diff -r c3daa62443b8 groovy.grails/src/org/netbeans/modules/groovy/grails/RuntimeHelper.java
--- a/groovy.grails/src/org/netbeans/modules/groovy/grails/RuntimeHelper.java	Wed Nov 19 17:06:21 2008 +0300
+++ b/groovy.grails/src/org/netbeans/modules/groovy/grails/RuntimeHelper.java	Fri Nov 21 16:29:41 2008 +0100
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@
 
     public static final String NIX_EXECUTABLE = "/bin/" + NIX_EXECUTABLE_FILE; // NOI18N
 
+    public static final String DEB_EXECUTABLE = "/usr" + NIX_EXECUTABLE; //NOI18N
+
+    public static final String DEB_START_FILE = "/bin/startGrails"; //NOI18N
+
     private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(RuntimeHelper.class.getName());
 
     private RuntimeHelper() {
@@ -72,11 +76,16 @@
 
     public static boolean isValidRuntime(File grailsBase) {
         String pathToBinary = Utilities.isWindows() ? WIN_EXECUTABLE : NIX_EXECUTABLE;
-        return new File(grailsBase, pathToBinary).isFile();
+        return new File(grailsBase, pathToBinary).isFile() || isDebian(grailsBase);
 // leave following for future
 //                && new File(grailsBase, "dist").isDirectory() // NOI18N
 //                && new File(grailsBase, "lib").isDirectory() // NOI18N
 //                && new File(grailsBase, "build.properties").isFile(); // NOI18N
+    }
+
+    public static boolean isDebian(File grailsBase) {
+        return new File(grailsBase, DEB_START_FILE).isFile()
+                && new File(DEB_EXECUTABLE).isFile();
     }
 
     public static String getRuntimeVersion(File grailsBase) {
diff -r c3daa62443b8 groovy.grails/src/org/netbeans/modules/groovy/grails/api/GrailsRuntime.java
--- a/groovy.grails/src/org/netbeans/modules/groovy/grails/api/GrailsRuntime.java	Wed Nov 19 17:06:21 2008 +0300
+++ b/groovy.grails/src/org/netbeans/modules/groovy/grails/api/GrailsRuntime.java	Fri Nov 21 16:29:41 2008 +0100
@@ -379,6 +379,9 @@
         public Process call() throws Exception {
             String executable =  Utilities.isWindows() ? RuntimeHelper.WIN_EXECUTABLE : RuntimeHelper.NIX_EXECUTABLE;
             File grailsExecutable = new File(GrailsSettings.getInstance().getGrailsBase(), executable);
+            if (RuntimeHelper.isDebian(new File(GrailsSettings.getInstance().getGrailsBase()))) {
+                grailsExecutable = new File(RuntimeHelper.DEB_EXECUTABLE);
+            }
 
             if (!grailsExecutable.exists()) {
                 LOGGER.log(Level.WARNING, "Executable doesn't exist: "