Debian

Debian is a free operating system developed by the Debian Project. It was started by Ian Murdock in August 1993. Debian is one of the oldest Linux distributions that is still being worked on today. Many other operating systems, like Ubuntu, are based on Debian.

The Debian Project is guided by a Project Leader and follows three important documents: the Social Contract, the Constitution, and the Free Software Guidelines. Debian offers three types of releases: stable, testing, and unstable. These releases differ in how ready the software is for everyday use. The current stable release is called Trixie. It includes many packages maintained by over a thousand people around the world.

Since 1997, Debian has been run independently by Software in the Public Interest, a non-profit group created by its members. Earlier, between 1994 and 1995, it received support from the Free Software Foundation, but this support ended because of technical disagreements.

History

Debian uses names from the Toy Story films for its versions. The unstable version is named after Sid, a character who often breaks his toys.

Debian was started by Ian Murdock in August 1993. He wanted to create a better version of another Linux system called SLS, which had problems and many errors. The name "Debian" comes from a mix of his girlfriend Debra’s name and his own name, Ian.

The first version, 0.01, came out in September 1993. Over the years, Debian grew with help from many people. Important tools like the package manager were added, and Debian started to support many different types of computers. Leaders of the project changed over time, and new versions were released with more features and improvements. Today, Debian continues to develop new versions regularly.

Features

Debian has online repositories with nearly 70,000 packages that you can use. It only includes software that is free, but you can also add non-free software from its repositories. Debian comes with popular free programs like LibreOffice, the Firefox web browser, Thunderbird for emails, the VLC media player, the GIMP for editing images, and Okular for viewing documents. Many people use Debian for servers, such as part of a LAMP setup.

Debian is also used for newer technologies like cloud computing, containers, and artificial intelligence (AI). It helps build Docker containers and works well with Google Cloud's virtual machines for learning.

Several types of the Linux system are available for different computers. For example, computers with older parts or special needs can choose different versions.

Many ways to make Debian look and feel different are available. The most common ones are GNOME and KDE Plasma, but you can also pick Xfce, LXDE, LXQt, MATE, and Lumina. There are also simpler options for managing windows like Openbox, Fluxbox, and i3.

Parts of Debian can be translated into many languages besides English. Some languages, like German and French, have more translations than others. The Debian setup program is available in 76 different languages.

Debian sometimes has trouble with certain types of multimedia files because of rules about patents or licenses. Even though some useful tools might be available in a special area for non-free software, some things like libdvdcss are not included in Debian.

Distribution

Debian provides DVD and CD images for installation that you can download using HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent or jigdo. You can also buy physical discs from stores. The full sets have many discs (the amd64 version has 13 DVDs or 84 CDs), but you only need the first disc to install, as the rest can be found online.

Debian has different ways to install over a network. You can do a small install using a netinst CD, which starts with basic software and then adds more from the Internet. Another way is to start the installer from the network.

The usual boot loader is GNU GRUB version 2, though its package name is just grub (version 1 is called grub-legacy). This is different from some other systems like Fedora Linux, where version 2 is named grub2.

When you boot from a DVD, you can pick your default desktop from choices like GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce, LXDE, and LXQt. There are also special CDs for this.

Debian also offers live install images for CDs, DVDs, and USB drives for x86-64 computers, with different desktop choices. These Debian Live images let you try Debian on a computer without changing anything on the computer's hard drive. You can also fully install Debian from these live images. You can make your own custom images using the live-build tool for discs, USB drives, and network booting. Some installation images are hybrid and can be used to make a bootable USB drive (Live USB).

Packages

Package management helps you add, remove, and update software on Debian. You can use different tools, from simple commands like dpkg to easy-to-use programs like Synaptic. The main tool recommended is apt, which makes it simple to manage your software.

dpkg is a basic tool that works with files on your computer. It doesn’t connect to online sources for software. APT, or Advanced Packaging Tool, helps you get software and its needed parts from online sources. There are several tools that work with APT, like apt, apt-get, and Aptitude, each with different ways to search and manage software.

GDebi and other tools make it even easier to install software, whether you use commands or a graphical interface. Debian has different areas for software: the main area includes software that follows free software rules, while non-free and contrib areas have other types of software that don’t fully meet these rules.

There are also tools that work across different Linux systems, such as AppImage, Flatpak, Homebrew, and Snap. These are available in Debian but aren’t installed by default. They let you install newer versions of apps safely.

Branches

See also: Debian version history

Debian has three main versions that are kept up to date:

• Stable is the current version that has been tested and works well. It only gets updates for important safety fixes. The current version is called trixie.
• Testing is a preview of the next big version. It has newer software than Stable but may not be ready for everyone yet. The current version is called forky.
• Unstable, also called sid, has the newest software and is mainly used by developers. Debian does not provide full installation discs for this version.

There are also older versions like Oldstable and Oldoldstable, which are kept for a time for support, and Experimental, which has very new and untested software.

Branding

Debian uses two logos. The main logo, called the open use logo, shows the famous Debian swirl. This logo best represents Debian. There is also a separate logo just for the Debian Project and its members.

The Debian swirl logo was created by Raul Silva in 1999 during a contest. The winner got a special @Debian.org email address and some Debian installation CDs. The swirl was originally part of a design with a genie bottle, but it was later simplified to just the red swirl when more space-saving options were needed. While there’s no official meaning from Debian about the logo, some think it represents the “magic smoke” that helps computers work.

One fun idea is that the swirl might be inspired by Buzz Lightyear, the character used for the first Debian release, since Buzz has a swirl on his chin and Debian release names come from Toy Story characters. Stefano Zacchiroli mentioned this possibility. Bruce Perens, a former Debian leader, used to work at Pixar and helped make Toy Story 2 in 1999.

Hardware

Debian needs at least the same amount of memory as the kernel and GNU tools. The amount of memory you need depends on how many parts of Debian you want to install. You can install Debian with just 170 MB of memory if you use a special low-memory mode, and it helps to set up a swap partition.

You can also run Debian on older computers. But if you want a full desktop, it uses more memory, so it’s better to use a simpler window manager instead. Different programs need different amounts of memory, so you should check what you plan to use.

Debian works on many types of computer designs. As of August 9, 2025, it officially supports amd64 (x86-64), arm64 (ARMv8), armel (ARMv5 for older systems), armhf (ARMv7 with floating-point unit), ppc64el (PowerPC for POWER7+ and POWER8 CPUs), riscv64 (RISC-V), and s390x (z/Architecture).

There are also unofficial versions for other designs like DEC Alpha, HP PA-RISC, GNU Hurd kernel, IA-32, LoongArch, MIPS, Motorola 68k, PowerPC, SuperH, SPARC, and x32. Debian can also run on special devices like network storage boxes, plug computers, and set-top boxes. There are ongoing efforts to support more devices like wireless access points and mobile devices.

Organization

Debian focuses on working together to build and test software. New major versions of Debian come out about every two years, with smaller updates to fix problems and keep things safe. The Debian project is run by volunteers and follows three important documents.

These documents are the Debian Social Contract, which lists the basic rules for the project; the Debian Free Software Guidelines, which decide what kinds of software can be included; and the Debian Constitution, which explains how decisions are made and what each leader can do.

Debian developers work in a special way called a web of trust. There are about one thousand active developers now, but anyone can help the project even if they are not official developers. The project uses mailing lists and meetings to talk and share ideas. There is also a public system to report problems with software. Chat rooms are used for quick talks among developers.

The project is helped by money given to groups approved by the leader. The biggest helper is Software in the Public Interest, which owns the Debian name and manages money and supports other free software projects.

A Project Leader is chosen once a year by the developers. The leader has some special powers but cannot make all the rules alone. The leader picks others to help with certain jobs. Developers can vote to change decisions, update the important documents, or even choose a new leader. They use a special voting method called the Schulze method.

Sometimes, leadership is shared. For example, Branden Robinson had help from a team called the Project Scud. Later, Anthony Towns added a position called Second In Charge (2IC) to share some of the leader's work. Steve McIntyre was a 2IC and also had someone help him.

A important job is the release manager. This team decides what will be included in the next version, watches the work, and chooses when to release it. The team is led by release managers and stable release managers. Helpers for releases were added in 2003.

Developers

Many people want to join Debian as developers. They must go through a checking process to make sure they understand the project and can do the work. Over time, this process has become more careful.

People join Debian for different reasons. Some use Debian as their main operating system and want to help improve it. Others want to support a technology they like, or they use a version of Debian and want to give back to the free-software community. Some just want to make their own work with Debian easier.

Developers can leave Debian anytime. If needed, they can also be asked to leave. Those who leave properly can become emeritus members and can join again later with an easier process.

Debian works to include more people from different backgrounds. In 2004, Debian Women was started to get more women involved. Debian also works with Outreachy, which offers jobs to people who are underrepresented in technology.

Development

Each software package in Debian has a maintainer, who can be a person or a team. The maintainer checks that the package works well with the rest of the system and follows Debian's quality rules. When a new version is ready, the maintainer uploads it to a system that checks the package before it becomes part of the Debian collection.

New packages first appear in the "unstable" group. To move to the next release, they must stay in "unstable" for some time, have no serious problems, and not break other packages. Once everything is ready, a new version is released and becomes the "stable" group.

Debian releases a new stable version about every two years. These versions get security updates for three years. There is also a project to give extra security updates for five years after a version is no longer officially supported.

Debian works on security by sharing information openly as soon as a problem is found. The stable version gets the most quick updates, while testing and unstable versions get updates as they are ready. Debian also provides tools to help keep systems safe.

Institutional users

Debian is used by many places, such as universities, non-profit groups like the Wikimedia Foundation, and companies. It has even been used in space on the International Space Station.

Debian has helped government agencies, like in the city of Munich, which used a Debian-based system called LiMux for its computers. Schools in Extremadura and Andalusia in Spain also used Debian-based systems to teach digital skills. Other schools, like those in Norway using Skolelinux/Debian Edu, also benefit from Debian. Public groups, such as the French Gendarmerie, use systems based on Debian too, like the GendBuntu distribution.

Derivatives

Further information: List of Linux distributions § Debian-based

Debian is a very popular operating system, and many other operating systems have been built using Debian's code. As of 2025^[update], there are 141 different versions based on Debian. The Debian project gives advice to these versions and encourages them to share their improvements with Debian.

Some well-known versions include Ubuntu, made by Canonical and first released in 2004, which is now more popular for everyday users; Knoppix, released in 2000 and designed to boot from external storage; Tails, focused on keeping information private and first released in 2009; and Devuan, which started in 2014 because of disagreements over Debian's use of certain software. The Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) has also used Debian as its main source of software since 2014.

Official flavors

Debian Pure Blends are special versions of Debian made for specific groups of users. For example, Debian Jr. is made for children, while Debian Science is for researchers and scientists. The full Debian system includes all these special versions.

Debian GNU/Hurd

Debian GNU/Hurd is a special version that uses the Hurd kernel instead of the Linux kernel. It has been developed since 1998 and released officially in May 2013. Although it is not an official Debian release, it is kept updated and can be installed using a special CD or a ready-to-use virtual disk image (Live CD, Live USB). The current version is from August 2025.

Debian GNU/kFreeBSD

Debian GNU/kFreeBSD was a special version that used the FreeBSD kernel. It was created in 2002 and was an official part of Debian until version 8. However, development stopped in 2023 because there were not enough people interested in continuing it.