In this post, I will show you the configurations I use to optimize my work PC running Debian.
After a minimal Gnome installation, it’s time for the fine-tuning.
Post-Installation Setup
Whether on Debian 12 (Bookworm) or 13 (Trixie), the first thing I do is install the Gnome desktop with the bare minimum of packages.
Then, I install these essential tools:
sudo apt install neofetch virt-manager libvirt-daemon-system qemu-system bridge-utils gnome-settings-daemon htop iotop unattended-upgrades cups cups-client cups-filters system-config-printer gparted vim dbus-x11 libnotify-bin firmware-misc-nonfree --no-install-recommendsThe Flatpak Choice: Since I downgraded to Debian 12 for stability, I opted to use more applications via Flatpak instead of native packages.
While on Debian 13 I had installed Evolution, Remmina, and Gnome-Boxes as .deb files, on version 12 I run all of them (including Google Chrome and Brave) via Flatpak.
I also use Flatseal to manage permissions easily.
Update: I’ve just published the second part of this guide! Check out for advanced performance settings
Optimizing Debian for Productivity
My goal is to achieve a faster boot, improve access to my backup drive, and optimize RAM management for Virtual Machines and daily tasks.
1. Switching from Wayland to Xorg
To fix compatibility issues, I disable Wayland in the GDM configuration:
sudo nano /etc/gdm3/daemon.confUncomment the line WaylandEnable=false. Save and reboot.
“Just a reminder: I’m using Xorg instead of Wayland due to my old GPU.”
2. Network Manager Adjustments
To manage the network directly through the GUI without conflicts, I disable the systemd networking service:
sudo systemctl disable networkingsudo rm /etc/network/interfaces
3. Preload
To speed up application launch times, I use Preload:
sudo apt install preload Edit the config (sudo nano /etc/preload.conf) and adjust the model:
cycle = 30memfree = 10memcached = 70
Restart with sudo systemctl restart preload.
4. Swap and Sysctl Tweaks
I created an 8GB swap file and optimized the kernel parameters for better responsiveness:
First:
sudo fallocate -l 8G /swapfile
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfile
sudo swapon /swapfileNow add it to /etc/fstab:
echo "/swapfile none swap sw 0 0" | sudo tee -a /etc/fstabIn /etc/sysctl.conf, I added:
vm.swappiness=1(Avoids unnecessary swap usage)vm.vfs_cache_pressure=50net.core.somaxconn=65535(Improves network connections)
5. Zram and Tmpfs
To make the most of my 16GB RAM, I use Zram with zstd compression:
sudo apt install zram-tools
In /etc/default/zramswap, I set ALGO=zstd and SIZE=4096.
I also moved temporary files to RAM by adding these to /etc/fstab:
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=1777,size=1G 0 0
tmpfs /var/tmp tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=1777,size=512M 0 0
tmpfs /run/libvirt tmpfs defaults,noatime,mode=0755,uid=libvirt-qemu,gid=libvirt-qemu,size=256M 0 06. Virtualization and NFS
Since I work in a Microsoft environment, I need a Windows VM.
I use nfs-common to mount network folders at boot via /etc/fstab and configure Virt-Manager to point to my VM storage directory.
For the Bridge Network, I use nmcli to create br0 and link it to my physical interface (e.g., enp4s0).
Make sure to set managed=true in /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf.
You can see here How to enable bridge mode on Gnome Boxes
7. Avoiding System Freezes with EarlyOOM
To prevent the system from locking up during high memory usage:
sudo apt install earlyoom && sudo systemctl enable --now earlyoomOnce your system is ready, you might need to help others or manage different OS environments.
If you ever need to create a Windows installation media from your Linux desktop, check out this guide on How to Create a Windows Bootable USB on Linux.
8. Gnome “Wait or Force Quit” Timeout
If Gnome is too impatient with slow-loading apps, run this in the terminal to give them more time (20 seconds):
gsettings set org.gnome.mutter check-alive-timeout 20000