Installation and Setup Guide — Including Local Offline Repositories
About Astra Linux Special Edition 1.8
Astra Linux Special Edition 1.8 is a hardened Russian Linux distribution based on Debian 12 Bookworm, developed by RusBITech-Astra. It features mandatory access control, a hardened kernel, and the Fly desktop environment. Unlike the Common Edition, the Special Edition provides three levels of security clearance. For personal desktop use, the base security level is used and no paid licence activation is required to install or operate the system.
Astra Linux Display (IMAGE: RusBITech)
SE 1.8 brings a significant upgrade over previous versions — modern Debian 12 base libraries mean that current software such as Telegram Desktop, recent browser versions, and up-to-date codecs all work without the workarounds required on older Astra releases.
Downloading the ISO
The official Astra Linux download servers are restricted to Russian IP addresses. The ISO collection is available via torrent from the following sources:
| Source | Links |
|---|---|
| Astra 1.8.5 — Latest release 11Feb26 | Added here 30 May 2026 |
| Astra 1.8.5 — Latest release 11Feb26 | Right click, copy link address |
Image here as example. The latest version contains different file names. For initial installation, download only the installation ISO and its MD5 file. The remaining files are for setting up local repositories after installation and are covered in Part Three. [Adjust filenames and commands for Astra Linux Special Edition, (Hotfix 1.8.5)]
magnet:?xt=urn:btih:8c706eb205ab88406d0c7fe20ad38bf377c76f26&dn=Astra%20Linux%201.8.5&tr=http%3a%2f%2fbt.t-ru.org%2fann&tr=http%3a%2f%2fretracker.local%2fannounce| File | Size | Purpose | Download now |
|---|---|---|---|
| installation-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso | 6.53 GiB | Boot and install | ✅ Yes |
| installation-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso.md5 | 77 B | Verification | ✅ Yes |
| extended-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso | 29.08 GiB | Extended package repo | After install |
| extended-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso.md5 | 73 B | Verification | After install |
| devel-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso | 6.68 GiB | Development tools repo | After install |
| devel-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso.md5 | 70 B | Verification | After install |
| documentation-1.8.iso | 11.4 MiB | Official documentation | Optional |
| installation-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12-di.iso | 5.51 GiB | Text installer only | ❌ Skip |
Verifying the ISO
Once downloaded, verify the ISO against its MD5 file. Place both files in the same directory and run:
md5sum -c installation-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso.md5$'\r' error, the MD5 file contains Windows-style line endings from the upload source. Fix this first, then re-run the check:
sed -i 's/\r//' installation-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso.md5
md5sum -c installation-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso.md5A result of OK confirms the file is intact and safe to use.
Writing to USB
You will need a USB drive of at least 8 GB. The following tools can be used to write the ISO:
| Tool | Type | Included with |
|---|---|---|
| Fly ISO Burner | GUI | Astra Linux |
| ROSA Image Writer | GUI | ROSA Linux, available separately |
| Popsicle | GUI | Pop!_OS, available separately |
| balenaEtcher | GUI | Cross-platform download |
| dd | CLI | All Linux systems |
Using dd from the terminal — replace sdX with your actual USB device as shown by lsblk:
sudo dd if=installation-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsyncBefore You Begin
Disconnect your network cable or disable Wi-Fi before booting the installer. The installer attempts to reach the Astra Linux servers during setup, which are inaccessible outside Russia. Leaving the network connected will cause package errors that abort the installation. The network can be reconnected immediately after the first boot.
If your drive contains an existing Linux installation with LVM volumes, boot into a live environment first and use GParted to completely wipe the drive and create a fresh GPT partition table before running the installer. Failure to do so may result in LVM-related errors during installation.
Partition Setup
At the disk partitioning step, choose Custom Template and open the partitioning tool. The following layout is recommended for a typical desktop installation with full disk encryption:
| Size | Format | Mount point | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 320 MB | EFI System Partition | /boot/efi | EFI |
| 900 MB | ext2 | /boot | kernel |
| 30 GB+ | ext4 + LUKS2 | / | system |
For the root partition, enable Use Protective Transformation (LUKS2 encryption) and enter your passphrase. With this setup you will be prompted for the passphrase once at boot. LVM is deliberately avoided here — a simple LUKS2 encrypted ext4 layout is easier to recover from and less prone to installer conflicts.
Component Selection
At the OS components screen, review the selections. Games are unchecked by default. If you do not want LibreOffice, locate the office suite component and uncheck it before proceeding. A replacement office suite can be installed later from the repositories.
Completing Installation
Proceed through the remaining installer prompts. The installation takes approximately ten minutes. On completion, reboot and reconnect your network.
Setting Up an NTFS Data Drive
If you have a secondary drive formatted as NTFS, install NTFS support and configure it to mount automatically. First enable the Debian Bookworm repository temporarily as described in Part Four, then:
sudo apt-get install ntfs-3gFind the UUID of your NTFS partition:
sudo blkidCreate a mount point:
sudo mkdir /mnt/ntfsAdd the following line to /etc/fstab, replacing the UUID with your own:
UUID=your-own-UUID /mnt/ntfs ntfs-3g defaults,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=022 0 0Then reload and mount:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo mount -aThe drive will now appear at /mnt/ntfs and can be bookmarked in the Fly file manager. It mounts automatically at every boot with full read and write access.
Downloading the Full ISO Collection
Now that the system is running, return to the torrent and download the remaining files — the extended, devel, and documentation ISOs along with their MD5 files. Store them in a dedicated folder on your NTFS drive or any drive with sufficient space. Approximately 37 GiB of free space is required for the extended and devel ISOs combined.
The screenshot below shows the recommended selection for post-install repo setup (adjust filenames for latest 1.8.5):
To find the exact path to your download folder, open a terminal from within the folder using the file manager Tools menu, then run:
pwdSetting Up Local Repositories
Create mount points for each ISO:
sudo mkdir /media/astra-main
sudo mkdir /media/astra-extended
sudo mkdir /media/astra-develMount each ISO — adjust the path to match your actual storage location:
sudo mount -o loop "/mnt/ntfs/ASTRA-REPOS/Astra Linux Special Edition 1.8.1.6/installation-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso" /media/astra-main
sudo mount -o loop "/mnt/ntfs/ASTRA-REPOS/Astra Linux Special Edition 1.8.1.6/extended-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso" /media/astra-extended
sudo mount -o loop "/mnt/ntfs/ASTRA-REPOS/Astra Linux Special Edition 1.8.1.6/devel-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso" /media/astra-develAdd the following lines to /etc/apt/sources.list:
# Local Astra Linux SE 1.8 repos
deb file:///media/astra-main/ 1.8_x86-64 main contrib non-free
deb file:///media/astra-extended/ 1.8_x86-64 main contrib non-free
deb file:///media/astra-devel/ 1.8_x86-64 main contrib non-freeUpdate the package list:
sudo apt-get updateAuto-Mounting the ISOs at Boot
To have the ISOs mount automatically at every boot, add the following entries to /etc/fstab. Note the use of \040 in place of spaces in the file path — this is the correct fstab syntax for spaces. To obtain your actual full path and real filename, open a terminal in the location of your ISO then run this command:
readlink -f */mnt/ntfs/ASTRA-REPOS/Astra\040Linux\0401.8.5/Технологический\040установочный\040диск/installation-1.8.5.46-11.02.26_01.30.iso
/media/astra-main iso9660 loop,ro,auto 0 0
/mnt/ntfs/ASTRA-REPOS/Astra\040Linux\0401.8.5/Расширенный\040репозиторий/extended-1.8.5.46-11.02.26_01.30.iso /media/astra-extended iso9660 loop,ro,auto 0 0
/mnt/ntfs/ASTRA-REPOS/Astra\040Linux\040Special\040Edition\0401.8.1.6/devel-1.8.1.6-27.06.2024_14.12.iso /media/astra-devel iso9660 loop,ro,auto 0 0Then reload and mount:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo mount -aReboot to confirm everything mounts cleanly without manual intervention.
Why You Need It
Astra Linux SE 1.8 is built on Debian 12 Bookworm. Adding the standard Debian repositories gives access to a large collection of additional software not included in the Astra ISOs — including Telegram Desktop, updated browser versions, NTFS tools, and much more.
Adding the Sources
First install the Debian archive keyring:
wget http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/d/debian-archive-keyring/debian-archive-keyring_2023.3+deb12u2_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i debian-archive-keyring_2023.3+deb12u2_all.deb
wget http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/d/debian-archive-keyring/debian-archive-keyring_2025.1_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i debian-archive-keyring_2025.1_all.debThen add the following lines to /etc/apt/sources.list. Keep them commented out by default and uncomment only when you need to install something:
# Debian 12 Bookworm — enable only when needed, disable after use
# deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
# deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
# deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmwaresudo apt-get update (or "reload") after disabling to confirm a clean result. Leaving them permanently active alongside the Astra repos can cause package conflicts.Installing Telegram Desktop
Telegram Desktop is available directly from the Debian Bookworm repository. Enable the Bookworm lines in sources.list, then:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install telegram-desktopDisable the Bookworm lines again once the installation is complete. Telegram will continue to update itself independently.
Firefox
Firefox comes preinstalled with Astra Linux SE 1.8, however the bundled version may be outdated and some extensions will prompt for an upgrade. A current version can be installed from the Debian Bookworm repository:
# Enable Bookworm in sources.list first, then:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install firefoxDisable Bookworm again after installation.
Chromium
Chromium is available from the local Astra repositories and works well for general browsing. Note that Chromium deliberately omits Google account synchronisation — the proprietary Google APIs required for sync are not included in the open source build. If you rely on syncing bookmarks, extensions, and history across devices, use Google Chrome instead.
Google Chrome
Google Chrome provides full Google account synchronisation and is straightforward to install:
wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
sudo apt-get -f installVerify the installation:
google-chrome --versionChrome adds its own repository to sources.list automatically for self-updating. You may wish to comment this line out to keep your sources.list clean, and update Chrome manually when needed by re-running the wget and dpkg commands above.
To set Chrome as the default browser:
xdg-settings set default-web-browser google-chrome.desktopReferences
Official Documentation
Astra Linux Special Edition 1.8 Wiki. wiki.astralinux.ru
Astra Linux Repository Structure. wiki.astralinux.ru
ISO Sources
Astra 1.8.5 — Released 11Feb26 Added here on 30 May 2026
Astra 1.8.1 — Yandex Disk disk.yandex.com
ISO collection archive. archive.org
Community
Astra Linux ISO links — DartPower. github.com
Astra Linux SE 1.8 Installation disc — alfos. teletype.in
