Debian
Debian is a free and open-source operating system and software distribution framework developed and maintained by the Debian Project. The name Debian generally...
| Classification | Free and open-source operating system, Linux distribution |
|---|---|
| Developer | Debian Project |
| Founder | Ian Murdock |
| Initial release | August 1993 |
| Primary system | Debian GNU/Linux |
| Kernels and foundations | Linux kernel, GNU Mach and GNU Hurd |
| Former foundations | FreeBSD kernel, NetBSD kernel |
| User space | GNU and free software |
| Package format | .deb |
| Package management | dpkg, APT |
| Update model | Stable-focused fixed releases |
| Main distributions | stable, testing, unstable |
| Current stable release | Debian 13.6 “trixie” |
| Stable release architectures | amd64, arm64, armel, armhf, ppc64el, riscv64, s390x |
| Development ports | hurd-amd64 and hurd-i386 for GNU/Hurd, among others |
| Primary licenses | Various free software licenses |
| Official website | debian.org |
Debian is a free and open-source operating system and software distribution framework developed and maintained by the Debian Project. The name Debian generally refers to Debian GNU/Linux, which combines the Linux kernel with the GNU user space and is used for a wide range of purposes, including servers, desktop computers, development environments, cloud computing and embedded systems. The Debian Project aims to provide a universal operating system that is not tied to any particular field of use.[1]
Debian is not a project dependent solely on the Linux kernel. Debian's package system and user space have been developed so that they can be ported to different kernels and operating system foundations. Although the current official stable Debian release uses the Linux kernel, the Debian GNU/Hurd port, which combines the GNU Mach microkernel with the collection of GNU Hurd servers running on top of it, continues to be developed within the Debian Project.[2]
Debian GNU/Hurd is a Debian system that uses GNU Mach and GNU Hurd instead of the Linux kernel. GNU Mach serves as the microkernel that manages hardware and low-level resources, while the various Hurd servers provide operating system functions such as file systems, processes and networking. However, Debian GNU/Hurd is not currently included in an official stable release, and development releases and installation images are provided through Debian Ports.[3]
In the past, Debian GNU/kFreeBSD, which combined the FreeBSD kernel with the GNU user space, was also developed. This port was provided as an official architecture in technology-preview form in Debian 6 “squeeze” and Debian 7 “wheezy”, but it was later removed from stable releases and its development has since ended. A Debian GNU/NetBSD port using the NetBSD kernel also existed, but it was discontinued without ever being included in an official release.[4][5]
Debian is therefore a major Linux distribution from the perspective of practical use and official releases, but from the perspective of project structure, it can be regarded as a universal operating system project capable of building Debian packages, policies and development infrastructure on top of multiple kernels. The stable release officially provided by the Debian Project is currently the Linux-based Debian GNU/Linux, while GNU/Hurd is maintained as a separate development port.[6]
Unlike commercial distributions developed by a single company, Debian is operated as a community project involving developers and contributors from around the world. Its fundamental principles are specified in the Debian Social Contract, the Debian Free Software Guidelines and the project's constitution. Software freedom, an open development process and responsibility toward users form the core of the project's operation.[7]
Debian was founded in 1993 by Ian Murdock to create a new distribution developed through an open process. From the beginning, it aimed to be an open distribution following the principles of Linux and the GNU Project, and it received support from the GNU Project from November 1994 to November 1995.[8]
Software is primarily distributed in the form of .deb packages. The low-level package management tool dpkg handles the installation and removal of individual packages, while APT manages repository package lists and dependencies to perform system-wide installation and upgrades. Debian's package system and policies later became the foundation for numerous derivative distributions, including Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Kali Linux and Raspberry Pi OS.
Debian's development distributions are broadly divided into stable, testing and unstable. New packages generally enter unstable and then move to testing after satisfying specified conditions and verification procedures. Testing is subsequently frozen and stabilised before being released as the new stable distribution. This structure handles both the introduction of newer software and the provision of a stable operating environment within a single development process.[9]
As of July 2026, the official stable release is the Linux-based Debian 13 “trixie”. Version 13.0 was released on 9 August 2025 and was subsequently updated to version 13.6 on 11 July 2026. Debian 14 “forky”, the candidate for the next stable release, is currently being developed as the testing distribution.[10]