Essential steps when setting up a minimal Debian environment

Setup sudo

su -
apt install sudo
usermod -aG sudo <user>

Install minimal components

• Install xorg
• Install openbox, obconf, lxappearance
• Install picom
• Install tint2
• Install network-manager, network-manager-gnome
• Install pipewire, wireplumber, pavucontrol

Install laptop essentials if needed

• Install lxqt-powermanagement
• install xsct to modify screen brightness and color temperature

Install desktop essentials

• install xsel for clipboard access
• Install Thunar or PCManFM
• Install xscreensaver for lock screen

Non-essentials

• Install a font for emoji, like fonts-noto-color-emoji or fonts-symbola, then run fc-cache -f -v
• Install flameshot

Add non-free package sources

• Modify /etc/apt/sources.list to include contrib and non-free in each line

Setup firewall for VPN-only traffic plus DNS

ufw reset
ufw default deny outgoing
ufw default deny incoming
ufw allow out to any port 53
ufw allow out to <vpn-endpoint> 1194 proto udp
ufw allow out on tun0 from any to any
ufw enable

OPENSSL_CONF=/dev/null /usr/sbin/openvpn --config client.ovpn --tls-version-min 1.0 --tls-cipher "DEFAULT:@SECLEVEL=0" --data-ciphers "AES-256-GCM:AES-128-GCM:AES-256-CBC" --block-ipv6