Installation of Desktop system
Install Debian with Xfce from stable/testing image to encrypted disk
Image
Use Debian.
Install either the stable release for most reliable needs,
or a testing snapshot for more excitement.
You will need network access during install
for downloading hundreds of megabytes of additional software from Debian.
If your computer cannot use network with Free drivers
(most wifi cards and a few wired cards),
then you can try the non-free stable or non-free testing image.
Use of those images is not recommended.
Make sure that their non-free licensing terms are acceptable to you!
Disk protection
You are recommended to use full disk encryption.
This protects your personal data stored on the harddisk
from being accessible by others
e.g. if your computer gets stolen.
Beware that disk encryption does not protect
from access while the computer is turned on,
and if you forget your disk password then the data is lost!
During install,
select "Guided - use entire disk and set up LVM"
when formatting the harddisk.
Desktop
The Xfce desktop is recommended
as a conservative desktop environment.
You tell during installation that you want to install Xfce.
See also
Install chapter in The Debian handbook.
