Debian GNU/Linux 2.2, the "Joel 'Espy' Kl

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The Debian Project press@debian.org
http://www.debian.org/ Martin Schulze
August 15th, 2000
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Debian GNU/Linux 2.2, the "Joel 'Espy' Klecker" release

The Debian Project is pleased to announce the latest release of the
Debian GNU/Linux Operating System. This release has been in
development for approximately 18 months, and has been extensively
tested by several thousand developers and end-users.

Debian GNU/Linux is a free Linux system. It is developed by roughly
500 voluntees from all over the world who collaborate via the
Internet. Debian's dedication to free software, its non-profit
nature, and its open development model make it unique among Linux
distributions.

With the addition of the PowerPC and ARM architectures, Debian
GNU/Linux now supports a total of six architectures -- more than any
other distribution. Packages for all architectures are built from the
same source packages. Debian GNU/Linux now runs on iMacs and
Netwinders, and of course Intel PC's, Sun SPARCs, Alphas, and older
Macintosh and Amiga hardware are still supported.

Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 features a more streamlined and polished
installation, including automatic network setup via DHCP, a simplified
software selection process (just indicate the tasks your Debian
GNU/Linux system will be used for), and a simplified configurator for
the X Window System. Debian GNU/Linux can be installed via CD, or
from the network and a few floppies:

FTP: ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/
Mirrors: http://www.debian.org/distrib/ftplist
CD-ROM: http://www.debian.org/distrib/vendors
CD Images: http://cdimage.debian.org/

Upgrades to Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 from earlier releases are
automatically handled by the apt package management tool. As always,
Debian GNU/Linux systems can be upgraded painlessly, in place, with no
downtime. For detailed documentation about installing and upgrading
Debian GNU/Linux, please see .

Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 is based on the latest stable Linux kernel
(2.2.16), updated with Alan Cox's patches expected to go into 2.2.17.
The 2.2 kernel series includes significant improvements in usability
and stability; it also includes more hardware support, for both older
and newer products; laptop users will particularly notice improvements
in the PCMCIA subsystem. Some other highlights of Debian GNU/Linux
2.2 from the nearly 800 updated packages include:

o C Library 2.1.3
o XFree86 3.3.6
o GCC 2.95.2
o GnuPG 1.0.1
o Perl 5.005.03
o Python 1.5.2
o PAM 0.72
o ncurses 5.0
o teTeX 1.0.6
o Emacs 20.7
o XEmacs 21.1.10
o GNOME 1.0.56 [1]

1200 new software packages have been added to Debian GNU/Linux 2.2.
Some of the newly available software include:

o postfix A new secure mail transport agent
o openssh A free implementation of the secure shell
o openldap LDAP client and server packages
o w3m A new text-mode browser, with support for tables
o gdm The GNOME display manager
o cvsup An efficient mirroring system for CVS
o everybuddy An all-in-one messaging client
o reportbug A tool to report problems in Debian GNU/Linux
o zope A web application server for dynamic web sites
o xmms The X Multimedia System; an audio player
o kaffe A free, JIT-capable, virtual machine for Java bytecode
o gnapster An interface to the popular MP3 sharing service
o And last, but not least, 56 new games.

Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 incorporates not only a great deal of updated and
new software, but many enhancements, such as:

o Widespread use of the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM).
With PAM, Debian GNU/Linux systems can be configured with
standard Unix passwords or more secure options such as shadow and
MD5 passwords, "smart cards", and one-time-password
implementations.
o A new network configuration system, configured through the
/etc/network directory, which improves support for multihomed
hosts.
o Closer compliance to the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
(FHS), including a better separation between system-specific,
architecture-specific, and architecture-independent data for
use in heterogeneous environments.
o Better support for international users. Japanese support is
integrated into the core Debian archive, and other non-Latin
character encodings are also better supported through wider
internationalisation (I18N) support. European languages are
also better supported, with more and better translations to
more languages.

The Debian Project has always hoped to serve as a base for more
specialised distributions, and in the past year this goal has been
realized, with the adoption of the Debian system as a basis for
commercial Linux distributions. Corel Corporation, Libra Computer
Systems, and Stormix Technologies are among the companies that
currently distribute distributions based on Debian; others are on the
horizon. In addition, Debian GNU/Linux CDs have been bundled with
several Debian books. What remains the same, however, is the
project's volunteer base, its dedication to the Debian Social
Contract[2], and its commitment to provide the best operating system
possible. Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 is another important step in that
direction.

Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 is dedicated[3] to the memory of Joel "Espy"
Klecker, a Debian developer, unbeknownst to most of the Debian
Project, was bedridden and fighting a disease known as Duchenne
Muscular Dystrophy during most of his involvement with Debian. Only
now is the Debian Project realizing the extent of his dedication, and
the friendship he bestowed upon us. So as a show of appreciation, and
in memory of his inspirational life, this release of Debian GNU/Linux
is dedicated to him.

References

1. GNOME 1.2 packages for Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 are available from
Helix Code at http://www.helixcode.com/
2. http://www.debian.org/social_contract
3. ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/doc/dedication-2.2.txt