Debian Linux celebrates 25th birthday

Debian has a very high reputation and influence in the open source world. Many GNU/Linux systems, including Ubuntu, are based on Debian. The Debian system was released on August 16, 1993, so today the Debian system ushers in an important milestone in history – the 25th birthday.

Ana Guerrero Lopez of Debian says, “When the late Ian Murdock announced 25 years ago in comp.os.linux.development, ‘the imminent completion of a brand-new Linux release, […] the Debian Linux Release’, nobody would have expected the ‘Debian Linux Release’ would become what’s nowadays known as the Debian Project, one of the largest and most influential free software projects. Its primary product is Debian, a free operating system (OS) for your computer, as well as for plenty of other systems which enhance your life. From the inner workings of your nearby airport to your car entertainment system, and from cloud servers hosting your favorite websites to the IoT devices that communicate with them, Debian can power it all.”

Lopez continues, “Today, the Debian project is a large and thriving organization with countless self-organized teams comprised of volunteers. While it often looks chaotic from the outside, the project is sustained by its two main organizational documents: the Debian Social Contract, which provides a vision of improving society, and the Debian Free Software Guidelines, which provide an indication of what software is considered usable. They are supplemented by the project’s Constitution which lays down the project structure, and the Code of Conduct, which sets the tone for interactions within the project.”