~60–100 MB	~80–120 MB	~80–150 MB
Panel	n/a	n/a	Yes
Toolbar	n/a	tint2	Yes, like Windows 95
Access menu	Right Click	Right Click	Toolbar like Windows 95
Application list	Manual only	Auto populate	Auto populate

To install fluxbox is straight forward.

# apt-get install fluxbox
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done


To install openbox is straight forward.

# apt-get install openbox
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libid3tag0 libimlib2t64 libobrender32v5 libobt2v5 libspectre1 obconf scrot 

To install icewm is straight forward.

# apt-get install icewm
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done


To switch your Desktop into  OpenBox, Fluxbox or IceWM, logout and select tool on top-right icon to select openbox.

Right click to select application menu to launch. It is old fashion Unix Desktop terminal. If you ever used Solaris 8.0 workstation, it looks so closed. in Fluxbox, installed application needs to run by command in bash shell.

Do not remove XFCE (or existing Window Manager) if you are not familiar with OpenBox, Fluxbox or IceWM. You can switch to XFCE XFCE (or existing Window Manager) or openbox anytime you want.

NOTE: Do not expecting the performance likes a new PC, for office like libreoffice requires processor power to speed up.

Debian 13: pyhton3 setting virtual environment

Run once

Installing packages

As root

# sudo apt install python3 python3-pip python3-venv

As user for example user1

As user1

We create folder to store python3 packages for user1 folder name is mpyvenv

$ mkdir mypyenv
$ cd mypyenv
~/mypyenv$  python3 -m venv venv
~/mypyenv$ ls
venv

Every time entering virtual environment use this command

$ cd mypyenv
~/mypyenv$ source venv/bin/activate
(venv) [user]@[host]:~/mypyenv$

To exit virtual environment

(venv) [user]@[host]:~/mypyenv$ deactivate
~/mypyenv$ 

References: chatgpt.com gemini.google.com

Debian 13: upgrading ASUS Eee PC 1215B from Debian 11 to Debian 13

ASUS Eee PC 1215B Release April 2011
AMD E-350 dual-core 1.6 GHz
AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics 1366x768
Ram DDR3

It is recommended to use shell, during upgrade, desktop environment may be restarting and causing screen lock.

To get into shell, after Desktop login menu appear, press Ctrl + Alt + F1. To turn back into Desktop press Ctrl + Alt + F7.

Edit /etc/apt/sources.list

#main
# 11 to 12
deb https://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free-firmware non-free
# 12 to 13
#deb https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie main contrib non-free-firmware non-free

#mirror auto
# 11 to 12
deb http://mirror.unair.ac.id/debian bookworm main contrib
# 12 to 13
#deb http://mirror.unair.ac.id/debian trixie main contrib

#security
# 11 to 12
deb https://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free-firmware non-free
# 12 to 13
#deb https://security.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security main contrib non-free-firmware non-free

#update
# 11 to 12
deb https://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free-firmware non-free
# 12 to 13
#deb https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-updates main contrib non-free-firmware non-free

#backport
# 11 to 12
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-backports main
# 12 to 13
#deb http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-backports main

As mention in Debian official website, you can not directly upgrade from Debian 11 to Debian 13. You need to upgrade it in sequence

Upgrade Debian 11 to Debian 12

Edit /etc/apt/sources.list, remove '#' any line containing bookworm and add '#' any line containing trixie.

1. Update Repository
   # apt-get update
2. Take full upgrade
   # apt full-upgrade
3. Restart and perform clean up
   # apt-get autoclean && apt-get autoremove -y

This toke 2 hours and 30 minutes. 

This error occurred when we just perform apt upgrade --without-new-pkgs, make restart and upgrade to Debian 13

Preparing to unpack .../base-files_13.8_amd64.deb ...


******************************************************************************
*
* The base-files package cannot be installed because
* /bin is a directory, but should be a symbolic link.
*
* Please install the usrmerge package to convert this system to merged-/usr.
*
* For more information please read https://wiki.debian.org/UsrMerge.
*
******************************************************************************


dpkg: error processing archive /var/cache/apt/archives/base-files_13.8_amd64.deb
 (--unpack):
 new base-files package pre-installation script subprocess returned error exit s
tatus 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /var/cache/apt/archives/base-files_13.8_amd64.deb
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)


Upgrade Debian 12 to Debian 13

Edit /etc/apt/sources.list, add '#' any line containing bookworm and remove '#' any line containing trixie.

1. Update Repository
   # apt-get update
2. Take full upgrade
   # apt full-upgrade
3. Restart and perform clean up
   # apt-get autoclean && apt-get autoremove -y

This toke 3 hours to upgrade 1.945 packages with size 1.388 MB.

Total hours are 5 hours and 30 minutes, with all applications upgraded to latest version.

Debian 13: Ops, something is wrong during upgrading from Debian 12 to Debian 13

If something wrong during upgrade debian 12 to debian 13, so the installation did not finish, here is my share how to solved it. 

In my case, screen got locked, so I need to manual power off and restart the Laptop.

Normal boot to linux won't work, if possible during selecting menu in grub, select "Advanced Option" and select "Recovery Mode". If you can not go into grub menu, you need to use Debian rescue CD/USB, I use minimal (net install CD),

If you use CD/USB, you will rescue your Debian using chroot. 

To repair grub using CD/USB, you need to enter your drive.

To repair broken upgrade using CD/USB, you need to select your Debian partition and mounting /boot partition.

If you using CD/USB rescue, when repair has completed, type exit from chroot

Command to repair broken upgrade process:

# dpkg --configure -a
....
# apt --fix-broken install 
....
# apt full-upgrade
...-
# grub-update
...
# grub-install /dev/sda
....

To manage boot efi using efibootmgr

# apt install efibootmgr
# efibootmgr
BootCurrent: 0002
Timeout: 5 seconds
BootOrder: 0001,3001,0002,2001,2002,2003
Boot0001* Windows Boot Manager    HD(2,GPT,41ed4da9-8f99-445d-b3dc-d37f4ad717da,0x109000,0x32000)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi)57494e444f5753000100000088000000780000004200430044004f0042004a004500430054003d007b00390064006500610038003600320063002d0035006300640064002d0034006500370030002d0061006300630031002d006600330032006200330034003400640034003700390035007d00000061000100000010000000040000007fff0400
Boot0002* debian    HD(2,GPT,41ed4da9-8f99-445d-b3dc-d37f4ad717da,0x109000,0x32000)/File(\EFI\debian\shimx64.efi)
Boot2001* USB Drive (UEFI)    RC
Boot2002* Internal CD/DVD ROM Drive (UEFI)    RC
Boot3000* Internal Hard Disk or Solid State Disk    RC
Boot3001* Internal Hard Disk or Solid State Disk    RC
Boot3002* Internal Hard Disk or Solid State Disk    RC
# efibootmgr --bootorder Boot0002,Boot0001

Laptop HP Model 15-af109AX, with Bios handled Boot Manager. This model may be not supported in Debian 13 (in Debian 12 there was not problem), I can not change boot order using BIOS nor efibootmgr.

If you can not switch sequence of boot loader using BIOS nor efibootmgr, you need to press F9 button to select boot loader you want to start for HP Model 15-af109AX.

 

Debian 13: upgrade from debian 12 bookworm to debian 13 trixie

It is recommended to use shell, during upgrade, desktop environment may be restarting and causing screen lock.

To get into shell, after Desktop login menu appear, press Ctrl + Alt + F1. To turn back into Desktop press Ctrl + Alt + F7.

Current version

# cat /etc/debian_version
12.11

Edit /etc/apt/source.list

#deb cdrom:[Debian GNU/Linux 12.0.0 _Bookworm_ - Official amd64 NETINST with firmware 20230610-10:21]/ bookworm main non-free-firmware

#main
#deb https://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free-firmware non-free
deb https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie main contrib non-free-firmware non-free

#mirror auto
#deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib
deb http://httpredir.debian.org/debian trixie main contrib

#security
#deb https://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free-firmware non-free
deb https://security.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security main contrib non-free-firmware non-free

#update
#deb https://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free-firmware non-free
deb https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-updates main contrib non-free-firmware non-free

#backport
#deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-backports main
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-backports main

Updating repository

# apt-get update
Hit:1 https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable InRelease                 
Hit:2 https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie InRelease                           
Hit:3 https://security.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security InRelease   
Hit:4 https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-updates InRelease                   
Hit:5 http://deb.debian.org/debian trixie-backports InRelease                 
Hit:6 http://httpredir.debian.org/debian trixie InRelease   
Reading package lists... Done

Performing minimal upgrade

# apt upgrade --without-new-pkgs

During minimal upgrade, your system may request you to restart some services, allow it. Take some coffee.....

Restart your Debian. This is optional, just make sure system run proper minimal upgrade. 

Performing full upgrade

# apt full-upgrade

Full upgrade may takes sometimes. 

Restart your Debian and perform clean up

# apt-get autoclean && apt-get autoremove -y
...
$ cat /etc/debian_version
13.0
$ uname -an
Linux hpkakiang 6.12.38+deb13-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.12.38-1 (2025-07-16) x86_64 GNU/Linux