Installation failures using normal install and imager-1.7.5

Trying to get a successfull install of linuxcnc on RPi4B-8GB.
I have tried linuxcnc-2.8.4-buster and 2.8.0-buster.
Each using imager-1.7.5 to a 32GB SDHC card.  Imager settings are default.  New 32GB SD each time.  Different Laptop used each time.
Result is "This board requires newer software".  Continuous reboots.  ( You have seen this before.)
What I am questioning is the odd image size on the SD card which results for each install.
Linuxcnc-2.8.0-buster downloads a 2.1GB zip file which shrinks to 29.9MB on the SD card. And the SD card capacity shrinks to 252MB.
If this is as wrong as it seem then what is causing things to go haywire?


 

Could you try this method? I don't think the 8 Gb memory is a restriction any more but don't have one to test.
linuxcnc.org/docs/2.9/html/getting-start...etting-linuxcnc.html
If you need to upgrade this to a later Linuxcnc version, the only option is to build from source due to lack of buildbots for the Pi making Debs.
Note that its been reported  access to GPIO is broken due to the non standrard way Linuxcnc used to access GPIO. Its been fixed in later versions so building from source is required.

 The following is on Rpi4B-4GB.  (the aforementioned fail was on both 8GB and 4GB Pis. )
As you suggested.  
(Beginning with  linuxcnc.org/docs/2.9/html   section 3 “install Debian Bookworm on a Raspberry Pi)   
Downloaded the Debain 12 bookworm compressed file titled rasp-4-bookworm.img.xz.

Used imager on freshly reformatted SD to burn zipped bookworm Ssuccessfully.
Here are some oddities that happened en route.....
After “apt update” .... 4 warnings..  see attached
After “apt upgrade” .... 2 error reports:
and later 
E: Unable to locate package task-xfce-desktop
and finally... startx command not found
so after my first Linux lesson, I rebooted and it came up: 
Debian GNU/Linux 12-.....and I logged in
It gave me a few gripes I think can be ignored: “ journal out of date...., Journal header limits reached....

So have we got a foundation here or a mess?
Corrections, redo, or continue to sections 5, 1 and 7.

I have been using LinuxCNC for 10 years and the old console gave up on me.  Really hope this gets me back to the machine.
Tnx for sharing your knowledge.  This stuff's hard.

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adding....
E:  Unable to locate package task-xfce-desktop
seems to be the show stopper.   I never got the mentioned request for input (kbd layout/lang). and did not boot to a gui. 
Can you point to the missing element such that I could still load it?


  

can you try  And select xfce there or another alternative.
It is odd because we tested the method shown in the docs after Bookworm was released.

No internet connection or network not configured.
Can not update, so nothing will install .
It clearly says "can not connect to debian servers" or similar.

Rod/Tommy, completed the install of Debian Bookworm on the RPi4/4GB < linuxcnc.org/docs/2.9/html/getting-start...etting-linuxcnc.html >
Everything went perfect and it booted up to a fabulous GUI.
Two things:
1) The screen flickered as mentioned by others only when the mouse was just off the bottom of the screen.
2) I did a shutdown from the pull down menu and the desktop & Pi shut down properly then I removed the power jack to shut it down....and that was the last time I get to see the desktop. 7 green blinks + 2 sec pause, repeat.
I plugged it back in and no desktop ever came back.
There is no terminal access, so whatever is next probably starts with a clean SD card.

Your continued direction is appreciated.