Learning Devuan GNU/Linux - Pre-Requisite Skills & Environment Setup

#Introduction

Welcome to the Learning Devuan GNU/Linux series! This series will take you on a journey to master Devuan — the Debian fork that runs without systemd — from foundational concepts to production operations. In total there are 23 episodes arranged across six phases.

But before we dive into installation and configuration, there are some basic skills and tools you must prepare. Why are these pre-requisites important? Because Devuan demands that you understand what happens behind the scenes: the init system that runs PID 1, the scripts in /etc/init.d/, runlevels, and eudev. Without that understanding, all the commands ahead will just be copied without comprehension.

This Episode 0 is your roadmap: we'll make sure you have the basic skills, prepare the software and virtual machine, download and verify the ISO, and then decide which init system you want to learn. Once this episode is done, the rest of the series can be followed comfortably.

#Essential Basic Skills

#Linux CLI and Package Management

You must be comfortable with the terminal and basic commands: directory navigation with cd and ls, file manipulation with cp, mv, and rm, reading files with cat, less, and head, as well as process management with ps, kill, and htop. These commands will appear over and over throughout the series.

Devuan uses apt and dpkg as its package managers — a direct inheritance from Debian — so get used to commands like apt update, apt install, apt search, and dpkg -i. We'll dissect all of them in depth in episode 4, but being comfortable with apt will speed up your practice starting as early as episode 3.

Check these skills by running:

uname -a
apt --version
dpkg --print-architecture

The output of dpkg --print-architecture tells you the architecture, such as amd64, arm64, or i386. This architecture determines which kernel image and ISO you need to download. If you still have doubts about the basic commands, don't move on yet — spend a few days practicing the CLI on an existing Debian or Ubuntu machine.

#Partitioning, Bootloader, and Networking

Devuan is built on a simple philosophy: the system uses classic partitions (ext4, swap), the GRUB bootloader, and ifupdown networking configured through the /etc/network/interfaces file. You should understand mount points, partition schemes like /, /home, and swap, plus the terms IP, netmask, gateway, and DNS.

We'll go deep into networking concepts in episode 7, but at minimum you should be able to answer the following before starting: what's the difference between public and private IPs, what is DHCP, and what does a gateway do? Being able to read the output of ip addr show and ip route show is a big bonus.

#Preparing the Software

#Official ISO from devuan.org

Download the official ISO from the get-devuan page at devuan.org. Devuan provides standard (minimal netinst) and desktop (with XFCE) variants, plus the alternative variants i3, LXQT, MATE, and Cinnamon. It supports the amd64, arm64, armhf, and i386 architectures, each with an init choice: sysvinit (default), OpenRC, and runit.

curl -O https://files.devuan.org/devuan_excalibur/installer-iso/devuan_excalibur_6.0.1_amd64_netinst.iso
sha256sum devuan_excalibur_6.0.1_amd64_netinst.iso

Compare the output of sha256sum with the checksum published on the official site to make sure the ISO isn't corrupted or tampered with. Note that the filename can vary slightly depending on the latest point release, so always check the get-devuan page first before copying the filename.

#Virtual Machine: QEMU, VirtualBox, or Proxmox

For safe practice, run Devuan inside a virtual machine. Popular choices are VirtualBox for desktop use, QEMU/KVM for high flexibility, and Proxmox VE if you already have a server. Allocate at least 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of disk for a comfortable installation, and enable hardware acceleration if available.

qemu-img create -f qcow2 devuan-disk.qcow2 20G
qemu-system-x86_64 -m 2048 -hda devuan-disk.qcow2 \
  -cdrom devuan_excalibur_6.0.1_amd64_netinst.iso -boot d

The command qemu-system-x86_64 --version confirms QEMU is installed. For VirtualBox, create a new VM, choose Linux/Debian 64-bit as the OS type, then attach the ISO through the Storage menu. Note the IP address of the virtual network in NAT or bridge mode — it will be used for all your networking experiments later.

#Choosing an Init System

#sysvinit, OpenRC, or runit

When the installer asks for an init system, you can pick one of three options. This series primarily uses sysvinit because it is Devuan's default, then covers OpenRC and runit in episode 6. Your choice can't be changed instantly without a migration process, so make sure you pick based on your learning goals.

A quick comparison of the three:

sysvinit - classic runlevels, transparent, Devuan default
openrc   - dependency tracking + parallel boot
runit    - per-service supervision with automatic restart

Don't worry if this feels confusing — in episode 2 we'll dissect the architecture of all three in depth. For now, choose sysvinit so the command examples from episode 5 onward can be reproduced exactly.

#Other Recommended Tools

Besides the VM and ISO, prepare a few supporting tools so practice runs smoothly: a text editor such as vim or nano for editing configuration files, git for tracking configuration changes, and curl or wget for downloading files. Everything can be installed with apt once your Devuan system is running.

Also build the habit of taking notes: document every configuration you change along with the reason. Because Devuan is highly transparent — every service is a readable script — these notes will be invaluable when troubleshooting in episodes 14 and 16.

#Summary of Skills to Prepare

A recap of the pre-requisites you've prepared in episode 0:

• Linux CLI: directory navigation, file manipulation, and process management.
• Package management: apt update, apt install, and dpkg -i.
• Partitioning and bootloader: /, /home, swap schemes, and GRUB.
• Basic networking: IP, netmask, gateway, DNS, and DHCP.
• Devuan ISO: downloaded and checksum-verified.
• Virtual machine: QEMU or VirtualBox with 2 GB RAM and 20 GB disk.
• Chosen init: sysvinit as the starting point for learning.

If anything is still missing, stop and complete it before moving on. A strong foundation will make the next 22 episodes feel much lighter.

#Conclusion

In this episode 0 you've laid the groundwork for the entire series: making sure you have the needed CLI, apt/dpkg, partitioning, bootloader, and networking skills; downloading and verifying the Devuan ISO; creating a virtual machine with QEMU or VirtualBox; and deciding on your init system.

Key takeaways:

• Master Linux CLI, apt/dpkg, partitioning, bootloader, and basic networking.
• Download the official Devuan ISO from devuan.org and verify it with sha256sum.
• Use a virtual machine so experiments don't damage your main machine.
• Know your architecture via dpkg --print-architecture.
• Choose the sysvinit init as your starting point.
• Prepare an editor, git, and notes to support your practice.

In the next episode, we'll cover history, background, and why Devuan is needed — from the systemd debate in Debian in 2014, the birth of the Devuan fork, to releases like Jessie, Beowulf, Chimaera, Daedalus, and Excalibur. Make sure your virtual machine is ready, because the Learning Devuan GNU/Linux journey has only just begun!