GROUP 5
Debian
Introduction
The significance of distributors in the Debian ecosystem lies in the
diversity and adaptability they bring to the operating system.
The flexibility it offers allows Debian-based distributions to be widely
adopted in a range of environments.
The concept of a Debian distribution involves the creation and
maintenance of a complete, coherent, and free and open-source
operating system built around the Linux kernel.
Background Information
Debian has always been a community-driven project.
First announced on August 16, 1993.
Founded by Ian Murdock; who named it as a combination of his name
and that of his then-girlfriend, Debra.
Relies on a large and diverse group of volunteers, developers, and
contributors from around the world.
Background Information
Debian releases are named after characters from the film, Toy Story.
Debian’s first stable release was “Buzz” in 1996.
The current stable distribution of Debian is version 12, Bookworm.
Released as version 12.0 on June 10, 2023 and its latest update,
version 12.5, was released on February 10, 2024
Distribution
Debian is also known as Debian GNU/Linux.
It is a complete Linux distribution with its own set of releases and
characteristics.
It is a Linux distribution composed of free and open-source software
and optionally non-free firmware or software.
It also plays a significant role in the broader Linux ecosystem as a
source for other distributions.
Origin and Development
Ian Murdock initiated the project in the United States in 1993.
However, Debian attracted contributors from various countries who
joined the project to contribute to the development.
Debian's development community is characterized by its openness,
inclusivity, and collaboration.
Origin and Development
Ian Murdock, Bruce Perens, Ian Jackson & Bdale Garbee are some of
the major contributors in Debian. As well as 1,491 people and 17
teams in the last 12 months. Others contributing from 1999 up to this
year, 2024.
Debian was sponsored by the GNU Project of The Free Software
Foundation, the organization started by Richard Stallman and
associated with the General Public License, for one year -- from
November 1994 to November 1995.
Philosophy and Goals
Free Software: Remain 100% free and open source.
Support for Free Software: Give preference to free software and will
provide support for non-free software to the extent that it does not
interfere with free software.
Respect for the Community: Actively work with the free software
community and will not hide problems, efforts, or results.
Cooperation with Others: Cooperate with other free software
projects and provide source code for modifications and additions.
Philosophy and Goals
Recognize that many Desktop Environments exist and will support the
use of them - this includes making sure they work well on Debian.
Debian’s goal is to make the graphical interfaces easy to use for
beginners while allowing advanced users and experts to tweak things
if they like.
Package Management
Debian is a volunteer organization which builds consistent distributions of
pre-compiled binary packages of free software and distributes them from
its archive.
The current Debian package management system which can utilize all
these resources is Advanced Packaging Tool (APT).
The Debian package management system, when used properly, offers the
user to install consistent sets of binary packages to the system from the
archive. Currently, there are 72,382 packages available for the amd64
architecture.
Package Management
Installation: The user can Updating: Keep your
download the Debian Installer system up-to-date using the
ISO from tbe official website and following commands:
create a bootable USB/DVD and sudo apt update
choose the right desktop sudo apt upgrade
environment during installation. sudo apt dist-upgrade
Removing: To remove a package: sudo apt remove package_name
To remove a package along with its configuration files: sudo apt purge
package_name
To remove orphaned dependencies: sudo apt autoremove
Desktop Environment
Debian has numerous desktop environments, such as GNOME, KDE
Plasma, Xfce, and LXQt. The default desktop environment for Debian is
usually GNOME, although you can select your preferred one during the
installation process or later and switch between them as necessary.
Release Cycle
Debian announces its new stable release on a regular basis. Debian
always has at least three releases in active maintenance: stable, testing
and unstable.
Debian 12 (bookworm) Debian GNU/Linux 5.0 (lenny)
Debian 11 (bullseye) Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 (etch)
Debian 10 (buster) Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 (sarge)
Debian 9 (stretch) Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 (woody)
Debian 8 (jessie) Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 (potato)
Debian 7 (wheezy) Debian GNU/Linux 2.1 (slink)
Debian 6.0 (squeeze) Debian GNU/Linux 2.0 (hamm)
Target Audience
General Desktop Users:
Debian provides a stable and user-friendly environment. It includes a wide
range of software packages, making it suitable for everyday tasks,
multimedia, and office productivity.
Developers:
Debian is well-suited for developers. It supports multiple programming
languages and offers a solid development environment.
Educational Institutions:
Debian is used in educational environments due to its stability and
educational software availability. It is a common choice for computer science
courses and research projects.
Security Features
Here are the two security features offered by Debian:
AppArmor and SELinux:
Debian supports mandatory access control frameworks like AppArmor and
SELinux. These frameworks enable fine-grained control over the activities
of processes, enhancing the overall security of the system.
Built-in Firewalls:
Debian includes tools like iptables and nftables, which allow users to
configure firewalls and control network traffic. These tools help enhance
the system's network security.
Pros and Cons
Pros: Cons:
1. Stability: Known for its rock-solid 1. Release Cycle: Has a conservative
stability. The release process release cycle, while contributing to
involves extensive testing, making stability, means that users may not always
it a reliable choice for both servers have access to the latest software
and desktops. versions. This can be a drawback for those
2. Security: Has a strong security who require bleeding-edge features.
focus. The DST actively monitors 2. Installer Complexity: The installer can be
vulnerabilities and provides timely perceived as less user-friendly compared
updates to address them. Security to some other distributions. It provides a
patches are rigorously tested high level of customization, but this might
before being incorporated into the be overwhelming for beginners.
stable release.
Use Cases
● Debian is ideal for users seeking a highly stable and secure system,
making it suitable for production servers and critical environments. Debian
Testing and Debian Unstable are better suited for enthusiasts and
developers seeking newer software.
Quiz
1. Who is the founder of Debian?
a. Ian Murdock
b. Mark Shuttleworth
c. Debra
d. Bdale Garbee
Quiz
2. What is Debian’s first stable release?
a. Buzz
b. Woody
c. Hamm
d. Buster
Quiz
3. Who sponsored Debian?
a. Bruce Perens
b. The GNU Project
c. AppArmor
d. Linux
Quiz
4. When was Debian initiated by Ian Murdock?
a. 1996
b. 1998
c. 2000
d. 1993
Quiz
5. What is Debian’s current stable distribution?
a. Bullseye
b. Stretch
c. Bookworm
d. Buster
Answer key
1. a
2. a
3. b
4. d
5. c
References
https://www.debian.org/derivatives/
https://www.debian.org/releases/
https://www.debian.org/
https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/project-history/detailed
https://contributors.debian.org/
https://www.debian.org/devel/debian-desktop/
https://www.debian.org/social_contract
https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-
reference/debian_package_management_system
https://www.redswitches.com/blog/debian-vs-fedora/#:~:text=Use%20Cases,-Debian
