If your computer already runs Debian 13, you can install BioKids from packages instead of the ISO. This guide needs a little use of a terminal.
Requirements
- Debian 13 "trixie", amd64. Ubuntu and other distributions are untested and unsupported.
- An X11 session. Wayland is not supported;
biokids-desktopbrings Xfce and LightDM with it. - At least 4 GB of memory and about 25 GB of disk; 7 GB of memory or more for the optional assistant.
- An account that can use
sudo, and the internet while installing.
Which package does what?
| Package | What it installs | For whom |
|---|---|---|
biokids-desktop | BioKids, Xfce, LightDM, Chromium, the children's apps (GCompris, Tux Paint, TuxMath, Klavaro, SuperTux…) and the hidden boot menu. | A machine that will be the child's computer. This is the recommended one. |
biokids | BioKids itself only: the background service, the panel, the launcher and the voices. It never touches the boot. | A computer that already has a desktop you want to keep as it is. |
biokids-ai | The Ask Me assistant. Never installed on its own; you download the models in the panel afterwards. | Families who want the assistant, on a computer with 7 GB of memory or more. |
Add the repository's key
Open a terminal and put BioKids' signing key in APT's keyring:
Terminalcurl -fsSL https://apt.biokids.bilalgurkansanli.com/KEY.gpg \ | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/biokids-archive-keyring.gpg > /dev/nullThen check that the key really is BioKids':
Terminalgpg --show-keys /usr/share/keyrings/biokids-archive-keyring.gpgIt must show this fingerprint:
F6A4 D652 8690 1EE0 99A1 095A 793E 458A 5F17 E9B0. If it does not, the key is not ours; stop there.Add the repository
Terminalecho "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/biokids-archive-keyring.gpg] \ https://apt.biokids.bilalgurkansanli.com trixie main" \ | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/biokids.listInstall the package
Terminalsudo apt update && sudo apt install biokids-desktopIf you do not want your existing desktop changed, type
biokidsinstead ofbiokids-desktop.Finish the setup wizard
As soon as the install is done, a wizard opens in your parent account: your PIN, your first child, their time and their internet. Step by step: first setup guide.
Restart the computer once
The login screen with your child's picture only appears after a restart.
Terminalsudo systemctl reboot
If you want the assistant too
Ask Me needs newer versions of llama.cpp and whisper.cpp than Debian 13 ships; they come from the BioKids repository. So biokids-ai cannot be installed on a plain Debian 13 without the BioKids repository added. On the ISO, everything is already in place.
sudo apt install biokids-aiThen download the model in the panel and turn it on for a child: Ask Me guide.
Upgrades
BioKids never updates itself. You get updates yourself, together with the rest of Debian. The BioKids packages depend on each other's exact version and are always upgraded together:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgradeRemoving
To remove the packages and keep or delete your family's records: uninstall guide.
Something wrong?
Can I install it on Ubuntu?
Not for now: the repository is for Debian 13 "trixie" only, and Ubuntu is untested. The easiest way is the BioKids ISO, which already contains Debian 13.
biokids-ai will not install; it cannot find llama.cpp-tools.
biokids-ai will not install; it cannot find llama.cpp-tools.The newer versions of these packages are not in Debian 13; they come from the BioKids repository. Make sure you added it as in step 2 and ran sudo apt update.
Which version is installed?
It is shown at the bottom of the panel. In a terminal, apt policy biokids tells you too.
The session starts in Wayland.
BioKids runs only on X11. The LightDM and Xfce that come with biokids-desktop already use X11; with another login manager, choose the Xfce (X11) session.
