The Debian Project is pleased to announce the release of Debian
GNU/Linux version 3.0. Debian GNU/Linux is a free operating system,
which now supports a total of eleven processor architectures,
includes KDE and GNOME desktop environments, features cryptographic
software, is compatible with the FHS v2.2 and supports software
developed for the LSB.
With the addition of the IA-64 (ia64), HP PA-RISC (hppa), MIPS
(mips, mipsel), and S/390 (s390) architectures, Debian GNU/Linux
now supports a total of eleven architectures. It now runs on
computers ranging from palmtops to supercomputers, and nearly
everything in between, including the latest generation of 64 bit
machines.
This is the first version of Debian that features cryptographic
software integrated into the main distribution. OpenSSH and GNU
Privacy Guard are included in the default installation, and strong
encryption is now present in web browsers and web servers,
databases, and so forth. Further integration of cryptographic
software is planned for future releases.
For the first time, Debian comes with the K Desktop Environment
2.2 (KDE). The GNOME desktop environment is upgraded to version
1.4, and X itself is upgraded to the much improved XFree86 4.1.
With the addition of several full-featured free graphical web
browsers in the form of Mozilla, Galeon, and Konqueror, Debian’s
desktop offerings have radically improved.
This version of Debian supports the 2.2 and 2.4 releases of the
Linux kernel. Along with better support for a greater variety of
new hardware (such as USB) and significant improvements in
usability and stability, the 2.4 kernel provides support for the
ext3 and reiserfs journaling filesystems.
Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 features a more streamlined and polished
installation, which is translated into numerous languages. The task
system has been revamped and made more flexible. The debconf tool
makes configuration of the system easier and more user friendly.
Debian GNU/Linux can be installed from CD, or from the network and
a few floppies. It can be downloaded now, and will soon be
available on CD-ROM from numerous vendors <http://www.debian.org/CD/>.
Upgrades to Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 from earlier releases are
automatically handled by the apt package management tool. As
always, Debian GNU/Linux systems can be upgraded painlessly, in
place, without any forced downtime. For detailed instructions about
installing and upgrading Debian GNU/Linux, please see the release
notes <http://www.debian.org/releases/woody/releasenotes>.
This is the first release of Debian that is compatible with
version 2.2 of the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS). Debian
GNU/Linux now also supports software developed for the Linux
Standard Base (LSB), though it is not yet LSB certified.
Current Debian users may be interested to know that this release
of Debian supports build dependencies, to aid in building packages
from source, and apt pinning, to ease partial upgrades to our
testing or unstable branch. This release of Debian features
aptitude as an alternative for the venerable dselect program, which
will make it easier to select packages. About four thousand new
software packages were added to the distribution in Debian
GNU/Linux 3.0.