Debian
Debian 12 (Bookworm) running its default desktop environment, GNOME Version 43.9 | |
| Developer | The Debian Project |
|---|---|
| OS family | Linux (Unix-like) |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source |
| Initial release | August 1993 |
| Latest release | 12.11 / 17 May 2025 |
| Repository | salsa.debian.org |
| Available in | 78 languages |
| Update method |
|
| Package manager | APT, dpkg |
| Platforms | |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux kernel) |
| Userland | GNU |
| Default user interface | GNOME (others available) |
| License | DFSG-compatible licenses, plus proprietary firmware files |
| Official website | www |
_GNOME_43.9—English.png){kind=link}
Debian (/ˈdɛbiən/) is a free and open source Linux distribution, developed by the Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock in August 1993. Debian is one of the oldest operating systems based on the Linux kernel, and is the basis of many other Linux distributions.
As of September 2023, Debian is the second-oldest Linux distribution still in active development: only Slackware is older. The project is coordinated over the Internet by a team of volunteers guided by the Debian Project Leader and three foundational documents: the Debian Social Contract, the Debian Constitution, and the Debian Free Software Guidelines.
In general, Debian has been developed openly and distributed freely according to some of the principles of the GNU Project and Free Software. Because of this, the Free Software Foundation sponsored the project from November 1994 to November 1995. However, Debian is no longer endorsed by GNU and the FSF because of the distribution's long-term practice of hosting non-free software repositories and, since 2022, its inclusion of non-free firmware in its installation media by default. On June 16, 1997, the Debian Project founded the nonprofit organization Software in the Public Interest to continue financing its development.