We’re glad to have this opportunity to introduce you to Debian! As
we begin our journey down the road of GNU/Linux, we’d like to first
talk a bit about what exactly Debian is—what it does, and how it
fits in with the vast world of Free Software. Then, we talk a bit
about the phenomenon that is Free Software and what it means for
Debian and you. Finally, we close the chapter with a bit of
information about this book itself.
1.1 What Is Debian?
_Debian_ is a free operating system (OS) for your computer. An
operating system is the set of basic programs and utilities that
make your computer run. At the core of an operating system is the
_kernel_. The kernel is the most fundamental program on the
computer: It does all the basic housekeeping and lets you start
other programs. Debian uses the _Linux_ kernel, a completely free
piece of software started by Linus Torvalds and supported by
thousands of programmers worldwide. A large part of the basic tools
that fill out the operating system come from the GNU Project[1], and
these tools are also free.
[1] http://www.gnu.org/
Another facet of an operating system is application software:
programs that help get work done, from editing documents to running
a business to playing games to writing more software. Debian comes
with more than 1,500 _packages_ (precompiled software bundled up in
a nice format for easy installation on your machine)—all for free.
The Debian system is a bit like a pyramid. At the base is Linux. On
top of that are all the basic tools, mostly from GNU. Next is all
the application software that you run on the computer; many of these
are also from GNU. The Debian developers act as architects and
coordinators—carefully organizing the system and fitting everything
together into an integrated, stable operating system: Debian
GNU/Linux.
The design philosophy of GNU/Linux is to distribute its
functionality into small, multipurpose parts. That way, you can
easily achieve new functionality and new features by combining the
small parts (programs) in new ways. Debian is like an erector set:
You can build all sorts of things with it.
When you’re using an operating system, you want to minimize the
amount of work you put into getting your job done. Debian supplies
many tools that can help, but only if you know what these tools do.
Spending an hour trying to get something to work and then finally
giving up isn’t very productive. This guide will teach you about the
core tools that make up Debian: what tools to use in certain
situations and how to tie these various tools together.
1.1.1 Who Creates Debian?
Debian is an all-volunteer Internet-based development project. There
are hundreds of volunteers working on it. Most are in charge of a
small number of software packages and are very familiar with the
software they package.
These volunteers work together by following a strict set of
guidelines governing how packages are assembled. These guidelines
are developed cooperatively in discussions on Internet mailing
lists.