Having installed the package “lsb-release”, you can get more detailed information by running the command “lsb_release -a”: This shows that the command was run on Debian GNU/Linux 9.6. In order to see which version of Debian GNU/Linux you are running on your system have a look at the file /etc/debian_version as follows:ĭescription: Debian GNU /Linux 9.6 (stretch ) Both the general selection and the major version number of software packages do not change within a release. Additionally, minor stable releases are published in between, and contain important non-security bug fixes as well as minor security updates. Security updates for Debian stable releases are provided as soon as possible from a dedicated APT repository. For example, version 9 came out in 2017, and version 10 is expected to be available in mid-2019. Nethertheless, a major release comes out about every two years.

It rather follows the slogan “Release only when everything is ready”. In contrast to other Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Linux Mint, the Debian GNU/Linux distribution does not have a release cycle with fixed dates. Originally targeted for server systems it has no more a specific target (“The Universal OS”) and is widely used on desktop systems as well as mobile devices, nowadays. This results in a reliable operating system needed for your every-day work. These packages are well-tested and fit together in such a way that all the dependencies between the packages are met and you can install und use the software without problems. Ī Debian release is a collection of stable software packages that follow the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG). This includes software developers and package maintainers – a single person or a group of people that takes care of a package as a whole. Debian GNU/Linux is maintained freely by a large number of contributors from all over the world. Currently, it consists of about 51,000 software packages that are available for a variety of architectures such as Intel (both 32 and 64 bit), ARM, PowerPC, and others. What is a Debian release?ĭebian GNU/Linux is a non-commercial Linux distribution that was started in 1993 by Ian Murdock. In this article we explain what a release of Debian is, how it is named, and what are the basic criteria for a software package to become part of a regular release.

The universe of the Debian GNU/Linux distribution comes with its own odds and ends.

Debian release history