If you are considering GNU/Linux for the first time please take a look at Is Linux right for you?
About Debian
The Debian Project is an association of individuals who have made common cause to create a free operating system.
This operating system that has been created is called Debian GNU/Linux, or simply Debian for short.
Debian is also known for its package management system and APT, the Advanced Packaging Tool in particular,
its strict policies regarding the quality of its packages and releases, and its open development and testing process.
These practices afford easy upgrades between releases without rebooting and easy installation and removal of packages.
Debian Social Contract, Version 1.0
"Debian, the producers of the Debian GNU/Linux system, have created the Debian Social Contract.
The Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG) part of the contract, initially designed as a set of commitments
that we agree to abide by, has been adopted by the free software community as the basis of the Open Source Definition."
How do I get Debian?
Below are all of the various ways to download Debian, along with the Installation Guides. The simplest way is using the netinstall.
Installing Debian GNU/Linux via the Internet
Say goodbye to Microsoft today ...
Downloading Debian Which cds do I need?
Debian -- Network install from a minimal CD
New Features and other interesting stuff in Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 "Etch"
DebianInstaller - DebianWiki
Installing with the Debian-Installer
Debian Live
Debian GNU/Linux on CDs
Debian testing Etch VMware Appliance with VMware Tools
Booting from floppy disks and installing using the network
Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 (Sarge) -- Installation Manual
Debian Jigdo mini-HOWTO
Downloading Debian CD images with jigdo
Downloading Debian CD images with BitTorrent
Buy the CDs from Vendors of Debian CDs
Debian Media Cover/Label Generator
Debian Linux Installation & Getting Started
What is a Debian package?
Debian -- Packages
Debian Tutorial - Removing and installing software
"Overview
of Debian packages"
Packages generally contain all of the files necessary to implement a
set of related commands or features. There are two types of Debian
packages:
* Binary packages, which contain executables,
configuration files, man/info pages, copyright information, and other
documentation. These packages are distributed in a Debian-specific
archive format; they are usually distinguished by having a '.deb' file
extension. Binary packages can be unpacked using the Debian utility
dpkg; details are given in its manual page.
* Source packages, which consist of a .dsc file
describing the source package (including the names of the following
files), a .orig.tar.gz file that contains the original unmodified
source in gzip-compressed tar format and usually a .diff.gz file that
contains the Debian-specific changes to the original source. The
utility dpkg-source packs and unpacks Debian source archives; details
are provided in its manual page.
Installation of software by the package system uses "dependencies"
which are carefully designed by the package maintainers. These
dependencies are documented in the control file associated with each
package.
The good points about Debian Package handling:
* Installing a package doesn't require manual
downloading.
* Installing a package automatically installs its
dependencies.
* Single-command upgrading.
* Upgrading won't clobber config files without
prompting.
* Purge (completely remove a package) vs Remove
(don't delete config files).
There are many different tools available in Debian to manage "packages", the ones you use are entirely up to you.
Package Management Tools
Text Based Tools
dpkg-
This is the main package management program. dpkg can be invoked with
many options.
Advanced
Packaging Tool, or APT apt-get provides a simple way to
install packages from the command line. Unlike dpkg, apt-get does not
understand .deb files, it works with the packages proper name and can
only install .deb archives from a source specified in
/etc/apt/sources.list.
Also take a look at APT from LinuxQuestions.org
Using the GPG signature checking with apt 0.6
"APT
HOWTO" Command Line package management HOWTO.
Aptitude is a
text-based interface to the Debian GNU/Linux package system. "It
displays a list of software packages and allows the user to
interactively pick packages to install or remove. Aptitude is based on
the ncurses computer terminal library, with which it provides an
interface that incorporates some elements commonly seen in graphical
user interfaces (GUIs) (such as pull-down menus). It remembers which
packages you deliberately installed and which packages were pulled in
through dependencies; the latter packages are automatically
de-installed by aptitude when they are no longer needed by any
deliberately installed packages. It has advanced package-filtering
features but these can be difficult to configure. aptitude user's manual
Ubuntu/Debian HOWTO: use aptitude instead of synaptic and why
Wajig
is an interface to many Debian administrative tasks. It consists of two interfaces: wajig is a command line interface and gjig is a Gnome interface.
apt-listbugs
is a tool which retrieves bug reports from the Debian Bug Tracking
System and lists them. Especially, it is intended to be invoked before
each upgrade/installation by apt in order to check whether the
upgrade/installation is safe. Particularly useful if
one is running Debian Unstable (Sid).
Graphical (GUI) Tools
Synaptic is a
graphical package management program for apt.
It provides the same features as the apt-get command line utility
with a GUI front-end based on Gtk+.
* Install, remove, upgrade and downgrade
single and multiple packages.
* Upgrade your whole system.
* Manage package repositories (sources.list).
* Find packages by name, description and several
other attributes.
* Select packages by status, section, name or a
custom filter.
* Sort packages by name, status, size or version.
* Browse all available online documentation related
to a package.
* Download the latest changelog of a package.
* Lock packages to the current version.
* Force the installation of a specifc package
version.
* Undo/Redo of selections.
* Built-in terminal emulator for the package manager.
* Debian only: Configure packages through the
debconf system.
Gnome Package Manager
GDPM
GDPM is a GNOME-based graphical manager for Debian packages. It aims to
fully replace the command-line tools apt-get, apt-cache, and dpkg by
offering an easy way to install, remove, upgrade, and browse Debian
packages.
KDE Package Manager
Kpackage
Kpackage is the KDE-based graphical frontend to both .rpm and .deb
package formats. It allows you to view currently installed packages,
browse available packages, and install/remove them.
Miscellaneous Tools
CheckInstall
keeps track of all files installed by a "make install" or equivalent,
creates a Slackware, RPM, or Debian package with those files, and adds
it to the installed packages database, allowing for easy package
removal or distribution.
Packagesearch
This tool is aimed to help you search the packages you need. It should make the task of searching a pleasant experience. The new categorization system "debtags" is supported. Search can be done by pattern, tags, files and installed status. Additionally a lot of information about the packages is displayed including the files belonging to them. The program is not meant to be a package management tool like synaptic.
Alien converts
between the rpm, deb, Stampede slp, and Slackware tgz file formats. If
you want to use a package from another distribution than the one you
have installed on your system, you can use alien to convert it to your
preferred package format and install it.
dselect
- This program is a menu-driven interface to the Debian package
management system. It is particularly useful for first-time
installations and large-scale upgrades.
Another good place to look at how Debian Package Management works-
DebianWiki
If you do not see a package that you want try searching
apt-get.org. Once you find
the package you are looking for just add the repository to your source
list at /etc/apt/sources.list. Run apt-update or reload Synaptic and
your all set.
It is also a good idea to READ all of the
documentation available
from Debian.
Helpful Debian GNU/Linux Websites
Window Managers for X
The Debian Universe - installing, managing and running Debian Gnu/Linux
Debian/Ubuntu Tips & Tricks
Debian - Not Just Another Pretty Face
Unofficial #debian channel FAQ on freenode (irc.debian.org)
Debian Planet - News for Debian
Debian GNU/Linux tips & tricks
Debian GNU/Linux Desktop Survival Guide
Unofficial "Debian Manual"
debiantutorials.org - A Debian GNU/Linux Desktop Tutorial Site
Why Linux? Why Debian?
Why Debian Rocks
Learning Debian GNU/Linux
Debian - ArsLinuxWiki
Find packages not in official repositories at
Apt-Get.org
Debian Backports
Debian Unofficial Packages
Debian Project
os-cillation - XFCE Up-to date Debian Packages
Chris Marillat's Unofficial Debian Packages
Unofficial Debian packages at kirya.net
OpenOffice.org in Debian
Official Debian Information
Debian -- The Universal Operating System
Reasons to Choose Debian
Securing Debian Manual
Security Information Keep up to date.
Debian -- Mailing Lists A great way to stay in the loop
Debian GNU/Linux FAQ
Debian Documentation
Debian Weekly News
Debian Developers' Corner
HOWTos
Howto Debian- MadWifi - Wireless
Installing Gnome
Installing KDE
The Debian KDE team
Debian GNOME package status
Debian Xfce Group
Debian | ROX Desktop
ChatZilla on Debian XULRunner
apt-build - Optimize Debian packages for your system
Creating custom kernels with Debian's kernel-package system
Getting Wine for a Debian System
TrueType Fonts on Debian XFree86 4.x Systems
AptPinning - DebianWiki
Apt-Pinning for Beginners
Debian and Windows Shared Printing mini-HOWTO
Debian Reference - Printing
Debian GNU/Linux Reference Cardapt-get install debian-refcard
How To Set Up A Debian Linux Firewall
Browser Plugins/Multimedia Codecs
exoodles Debian multimedia installer script
Sun's Java is now available in the Official Debian non-free repositories.
apt-get install sun-java6-plugin sun-java6-jre
64 bit Java use sid/exp repos apt-get install icedtea6-plugin openjdk-6-jre
Flash and can be installed via apt and the "official" Debian repositories.
Make sure you have contrib nonfree. apt-get install flashplugin-nonfree
64 bit Flash use debian-multimedia.org repo and do apt-get install flashplayer-mozilla
To install Adobe Reader add one of the Marillat repository then apt-get install acroread
RealPlayer can be installed by using apt-get realplayer
# Marillat Repository mplayer, acroread, RealPlayer ,acroread-plugin, w32codecs,lame, mozilla-acroread, 64bit Flash flashplayer-mozilla
# Stable
#deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org stable main
# Testing
#deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org testing main
# Unstable
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org sid main
deb-src http://www.debian-multimedia.org sid main
# Experimental
# deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org experimental main
The easiest way to listen to multimedia online is by using either Mplayer and mozilla-mplayer.
Where to go for help/support
Debian -- Support
LinuxQuestions.org - Where Linux users come for help
debianHELP Militantly FREE software support
DebCentral - The Center for all things Debian based
Debian User Forums
Linux Forums - Where People Come For Linux Help !
On-line Real Time Help Using IRC
Getting Help - Debian And Linux Resources
Linux Users Groups WorldWide
If you need help feel free to skype me
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This site is in no way affiliated with the Debian Project, the debian.org Web site, or Software In The Public Interest, Inc.
No endorsement of this site by the Debian Project or Software In the Public Interest is expressed or implied.
Debian and the Debian logo are registered trademarks of Software In The Public Interest, Inc.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
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