90 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
90 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
date: 2022-06-20T14:10:48Z
|
|
draft: false
|
|
aliases: []
|
|
categories: ['documentation']
|
|
series: ['apprentice']
|
|
tags: ['linux', 'os']
|
|
chroma: false
|
|
toc: true
|
|
title: Debian
|
|
description: All about ye ol' relaiable Debian Linux distribution!
|
|
docs:
|
|
- url: https://debian-handbook.info/browse/stable/
|
|
name: Debian Administrator's Handbook
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
Debian is a classic free and open source Linux distribution.
|
|
It's one of the oldest Linux OSes and the basis of many other distros.
|
|
Most notably Ubuntu.
|
|
|
|
Debian has three foundational documents.
|
|
|
|
The [Debian Social Contract](https://www.debian.org/social_contract)/[OG Version](https://lists.debian.org/debian-announce/1997/msg00017.html),
|
|
the [Debian Constitution](https://www.debian.org/devel/constitution) and
|
|
the [Debian Free Software Guidelines](https://wiki.debian.org/DebianFreeSoftwareGuidelines).
|
|
|
|
Debian version code-names are famously named after characters from the [Toy Story](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Story_(franchise)) films.
|
|
It's unstable rolling release branch is named Sid, who in the Toy Stories regularly destroys his toys.
|
|
|
|
## Early History
|
|
The first ever Debian release was on September 15th, 1993.
|
|
It was an internal release of version 0.01.
|
|
The first public release, version 0.90, included the "[Debian Linux Manifesto](https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/project-history/manifesto.en.html)".
|
|
That document outlining, the Debian founder, Ian Murdock's view for the Debian OS.
|
|
Calling for Debian to become an openly maintained distribution, in the spirit of GNU/Linux.
|
|
|
|
During 1994 and 1995 Debian released 0.9x versions and was sponsored by the [Free Software Foundation](https://fsf.org).
|
|
During this time Ian Murdock would delegate the base system and core package management to Bruce Perens, while Murdock focused on the management of the growing project.
|
|
|
|
In 1996 dpkg was already an essential part of Debian and Bruce Perens got the project leadership.
|
|
He was a controversial leader and drafted the Debian Social Contract.
|
|
During this time the Free Software Foundation would pull their sponsorship for the project.
|
|
And Perens would go on to create the organization "[Software in the Public Interest](https://spi-inc.org)".
|
|
He also wrote BusyBox to make it possible to have a Debian installer on a single floppy drive.
|
|
|
|
From 1999, the project leader was elected yearly.
|
|
The number of applicants was overwhelming, and the project established the new member process.
|
|
After this Debian slowly evolved into what it is today.
|
|
|
|
## Packages, Branches and Branding
|
|
Package management on Debian is done mainly through APT, the "Advanced Packaging Tool".
|
|
Although there are loads of alternative methods and apt GUI frontends.
|
|
APT uses dpkg under the hood, and this dpkg is the program responsible for managing all installed packages.
|
|
As long as snap, flatpak, (home)brew or any other alternative package manager isn't installed beside it.
|
|
Those examples however are often installed in conjunction with whatever package manager your distro of choice is.
|
|
Because they install either in their own segregated environment.
|
|
Or with all dependencies bundled and binaries that are statically linked.
|
|
|
|
The official Debian repos have several "areas" and only the free one is enabled by default.
|
|
The DFSG/Debian Free Software Guidelines define what is and isn't free software in this context.
|
|
But it's pretty trivial to add the *non-free* and *contrib* areas for installing official packages that may not be entirely free and open source.
|
|
|
|
The non-free contains packages that doesn't comply with the DFSG.
|
|
And contrib contains packages that do comply, but fail other requirements, like depending on non-free packages.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Debian "swirl" logo is said to represent [magic smoke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_smoke).
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Development and Features
|
|
Debian is available in 75 languages with widely varying support.
|
|
The installer itself is available in 76 languages.
|
|
As of 2022 anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Derivative works
|
|
As of writing, Aug. 18th 2022, [DistroWatch](https://distrowatch.com) lists 118 active Debian based distros.
|
|
And 404 also counting discontinued Debian based distros.
|
|
|
|
Debian GNU/kFreeBSD only had one official stable port with the release of Debian 7.0 (Wheezy).
|
|
That would of course be Debian with GNU user land utilities using the FreeBSD kernel.
|
|
|
|
And Debian GNU/Hurd using the GNU Hurd microkernel.
|
|
It has been developed since 1998, but has never had an official Debian release.
|
|
Still it's maintained and developed as an unofficial port.
|
|
|
|
In my opinion [Devuan](https://devuan.org) is the best Debian fork, but that may just be the systemd hate speaking.
|
|
It has been mirroring Debian since 2017, but with systemd removed and sysvinit, runit or openrc as supported init system alternatives.
|