debian
     
         /deb'ee`n/, not /deeb'ee`n/ the
        non-profit volunteer organisation responsible for debian
        gnu/linux and debian gnu/hurd.  debian's linux
        distribution is dedicated to free and open source software;
        the main goal of the distribution is to ensure that one can
        download and install a fully-functional operating system
        that is completely adherent to the debian free software
        guidelines dfsg.
     
        debian was begun in august 1993 by ian murdock, and was
        sponsored by the free software foundation from november 1994
        to november 1995.  the name debian is a contraction of debra
        and ian murdock.
     
        debian's packaging system dpkg is similar to other popular
        packaging systems like rpm.  there are over 2200 packages of
        precompiled software available in the main free section of
        the debian 2.1 distribution alone -- this is what sets debian
        apart from many other linux distributions.  the high quality
        and huge number of official packages most debian systems'
        /usr/local/ remains empty -- almost everything most linux
        users want is officially packaged are what draw many people
        to use debian.
     
        another unique aspect to the debian project is the open
        development; pre-releases are made available from day 1 and if
        anyone wishes to become a debian developer, all that is needed
        is proof of identification and a signed pgp or gpg key.
        there are over 400 debian developers all around the world --
        many developers have never met face-to-face, and most
        development talks take place on the many mailing lists and
        the irc network.
     
        home http://www.debian.org/.
     
        debian linux archives ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian.
     
        1999-02-23
     
     
see also:
gnu linux hurd open source operating system free software foundation 
rpm pgp gpg mailing lists irc 
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