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diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-basic_defs.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-basic_defs.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cc55653 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-basic_defs.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,610 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Definitions and overview</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="index.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-basic_defs"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="index.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ 1 ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 1 - Definitions and overview +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-whatisfaq"></a>1.1 What is this FAQ?</h2> + +<p> +This document gives frequently asked questions (with their answers!) about the +Debian distribution (Debian GNU/Linux and others) and about the Debian project. +If applicable, pointers to other documentation will be given: we won't quote +large parts of external documentation in this document. You'll find out that +some answers assume some knowledge of Unix-like operating systems. We'll try +to assume as little prior knowledge as possible: answers to general beginners +questions will be kept simple. +</p> + +<p> +If you can't find what you're looking for in this FAQ, be sure to check out <a +href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs">What other documentation exists on and +for a Debian system?, Section 12.1</a>. If even that doesn't help, refer to <a +href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback">Feedback, Section 16.2</a>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-whatisdebian"></a>1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?</h2> + +<p> +Debian GNU/Linux is a particular <em>distribution</em> of the Linux operating +system, and numerous packages that run on it. +</p> + +<p> +Debian GNU/Linux is: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<strong>full featured</strong>: Debian includes more than 18200 software +packages at present. Users can select which packages to install; Debian +provides a tool for this purpose. You can find a list and descriptions of the +packages currently available in Debian at any of the Debian <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/distrib/ftplist">mirror sites</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<strong>free to use and redistribute</strong>: There is no consortium +membership or payment required to participate in its distribution and +development. All packages that are formally part of Debian GNU/Linux are free +to redistribute, usually under terms specified by the GNU General Public +License. +</p> + +<p> +The Debian FTP archives also carry approximately 560 software packages (in the +<samp>non-free</samp> and <samp>contrib</samp> sections), which are +distributable under specific terms included with each package. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<strong>dynamic</strong>: With about 1060 volunteers constantly contributing +new and improved code, Debian is evolving rapidly. The FTP archives are +updated twice every day. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +Most Linux users run a specific <em>distribution</em> of Linux, like Debian +GNU/Linux. However, in principle, users could obtain the Linux kernel via the +Internet or from elsewhere, and compile it themselves. They could then obtain +source code for many applications in the same way, compile the programs, then +install them into their systems. For complicated programs, this process can be +not only time-consuming but error-prone. To avoid it, users often choose to +obtain the operating system and the application packages from one of the Linux +distributors. What distinguishes the various Linux distributors are the +software, protocols, and practices they use for packaging, installing, and +tracking applications packages on users' systems, combined with installation +and maintenance tools, documentation, and other services. +</p> + +<p> +Debian GNU/Linux is the result of a volunteer effort to create a free, +high-quality Unix-compatible operating system, complete with a suite of +applications. The idea of a free Unix-like system originates from the GNU +project, and many of the applications that make Debian GNU/Linux so useful were +developed by the GNU project. +</p> + +<p> +For Debian, free has the GNUish meaning (see the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines">Debian Free Software +Guidelines</a></code>). When we speak of free software, we are referring to +freedom, not price. Free software means that you have the freedom to +distribute copies of free software, that you receive source code or can get it +if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new +free programs; and that you know you can do these things. +</p> + +<p> +The Debian Project was created by Ian Murdock in 1993, initially under the +sponsorship of the Free Software Foundation's GNU project. Today, Debian's +developers think of it as a direct descendent of the GNU project. +</p> + +<p> +Although Debian GNU/Linux itself is free software, it is a base upon which +value-added Linux distributions can be built. By providing a reliable, +full-featured base system, Debian provides Linux users with increased +compatibility, and allows Linux distribution creators to eliminate duplication +of effort and focus on the things that make their distribution special. See <a +href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro">I am making a special Linux +distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for +the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?, Section +14.3</a> for more information. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-linux"></a>1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!</h2> + +<p> +In short, Linux is the kernel of a Unix-like operating system. It was +originally designed for 386 (and better) PCs; today Linux also runs on a dozen +of other systems. Linux is written by Linus Torvalds and many computer +scientists around the world. +</p> + +<p> +Besides its kernel, a "Linux" system usually has: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +a file system that follows the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard <code><a +href="http://www.pathname.com/fhs/">http://www.pathname.com/fhs/</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +a wide range of Unix utilities, many of which have been developed by the GNU +project and the Free Software Foundation. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +The combination of the Linux kernel, the file system, the GNU and FSF +utilities, and the other utilities are designed to achieve compliance with the +POSIX (IEEE 1003.1) standard; see <a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices">How +source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?, Section 4.3</a>. +</p> + +<p> +For more information about Linux, see <code><a +href="http://www.linux.org/info/">What is Linux</a></code> by <code><a +href="http://www.linux.org/">Linux Online</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-non-linux"></a>1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?</h2> + +<p> +Currently, Debian is only available for Linux, but with Debian GNU/Hurd and +Debian on BSD kernels, we have started to offer non-Linux-based OSes as a +development, server and desktop platform, too. However, these non-linux ports +are not officially released yet. +</p> + +<p> +The oldest porting effort is Debian GNU/Hurd. +</p> + +<p> +The Hurd is a set of servers running on top of the GNU Mach microkernel. +Together they build the base for the GNU operating system. +</p> + +<p> +Please see <code><a +href="http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/">http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/</a></code> +for more information about the GNU/Hurd in general, and <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/">http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/</a></code> +for more information about Debian GNU/Hurd. +</p> + +<p> +A second effort is the port to a BSD kernel. People are working with both the +NetBSD and the FreeBSD kernels. +</p> + +<p> +See <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/ports/#nonlinux">http://www.debian.org/ports/#nonlinux</a></code> +for more information about these non-linux ports. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-difference"></a>1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?</h2> + +<p> +These key features distinguish Debian from other Linux distributions: +</p> +<dl> +<dt>Freedom:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +As stated in the <code><a href="http://www.debian.org/social_contract">Debian +Social Contract</a></code>, Debian will remain 100% free. Debian is very +strict about shipping truly free software. The guidelines used to determine if +a work is "free" are provided in <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines">The Debian Free +Software</a></code>. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>The Debian package maintenance system:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +The entire system, or any individual component of it, can be upgraded in place +without reformatting, without losing custom configuration files, and (in most +cases) without rebooting the system. Most Linux distributions available today +have some kind of package maintenance system; the Debian package maintenance +system is unique and particularly robust (see <a +href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">Basics of the Debian package management system, +Chapter 7</a>). +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>Open development:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +Whereas other Linux distributions are developed by individuals, small, closed +groups, or commercial vendors, Debian is the only major Linux distribution that +is being developed cooperatively by many individuals through the Internet, in +the same spirit as Linux and other free software. +</p> + +<p> +More than 1060 volunteer package maintainers are working on over 18200 packages +and improving Debian GNU/Linux. The Debian developers contribute to the +project not by writing new applications (in most cases), but by packaging +existing software according to the standards of the project, by communicating +bug reports to upstream developers, and by providing user support. See also +additional information on how to become a contributor in <a +href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib">How can I become a Debian software +developer?, Section 13.1</a>. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>The Universal Operating System:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +Debian comes with <code><a href="http://packages.debian.org/stable/">more than +18200 packages</a></code> and runs on <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/ports/">11 architectures</a></code>. This is far +more than is available for any other GNU/Linux distribution. See <a +href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps">What types of applications and development +software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?, Section 5.1</a> for an overview +of the provided software and see <a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches">On what +hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?, Section 4.1</a> for +a description of the supported hardware platforms. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>The Bug Tracking System:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +The geographical dispersion of the Debian developers required sophisticated +tools and quick communication of bugs and bug-fixes to accelerate the +development of the system. Users are encouraged to send bugs in a formal +style, which are quickly accessible by WWW archives or via e-mail. See +additional information in this FAQ on the management of the bug log in <a +href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs">Are there logs of known bugs?, Section +12.4</a>. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>The Debian Policy:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +Debian has an extensive specification of our standards of quality, the Debian +Policy. This document defines the qualities and standards to which we hold +Debian packages. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> + +<p> +For additional information about this, please see our web page about <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/intro/why_debian">reasons to choose +Debian</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-gnu"></a>1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?</h2> + +<p> +The Debian system builds on the ideals of free software first championed by the +<code><a href="http://www.gnu.org/">Free Software Foundation</a></code> and in +particular by <code><a href="http://www.stallman.org/">Richard +Stallman</a></code>. FSF's powerful system development tools, utilities, and +applications are also a key part of the Debian system. +</p> + +<p> +The Debian Project is a separate entity from the FSF, however we communicate +regularly and cooperate on various projects. The FSF explicitly requested that +we call our system "Debian GNU/Linux", and we are happy to comply +with that request. +</p> + +<p> +The FSF's long-standing objective is to develop a new operating system called +GNU, based on <code><a +href="http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/">Hurd</a></code>. Debian is working +with FSF on this system, called <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/">Debian GNU/Hurd</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-pronunciation"></a>1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?</h2> + +<p> +The project name is pronounced Deb'-ee-en, with a short e in Deb, and emphasis +on the first syllable. This word is a contraction of the names of Debra and +Ian Murdock, who founded the project. (Dictionaries seem to offer some +ambiguity in the pronunciation of Ian (!), but Ian prefers ee'-en.) +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="index.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ 1 ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-basic_defs.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-basic_defs.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..6bee626 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-basic_defs.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-basic_defs.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-choosing.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-choosing.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e0403cc --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-choosing.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,961 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Choosing a Debian distribution</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-choosing"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ 3 ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 3 - Choosing a Debian distribution +</h1> + +<hr> + +<p> +There are many different Debian distributions. Choosing the proper Debian +distribution is an important decission. This section covers some information +useful for users that want to make the choice best suited for their system and +also answers possible questions that might be arising during the process. It +does not deal with "why you should choose Debian" but rather +"which distribution of Debian". +</p> + +<p> +For more information on the available distributions read <a +href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists">How many Debian distributions are there?, +Section 6.1</a>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s3.1"></a>3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?</h2> + +<p> +The answer is a bit complicated. It really depends on what you intend to do. +One solution would be to ask a friend who runs Debian. But that does not mean +that you cannot make an independent decision. In fact, you should be able to +decide once you complete reading this chapter. +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +If security or stability are at all important for you: install stable. period. +This is the most preferred way. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +If you are a new user installing to a desktop machine, start with stable. Some +of the software is quite old, but it's the least buggy environment to work in. +You can easily switch to the more modern unstable once you are a little more +confident. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +If you are a desktop user with some experience in Linux and does not mind +facing the odd bug now and then, use unstable. It has all the latest and +greatest software, and bugs are usually fixed swiftly. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +If you are running a server, especially one that has strong stability +requirements or is exposed to the Internet, install stable. This is by far the +strongest and safest choice. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +The following questions (hopefully) provide more detail on these choices. +After reading this whole FAQ, if you still could not make a decision, stick +with the stable distribution. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.1"></a>3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?</h3> + +<p> +Try to search the web using a search engine and see if someone else is able to +get it working in stable. Most of the hardware should work fine with stable. +But if you have some state-of-the-art, cutting edge hardware, it might not work +with stable. If this is the case, you might want to install/upgrade to +unstable. +</p> + +<p> +For laptops, <code><a +href="http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/">http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/</a></code> +is a very good website to see if someone else is able to get it to work under +Linux. The website is not specific to Debian, but is nevertheless a tremendous +resource. I am not aware of any such website for desktops. +</p> + +<p> +Another option would be to ask in the debian-user mailing list by sending an +email to debian-user@lists.debian.org . Messages can be posted to the list +even without subscribing. The archives can be read through <code><a +href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/">http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/</a></code> +Information regarding subscribing to the list can be found at the location of +archives. You are strongly encourage to post your questions on the +mailing-list than on <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/support">irc</a></code>. The mailing-list messages +are archived, so solution to your problem can help others with the same issue. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.2"></a>3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?</h3> + +<p> +Yes. Unstable has the most recent (latest) versions. But the packages in +unstable are not well tested and might have bugs. +</p> + +<p> +On the other hand, stable contains old versions of packages. But this package +is well tested and is less likely to have any bugs. +</p> + +<p> +The packages in testing fall between these two extremes. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.3"></a>3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?</h3> + +<p> +Well, you might be correct. The age of the packages at stable depends on when +the last release was made. Since there is typically over 1 year between +releases you might find that stable contains old versions of packages. +However, they have been tested in and out. One can confidently say that the +packages do not have any known severe bugs, security holes etc., in them. The +packages in stable integrate seamlessly with other stable packages. These +characteristics are very important for production servers which have to work 24 +hours a day, 7 days a week. +</p> + +<p> +On the other hand, packages in testing or unstable can have hidden bugs, +security holes etc., Moreover, some packages in testing and unstable might not +be working as intended. Usually people working on a single desktop prefer +having the latest and most modern set of packages. Unstable is the solution +for this group of people. +</p> + +<p> +As you can see, stability and novelty are two opposing ends of the spectrum. +If stability is required: install stable distribution. If you want to work +with the latest packages, then install unstable. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.4"></a>3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?</h3> + +<p> +Yes, but it is a one way process. You can go from stable --> testing --> +unstable. But the reverse direction is not "possible". So better be +sure if you are planning to install/upgrade to unstable. +</p> + +<p> +Actually, if you are an expert and if you are willing to spend some time and if +you are real careful and if you know what you are doing, then it might be +possible to go from unstable to testing and then to stable. The installer +scripts are not designed to do that. So in the process, your configuration +files might be lost and.... +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.5"></a>3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?</h3> + +<p> +This is a rather subjective issue. There is no perfect answer but only a +"wise guess" could be made while deciding between unstable and +testing. My personal order of preference is Stable, Unstable and Testing. The +issue is like this: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Stable is rock solid. It does not break. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Testing breaks less often than Unstable. But when it breaks, it takes a long +time for things to get rectified. Sometimes this could be days and it could be +months at times. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Unstable changes a lot, and it can break at any point. However, fixes get +rectified in many occasions in a couple of days and it always has the latest +releases of software packaged for Debian. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +But there are times when tracking testing would be beneficial as opposed to +unstable. The author such situation due to the gcc transition from gcc3 to +gcc4. He was trying to install the <code>labplot</code> package on a machine +tracking unstable and it could not be installed in unstable as some of its +dependencies have undergone gcc4 transition and some have not. But the package +in testing was installable on a testing machine as the gcc4 transitioned +packages had not "trickled down" to testing. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.6"></a>3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?</h3> + +<p> +Sometimes, a package might not be installable through package management tools. +Sometimes, a package might not be available at all, maybe it was (temporarily) +removed due to bugs or unmet dependencies. Sometimes, a package installs but +does not behave in the proper way. +</p> + +<p> +When these things happen, the distribution is said to be broken (at least for +this package). +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.7"></a>3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?</h3> + +<p> +The bug fixes and improvements introduced in the unstable distribution trickle +down to testing after a certain number of days. Let's say this threshold is 10 +days. The packages in unstable go into testing only when there are no RC-bugs +reported against them. If there is a RC-bug filed against a package in +unstable, it will not go into testing after the 10 days. +</p> + +<p> +The idea is that, if the package has any problems, it would be discovered by +people using unstable and will be fixed before it enters testing. This keeps +the testing in an usable state for most period of the time. Overall a +brilliant concept, if you ask me. But things are alwasy not so simple. +Consider the following situation: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Imagine you are interested in package XYZ. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Let's assume that on June 10, the version in testing is XYZ-3.6 and in unstable +it is XYZ-3.7 +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +After 10 days, XYZ-3.7 from unstable migrates into testing. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +So on June 20, both testing and unstable have XYZ-3.7 in their repositories. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Let's say, The user of testing distribution sees that a new XYZ package is +available and updates his XYZ-3.6 to XYZ-3.7 +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Now on June 25, someone using testing or unstable discovers an RC bug in +XYZ-3.7 and files it in the BTS. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +The maintainer of XYZ fixes this bug and uploads it to unstable say on June 30. +Here it is assumed that it takes 5 days for the maintainer to fix the bug and +upload the new version. The number 5 should not be taken literally. It could +be less or more, depending upon the severity of the RC-bug at hand. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +This new version in unstable, XYZ-3.8 is scheduled to enter testing on July +10th. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +But on July 5th some other person, discovers another RC-bug in XYZ-3.8 +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Let's say the maintainer of XYZ fixes this new RC-bug and uploads new version +of XYZ after 5 days. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +So on July 10, testing has XYZ-3.7 while unstable has XYZ-3.9 +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +This new version XYZ-3.9 is now rescheduled to enter testing on July 20th. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Now since you are running testing, and since XYZ-3.7 is buggy, you could +probably use XYZ only after July 20th. That is you essentially ended up with a +broken XYZ for about one month. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +The situation can get much more complicated, if say, XYZ depends on 4 other +packages. This could in turn lead to unusable testing distribution for months. +The above scenario which is artificially created by me, can occur in the real +life. But such occurrences are rare. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.8"></a>3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?</h3> + +<p> +One of the main reasons many people chose Debian over other Linux distributions +is that it requires very little administration. People want a system that just +works. In general one can say that, stable requires very little maintenance +while testing and unstable require constant maintenance from the administrator. +If you are running stable, all you need to worry about is, keeping track of +security updates. If you are running either testing or unstable it is a good +idea to be aware of the new bugs discovered in the installed packages, new +bugfixes/features introduced etc. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.9"></a>3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?</h3> + +<p> +This question will not help you in choosing a Debian distribution. But sooner +or later you will face this question. +</p> + +<p> +The stable distribution is currently etch; The next stable distribution will be +called as lenny. Let's consider the particular case as to what happens when +lenny is released as the new stable version. +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +oldstable = sarge; stable = etch; testing = lenny; unstable = sid +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Unstable is always referred to as sid irrespective of whether a release is made +or not. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +packages constantly migrate from sid to testing (i.e. lenny). But packages in +stable (i.e. etch) remain the same except for security updates. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +after sometime testing becomes frozen. But it will still be called testing. +At this point no new packages from unstable can migrate to testing unless they +include release-critical (RC) bug fixes. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +When testing is frozen, all the new bugfixes introduced, have to be manualy +checked by the members of the release team. This is done to ensure that there +wont be any unknown severe problems in the frozen testing. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +RC bugs in 'frozen testing' are reduced to zero. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +The 'frozen testing' with no rc-bugs will be released as the new stable +version. In our example, this new stable release will be called as lenny. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +At this stage oldstable = etch, stable = lenny. The contents of stable and +'frozen testing' are same at this point. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +A new testing is forked from the current stable. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Packages start coming down from sid to testing and the Debian community will be +working towards making the next stable release. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.10"></a>3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?</h3> + +<p> +In most situations it is very easy to figure this out. Take a look at the +<code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> file. There will be an entry similar to +this: +</p> + +<pre> + deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ unstable main contrib +</pre> + +<p> +The third field ('unstable' in the above example) indicates the Debian +distribution the system is currently tracking. +</p> + +<p> +You can also use <code>lsb_release</code> (available in the +<code>lsb-release</code> package). If you run this program in an unstable +system you will get: +</p> + +<pre> + $ lsb_release -a + LSB Version: core-2.0-noarch:core-3.0-noarch:core-3.1-noarch:core-2.0-ia32:core-3.0-ia32:core-3.1-ia32 + Distributor ID: Debian + Description: Debian GNU/Linux unstable (sid) + Release: unstable + Codename: sid +</pre> + +<p> +However, this is always not that easy. Some systems might have +<code>sources.list</code> files with multiple entries corresponding to +different distributions. This could happen if the administrator is tracking +different packages from different Debian distributions. This is frequently +referred to as apt-pinning. These systems might run a mixture of +distributions. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.11"></a>3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?</h3> + +<p> +If you are currently running stable, then in the +<code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> file the third field will be either etch or +stable. You need to change this to the distribution you want to run. If you +want to run testing, then change the third field of +<code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> to testing. If you want to run unstable, +then change the third field to unstable. +</p> + +<p> +Currently testing is called lenny. So, if you change the third field of +<code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> to lenny, then also you will be running +testing. But when lenny becomes stable, you will still be tracking lenny. +</p> + +<p> +Unstable is always called Sid. So if you change the third field of +<code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> to sid, then you will be tracking unstable. +</p> + +<p> +Currently Debian offers security updates for testing but not for unstable, as +fixes in unstable are directly made to the main archive. So if you are running +unstable make sure that you remove the lines relating to security updates in +<code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code>. +</p> + +<p> +If there is a release notes document available for the distribution you are +upgrading to (even though it has not yet been released) it would be wise to +review it, as it might provide information on how you should upgrade to it. +</p> + +<p> +Nevertheless, once you make the above changes, you can run <code>aptitude +update</code> and then install the packages that you want. Notice that +installing a package from a different distribution might automatically upgrade +half of your system. If you install individual packages you will end up with a +system running mixed distributions. +</p> + +<p> +It might be best in some situations to just fully upgrade to the new +distribution running <code>apt-get dist-upgrade</code>, <code>aptitude +safe-upgrade</code> or <code>aptitude full-upgrade</code>. Read apt's and +aptitude's manual pages for more information. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.12"></a>3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?</h3> + +<p> +It depends on the entries in the <code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> file. If +you are currently tracking testing, these entries are similar to either: +</p> + +<pre> + deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ testing main +</pre> + +<p> +or +</p> + +<pre> + deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ lenny main +</pre> + +<p> +If the third field in <code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> is 'testing' then you +will be tracking testing even after a release is made. So after lenny is +released, you will be running a new Debian distribution which will have a +different codename. Changes might not be apparent at first but will be evident +as soon as new packages from unstable go over to the testing distribution. +</p> + +<p> +But if the third field contains 'lenny' then you will be tracking stable (since +lenny will then be the new stable distribution). +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.1.13"></a>3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?</h3> + +<p> +If unsure, the best bet would be stable distribution. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s3.2"></a>3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?</h2> + +<p> +They are not Debian; they are <em>Debian based</em>. Though there are many +similarities and commonalities between them, there are also crucial +differences. +</p> + +<p> +All these distributions have their own merits and are suited to some specific +set of users. For more information, read the information of <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/misc/children-distros">software distributions based +on Debian</a></code> available at the Debian website. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.2.1"></a>3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?</h3> + +<p> +These distributions are Debian based. But they are not Debian. You will be +still able to use apt package tools by pointing the +<code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> file to these distributions' repositories. +But then you are not running Debian, you are running a different distribution. +They are not the same. +</p> + +<p> +In most situations if you stick with one distribution you should use that and +not mix packages from other distributions. Many common breakages arise due to +people running a distribution and trying to install Debian packages from other +distributions. The fact that they use the same formatting and name (.deb) does +not make them inmediately compatible. +</p> + +<p> +For example, Knoppix is a Linux distribution designed to be booted as a live CD +where as Debian is designed to be installed on hard-disk. Knoppix is great if +you want to know whether a particular hardware works, or if you want to +experience how a linux system 'feels' etc., Knoppix is good for demonstration +purposes while Debian is designed to run 24/7. Moreover the number of packages +available, the number of architectures supported by Debian are far more greater +than that of Knoppix. +</p> + +<p> +If you want Debian, it is best to install Debian from the get-go. Although it +is possible to install Debian through other distributions, such as Knoppix, the +procedure calls for expertise. If you are reading this FAQ, I would assume +that you are new to both Debian and Knoppix. In that case, save yourself a lot +of trouble later and install Debian right at the beginning. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.2.2"></a>3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?</h3> + +<p> +You are advised not to use the Debian forums (either mailing lists or IRC) for +help as people might advise you thinking that you are running a Debian system +and the "fixes" they provide might not be suited to what you are +running. They might even worsen the problem you are facing. +</p> + +<p> +Use the forums of the specific distribution you are using first. If you do not +get help or the help you get does not fix your problem you might want to try +asking in Debian forums, but keep the advise of the previous paragraph in mind. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s3.2.3"></a>3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?</h3> + +<p> +Consider the change from a Debian-based distribution to Debian just like a +change from one operating system to another one. You should make a backup of +all your date and reinstall the operating system from scratch. You should not +attempt to "upgrade" to Debian using the package management tools as +you might end up with an unusable system. +</p> + +<p> +If all your user data (i.e. your <code>/home</code>) is under a separate +partition migrating to Debian is actually quite simple, you just have to tell +the installation system to mount (but not reformat) that partition when +reinstalling. Making backups of your data, as well as your previous system's +configuration (i.e. <code>/etc/</code> and, maybe, <code>/var/</code>) is +still encouraged. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ 3 ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-choosing.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-choosing.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..5b6a705 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-choosing.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-choosing.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..375bff4 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,554 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Compatibility issues</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-compat"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ 4 ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 4 - Compatibility issues +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-arches"></a>4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?</h2> + +<p> +Debian GNU/Linux includes complete source-code for all of the included +programs, so it should work on all systems which are supported by the Linux +kernel; see the <code><a +href="http://en.tldp.org/FAQ/Linux-FAQ/intro.html#DOES-LINUX-RUN-ON-MY-COMPUTER">Linux +FAQ</a></code> for details. +</p> + +<p> +The current Debian GNU/Linux release, 4.0, contains a complete, binary +distribution for the following architectures: +</p> + +<p> +<em>i386</em>: this covers systems based on Intel and compatible processors, +including Intel's 386, 486, Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II (both Klamath and +Celeron), and Pentium III, and most compatible processors by AMD, Cyrix and +others. +</p> + +<p> +<em>amd64</em>: this covers systems based on AMD 64bit CPUs with AMD64 +extension and all Intel CPUs with EM64T extension, and a common 64bit +userspace. +</p> + +<p> +<em>alpha</em>: Compaq/Digital's Alpha systems. +</p> + +<p> +<em>sparc</em>: this covers Sun's SPARC and most UltraSPARC systems. +</p> + +<p> +<em>powerpc</em>: this covers some IBM/Motorola PowerPC machines, including +CHRP, PowerMac and PReP machines. +</p> + +<p> +<em>arm</em>: ARM and StrongARM machines. +</p> + +<p> +<em>mips</em>: SGI's big-endian MIPS systems, Indy and Indigo2; +<em>mipsel</em>: little-endian MIPS machines, Digital DECstations. +</p> + +<p> +<em>hppa</em>: Hewlett-Packard's PA-RISC machines (712, C3000, L2000, A500). +</p> + +<p> +<em>ia64</em>: Intel IA-64 ("Itanium") computers. +</p> + +<p> +<em>s390</em>: IBM S/390 mainframe systems. +</p> + +<p> +The development of binary distributions of Debian for Sparc64 (UltraSPARC +native) architectures is currently underway. +</p> + +<p> +Support for the <em>m68k</em> architecture was dropped in this release, because +it did not meet the criteria set by the Debian Release Managers. This +architecture covers Amigas and ATARIs having a Motorola 680x0 processor for +x>=2; with MMU. However, the port is still active and available for +installation even if not a part of this official stable release and might be +reactivated for future releases. +</p> + +<p> +For more information on the available ports see the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/ports/">ports pages at the website</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +For further information on booting, partitioning your drive, enabling PCMCIA +(PC Card) devices and similar issues please follow the instructions given in +the Installation Manual, which is available from our WWW site at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual">http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-otherdistribs"></a>4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?</h2> + +<p> +Debian developers communicate with other Linux distribution creators in an +effort to maintain binary compatibility across Linux distributions. Most +commercial Linux products run as well under Debian as they do on the system +upon which they were built. +</p> + +<p> +Debian GNU/Linux adheres to the <code><a +href="http://www.pathname.com/fhs/">Linux Filesystem Hierarchy +Standard</a></code>. However, there is room for interpretation in some of the +rules within this standard, so there may be slight differences between a Debian +system and other Linux systems. +</p> + +<p> +Debian GNU/Linux supports software developed for the <code><a +href="http://www.linuxbase.org/">Linux Standard Base</a></code>. The LSB is a +specification for allowing the same binary package to be used on multiple +distributions. The Debian Etch release is Certified for LSB Release 3.1, see +the <code><a +href="https://www.linux-foundation.org/lsb-cert/productdir.php">Linux +Foundation Certification webpage</a></code>. Discussion and coordination of +efforts towards ensuring Debian meets the requirements of the Linux Standard +Base is taking place on the <code><a +href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-lsb/">debian-lsb mailing list</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-otherunices"></a>4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?</h2> + +<p> +For most applications Linux source code is compatible with other Unix systems. +It supports almost everything that is available in System V Unix systems and +the free and commercial BSD-derived systems. However in the Unix business such +claim has nearly no value because there is no way to prove it. In the software +development area complete compatibility is required instead of compatibility in +"about most" cases. So years ago the need for standards arose, and +nowadays POSIX.1 (IEEE Standard 1003.1-1990) is one of the major standards for +source code compatibility in Unix-like operating systems. +</p> + +<p> +Linux is intended to adhere to POSIX.1, but the POSIX standards cost real money +and the POSIX.1 (and FIPS 151-2) certification is quite expensive; this made it +more difficult for the Linux developers to work on complete POSIX conformance. +The certification costs make it unlikely that Debian will get an official +conformance certification even if it completely passed the validation suite. +(The validation suite is now freely available, so it is expected that more +people will work on POSIX.1 issues.) +</p> + +<p> +Unifix GmbH (Braunschweig, Germany) developed a Linux system that has been +certified to conform to FIPS 151-2 (a superset of POSIX.1). This technology +was available in Unifix' own distribution called Unifix Linux 2.0 and in +Lasermoon's Linux-FT. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-otherpackages"></a>4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?</h2> + +<p> +Different Linux distributions use different package formats and different +package management programs. +</p> +<dl> +<dt><strong>You probably can:</strong></dt> +<dd> +<p> +A program to unpack a Debian package onto a Linux host that is been built from +a `foreign' distribution is available, and will generally work, in the sense +that files will be unpacked. The converse is probably also true, that is, a +program to unpack a Red Hat or Slackware package on a host that is based on +Debian GNU/Linux will probably succeed in unpacking the package and placing +most files in their intended directories. This is largely a consequence of the +existence (and broad adherence to) the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard. +The <code><a href="http://packages.debian.org/alien">Alien</a></code> package +is used to convert between different package formats. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><strong>You probably do not want to:</strong></dt> +<dd> +<p> +Most package managers write administrative files when they are used to unpack +an archive. These administrative files are generally not standardized. +Therefore, the effect of unpacking a Debian package on a `foreign' host will +have unpredictable (certainly not useful) effects on the package manager on +that system. Likewise, utilities from other distributions might succeed in +unpacking their archives on Debian systems, but will probably cause the Debian +package management system to fail when the time comes to upgrade or remove some +packages, or even simply to report exactly what packages are present on a +system. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><strong>A better way:</strong></dt> +<dd> +<p> +The Linux File System Standard (and therefore Debian GNU/Linux) requires that +subdirectories under <samp>/usr/local/</samp> be entirely under the user's +discretion. Therefore, users can unpack `foreign' packages into this +directory, and then manage their configuration, upgrade and removal +individually. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-non-debian-programs"></a>4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?</h2> + +<p> +Files under the directory <samp>/usr/local/</samp> are not under the control of +the Debian package management system. Therefore, it is good practice to place +the source code for your program in /usr/local/src/. For example, you might +extract the files for a package named "foo.tar" into the directory +<samp>/usr/local/src/foo</samp>. After you compile them, place the binaries in +<samp>/usr/local/bin/</samp>, the libraries in <samp>/usr/local/lib/</samp>, +and the configuration files in <samp>/usr/local/etc/</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +If your programs and/or files really must be placed in some other directory, +you could still store them in <samp>/usr/local/</samp>, and build the +appropriate symbolic links from the required location to its location in +<samp>/usr/local/</samp>, e.g., you could make the link +</p> + +<pre> + ln -s /usr/local/bin/foo /usr/bin/foo +</pre> + +<p> +In any case, if you obtain a package whose copyright allows redistribution, you +should consider making a Debian package of it, and uploading it for the Debian +system. Guidelines for becoming a package developer are included in the Debian +Policy manual (see <a href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs">What other +documentation exists on and for a Debian system?, Section 12.1</a>). +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-termcap"></a>4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?</h2> + +<p> +Debian uses the <samp>terminfo</samp> database and the <samp>ncurses</samp> +library of terminal interface routes, rather than the <samp>termcap</samp> +database and the <samp>termcap</samp> library. Users who are compiling +programs that require some knowledge of the terminal interface should replace +references to <samp>libtermcap</samp> with references to +<samp>libncurses</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +To support binaries that have already been linked with the <samp>termcap</samp> +library, and for which you do not have the source, Debian provides a package +called <code>termcap-compat</code>. This provides both +<samp>libtermcap.so.2</samp> and <samp>/etc/termcap</samp>. Install this +package if the program fails to run with the error message "can't load +library 'libtermcap.so.2'", or complains about a missing +<samp>/etc/termcap</samp> file. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-accelx"></a>4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?</h2> + +<p> +AccelX uses the <samp>termcap</samp> library for installation. See <a +href="#s-termcap">Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?, +Section 4.6</a> above. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-motifnls"></a>4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?</h2> + +<p> +You need to install the <code>motifnls</code> package, which provides the +XFree-2.1 configuration files needed to allow Motif applications compiled under +XFree-2.1 to run under XFree-3.1. +</p> + +<p> +Without these files, some Motif applications compiled on other machines (such +as Netscape) may crash when attempting to copy or paste from or to a text +field, and may also exhibit other problems. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ 4 ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..0696449 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-compat.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-compat.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-contributing.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-contributing.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..db2d6e3 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-contributing.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,370 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Contributing to the Debian Project</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-contributing"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ 13 ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 13 - Contributing to the Debian Project +</h1> + +<hr> + +<p> +<code><a href="http://www.debian.org/donations">Donations</a></code> of time +(to develop new packages, maintain existing packages, or provide user support), +resources (to mirror the FTP and WWW archives), and money (to pay for new +testbeds as well as hardware for the archives) can help the project. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-contrib"></a>13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?</h2> + +<p> +The development of Debian is open to all, and new users with the right skills +and/or the willingness to learn are needed to maintain existing packages which +have been "orphaned" by their previous maintainers, to develop new +packages, and to provide user support. +</p> + +<p> +The description of becoming a Debian developer can be found at the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/devel/join/newmaint">New Maintainer's +Corner</a></code> at the Debian web site. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-contribresources"></a>13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?</h2> + +<p> +Since the project aims to make a substantial body of software rapidly and +easily accessible throughout the globe, mirrors are urgently needed. It is +desirable but not absolutely necessary to mirror all of the archive. Please +visit the <code><a href="http://www.debian.org/mirror/size">Debian mirror +size</a></code> page for information on the disk space requirements. +</p> + +<p> +Most of the mirroring is accomplished entirely automatically by scripts, +without any interaction. However, the occasional glitch or system change +occurs which requires human intervention. +</p> + +<p> +If you have a high-speed connection to the Internet, the resources to mirror +all or part of the distribution, and are willing to take the time (or find +someone) who can provide regular maintenance of the system, then please contact +<code><a +href="mailto:debian-admin@lists.debian.org">debian-admin@lists.debian.org</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-supportingorganizations"></a>13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?</h2> + +<p> +One can make individual donations to one of two organizations that are critical +to the development of the Debian project. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-SPI"></a>13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest</h3> + +<p> +Software in the Public Interest (SPI) is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit +organization, formed when FSF withdrew their sponsorship of Debian. The +purpose of the organization is to develop and distribute free software. +</p> + +<p> +Our goals are very much like those of FSF, and we encourage programmers to use +the GNU General Public License on their programs. However, we have a slightly +different focus in that we are building and distributing a Linux system that +diverges in many technical details from the GNU system as originally planned by +FSF. We still communicate with FSF, and we cooperate in sending them changes +to GNU software and in asking our users to donate to FSF and the GNU project. +</p> + +<p> +SPI can be reached at: <code><a +href="http://www.spi-inc.org/">http://www.spi-inc.org/</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-FSF"></a>13.3.2 Free Software Foundation</h3> + +<p> +At this time there is no formal connection between Debian and the Free Software +Foundation. However, the Free Software Foundation is responsible for some of +the most important software components in Debian, including the GNU C compiler, +GNU Emacs, and much of the C run-time library that is used by all programs on +the system. FSF pioneered much of what free software is today: they wrote the +General Public License that is used on much of the Debian software, and they +invented the "GNU" project to create an entirely free Unix system. +Debian should be considered a descendent of the GNU system. +</p> + +<p> +FSF can be reached at: <code><a +href="http://www.fsf.org/">http://www.fsf.org/</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ 13 ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-contributing.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-contributing.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..4185524 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-contributing.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-contributing.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-customizing.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-customizing.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9467112 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-customizing.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,716 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-customizing"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ 11 ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 11 - Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-papersize"></a>11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?</h2> + +<p> +Install the <code>libpaper1</code> package, and it will ask you for a +system-wide default paper size. This setting will be kept in the file +<samp>/etc/papersize</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +Users can override the paper size setting using the <samp>PAPERSIZE</samp> +environment variable. For details, see the manual page +<code>papersize(5)</code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-hardwareaccess"></a>11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?</h2> + +<p> +Many device files in the <samp>/dev</samp> directory belong to some predefined +groups. For example, <samp>/dev/fd0</samp> belongs to the <samp>floppy</samp> +group, and <samp>/dev/dsp</samp> belongs to the <samp>audio</samp> group. +</p> + +<p> +If you want a certain user to have access to one of these devices, just add the +user to the group the device belongs to, i.e. do: +</p> + +<pre> + adduser user group +</pre> + +<p> +This way you won't have to change the file permissions on the device. +</p> + +<p> +If you do this from within a user's shell or a GUI environment you have to +logout and login again to become an effective member of that group. To check +which groups you belong to run <samp>groups</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +Notice that, since the introduction of <samp>udev</samp> if you change the +permissions of a hardware peripheral they might be be adjusted for some devices +when the system starts, if this happens to the hardware peripherals you are +instered in you will have to adjust the rules at <samp>/etc/udev</samp>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-consolefont"></a>11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?</h2> + +<p> +The <code>kbd</code> and <code>console-tools</code> packages support this, edit +<samp>/etc/kbd/config</samp> or <samp>/etc/console-tools/config</samp> files. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-appdefaults"></a>11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?</h2> + +<p> +Debian's X programs will install their application resource data in the +<samp>/etc/X11/app-defaults/</samp> directory. If you want to customize X +applications globally, put your customizations in those files. They are marked +as configuration files, so their contents will be preserved during upgrades. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-booting"></a>11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's.</h2> + +<p> +Like all Unices, Debian boots up by executing the program <samp>init</samp>. +The configuration file for <samp>init</samp> (which is +<samp>/etc/inittab</samp>) specifies that the first script to be executed +should be <samp>/etc/init.d/rcS</samp>. This script runs all of the scripts in +<samp>/etc/rcS.d/</samp> by sourcing or forking subprocess depending on their +file extension to perform initialization such as to check and to mount file +systems, to load modules, to start the network services, to set the clock, and +to perform other initialization. Then, for compatibility, it runs the files +(except those with a `.'in the filename) in <samp>/etc/rc.boot/</samp> too. +Any scripts in the latter directory are usually reserved for system +administrator use, and using them in packages is deprecated. +</p> + +<p> +After completing the boot process, <samp>init</samp> executes all start scripts +in a directory specified by the default runlevel (this runlevel is given by the +entry for <samp>id</samp> in <samp>/etc/inittab</samp>). Like most System V +compatible Unices, Linux has 7 runlevels: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +0 (halt the system), +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +1 (single-user mode), +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +2 through 5 (various multi-user modes), and +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +6 (reboot the system). +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +Debian systems come with id=2, which indicates that the default runlevel will +be '2' when the multi-user state is entered, and the scripts in +<samp>/etc/rc2.d/</samp> will be run. +</p> + +<p> +In fact, the scripts in any of the directories, <samp>/etc/rcN.d/</samp> are +just symbolic links back to scripts in <samp>/etc/init.d/</samp>. However, the +<em>names</em> of the files in each of the <samp>/etc/rcN.d/</samp> directories +are selected to indicate the <em>way</em> the scripts in +<samp>/etc/init.d/</samp> will be run. Specifically, before entering any +runlevel, all the scripts beginning with 'K' are run; these scripts kill +services. Then all the scripts beginning with 'S' are run; these scripts start +services. The two-digit number following the 'K' or 'S' indicates the order in +which the script is run. Lower numbered scripts are executed first. +</p> + +<p> +This approach works because the scripts in <samp>/etc/init.d/</samp> all take +an argument which can be either `start', `stop', `reload', `restart' or +`force-reload' and will then do the task indicated by the argument. These +scripts can be used even after a system has been booted, to control various +processes. +</p> + +<p> +For example, with the argument `reload' the command +</p> + +<pre> + /etc/init.d/sendmail reload +</pre> + +<p> +sends the sendmail daemon a signal to reread its configuration file. (BTW, +Debian supplies <code>invoke-rc.d</code> as a wrapper for invoking the scripts +in <samp>/etc/init.d/</samp>.) +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-custombootscripts"></a>11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?</h2> + +<p> +Suppose a system needs to execute script <samp>foo</samp> on start-up, or on +entry to a particular (System V) runlevel. Then the system administrator +should: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Enter the script <samp>foo</samp> into the directory <samp>/etc/init.d/</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Run the Debian command <samp>update-rc.d</samp> with appropriate arguments, to +specify which runlevels should start the service, and which runlevels should +stop the service. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Consider rebooting the system to check that the service starts correctly +(assuming that you've asked for it to be started in the default runlevel). +Otherwise, manually start it by running `<samp>/etc/init.d/foo start</samp>'. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +One might, for example, cause the script <samp>foo</samp> to execute at +boot-up, by putting it in <samp>/etc/init.d/</samp> and running +<samp>update-rc.d foo defaults 19</samp>. The argument `<samp>defaults</samp>' +refers to the default runlevels, which means (at least in absence of any LSB +comment block to the contrary) to start the service in runlevels 2 through 5, +and to stop the service in runlevels 0, 1 and 6. (Any LSB Default-Start and +Default-Stop directives in <samp>foo</samp> take precedence when using the +sysv-rc version of update-rc.d, but are ignored by the current (v0.8.10) +file-rc version of update-rc.d.) The argument `<samp>19</samp>' ensures that +<samp>foo</samp> is called after all scripts whose number is less than 19 have +completed, and before all scripts whose number is 20 or greater. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-interconffiles"></a>11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?</h2> + +<p> +Some users wish to create, for example, a new server by installing a group of +Debian packages and a locally generated package consisting of configuration +files. This is not generally a good idea, because <code>dpkg</code> will not +know about those configuration files if they are in a different package, and +may write conflicting configurations when one of the initial "group" +of packages is upgraded. +</p> + +<p> +Instead, create a local package that modifies the configuration files of the +"group" of Debian packages of interest. Then <code>dpkg</code> and +the rest of the package management system will see that the files have been +modified by the local "sysadmin" and will not try to overwrite them +when those packages are upgraded. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-divert"></a>11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?</h2> + +<p> +Suppose a sysadmin or local user wishes to use a program +"login-local" rather than the program "login" provided by +the Debian <code>login</code> package. +</p> + +<p> +Do <strong>not</strong>: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Overwrite <samp>/bin/login</samp> with <samp>login-local</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +The package management system will not know about this change, and will simply +overwrite your custom <samp>/bin/login</samp> whenever <samp>login</samp> (or +any package that provides <samp>/bin/login</samp>) is installed or updated. +</p> + +<p> +Rather, do +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Execute: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg-divert --divert /bin/login.debian /bin/login +</pre> + +<p> +in order to cause all future installations of the Debian <code>login</code> +package to write the file <samp>/bin/login</samp> to +<samp>/bin/login.debian</samp> instead. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Then execute: +</p> + +<pre> + cp login-local /bin/login +</pre> + +<p> +to move your own locally-built program into place. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +Run <samp>dpkg-divert --list</samp> to see which diversions are currently +active on your system. +</p> + +<p> +Details are given in the manual page <code>dpkg-divert(8)</code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-localpackages"></a>11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?</h2> + +<p> +Execute the command: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg-scanpackages BIN_DIR OVERRIDE_FILE [PATHPREFIX] > my_Packages +</pre> + +<p> +where: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +BIN-DIR is a directory where Debian archive files (which usually have an +extension of ".deb") are stored. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +OVERRIDE_FILE is a file that is edited by the distribution maintainers and is +usually stored on a Debian FTP archive at <samp>indices/override.main.gz</samp> +for the Debian packages in the "main" distribution. You can ignore +this for local packages. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +PATHPREFIX is an <em>optional</em> string that can be prepended to the +<samp>my_Packages</samp> file being produced. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +Once you have built the file <samp>my_Packages</samp>, tell the package +management system about it by using the command: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --merge-avail my_Packages +</pre> + +<p> +If you are using APT, you can add the local repository to your +<code>sources.list(5)</code> file, too. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-diverse"></a>11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?</h2> + +<p> +There are several cases where two packages provide two different versions of a +program, both of which provide the same core functionality. Users might prefer +one over another out of habit, or because the user interface of one package is +somehow more pleasing than the interface of another. Other users on the same +system might make a different choice. +</p> + +<p> +Debian uses a "virtual" package system to allow system administrators +to choose (or let users choose) their favorite tools when there are two or more +that provide the same basic functionality, yet satisfy package dependency +requirements without specifying a particular package. +</p> + +<p> +For example, there might exist two different versions of newsreaders on a +system. The news server package might 'recommend' that there exist +<em>some</em> news reader on the system, but the choice of <samp>tin</samp> or +<samp>trn</samp> is left up to the individual user. This is satisfied by +having both the <code>tin</code> and <code>trn</code> packages provide the +virtual package <code>news-reader</code>. <em>Which</em> program is invoked is +determined by a link pointing from a file with the virtual package name +<samp>/etc/alternatives/news-reader</samp> to the selected file, e.g., +<samp>/usr/bin/trn</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +A single link is insufficient to support full use of an alternate program; +normally, manual pages, and possibly other supporting files must be selected as +well. The Perl script <samp>update-alternatives</samp> provides a way of +ensuring that all the files associated with a specified package are selected as +a system default. +</p> + +<p> +For example, to check what executables provide `x-window-manager', run: +</p> + +<pre> + update-alternatives --display x-window-manager +</pre> + +<p> +If you want to change it, run: +</p> + +<pre> + update-alternatives --config x-window-manager +</pre> + +<p> +And follow the instructions on the screen (basically, press the number next to +the entry you'd like better). +</p> + +<p> +If a package doesn't register itself as a window manager for some reason (file +a bug if it's in error), or if you use a window manager from /usr/local +directory, the selections on screen won't contain your preferred entry. You +can update the link through command line options, like this: +</p> + +<pre> + update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-window-manager \ + x-window-manager /usr/local/bin/wmaker-cvs 50 +</pre> + +<p> +The first argument to `--install' option is the symlink that points to +/etc/alternatives/NAME, where NAME is the second argument. The third argument +is the program to which /etc/alternatives/NAME should point to, and the fourth +argument is the priority (larger value means the alternative will more probably +get picked automatically). +</p> + +<p> +To remove an alternative you added, simply run: +</p> + +<pre> + update-alternatives --remove x-window-manager /usr/local/bin/wmaker-cvs +</pre> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ 11 ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-customizing.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-customizing.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..1cfdfaa --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-customizing.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-customizing.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-faqinfo.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-faqinfo.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9edac20 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-faqinfo.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,407 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - General information about the FAQ</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="index.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-faqinfo"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ 16 ] +[ <a href="index.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 16 - General information about the FAQ +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-authors"></a>16.1 Authors</h2> + +<p> +The first edition of this FAQ was made and maintained by J.H.M. Dassen (Ray) +and Chuck Stickelman. Authors of the rewritten Debian GNU/Linux FAQ are Susan +G. Kleinmann and Sven Rudolph. After them, the FAQ was maintained by Santiago +Vila and, later, by Josip Rodin. The current maintainer is Javier +Fernandez-Sanguino. +</p> + +<p> +Parts of the information came from: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +The Debian-1.1 release announcement, by <code><a +href="http://www.perens.com/">Bruce Perens</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +The Linux FAQ, by <code><a +href="http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ijackson/">Ian Jackson</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code><a href="http://lists.debian.org/">Debian Mailing Lists +Archives</a></code>, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +the dpkg programmers' manual and the Debian Policy manual (see <a +href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs">What other documentation exists on and +for a Debian system?, Section 12.1</a>) +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +many developers, volunteers, and beta testers, and +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +the flaky memories of its authors. :-) +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Kamaraju Kusumanchi's <code><a +href="http://people.cornell.edu/pages/kk288/debian_choosing_distribution.html">Choosing +a Debian distribution FAQ</a></code>, who graciously made it GPL so I could +include it as a new chapter (see <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">Choosing a +Debian distribution, Chapter 3</a>) +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +The authors would like to thank all those who helped make this document +possible. +</p> + +<p> +All warranties are disclaimed. All trademarks are property of their respective +trademark owners. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-feedback"></a>16.2 Feedback</h2> + +<p> +Comments and additions to this document are always welcome. Please send e-mail +to <code><a +href="mailto:doc-debian@packages.debian.org">doc-debian@packages.debian.org</a></code>, +or submit a wishlist bug report against the <code><code><a +href="http://bugs.debian.org/debian-faq">debian-faq</a></code></code> package. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-latest"></a>16.3 Availability</h2> + +<p> +The latest version of this document can be viewed on the Debian WWW pages at +<code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/">http://www.debian.org/doc/FAQ/</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +It is also available for download in plain text, HTML, PostScript and PDF +formats at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/doc/user-manuals#faq">http://www.debian.org/doc/user-manuals#faq</a></code>. +Also, there are several translations there. +</p> + +<p> +This document is available in the <code>debian-faq</code> package. +Translations are available in <code>debian-faq-de</code>, +<code>debian-faq-fr</code> and other packages. +</p> + +<p> +The original SGML files used to create this document are also available in +<code>debian-faq</code>'s source package, or in SVN at: +<samp>svn://svn.debian.org/svn/ddp/manuals/trunk/debian-faq</samp> and <code><a +href="http://svn.debian.org/viewsvn/ddp/manuals/trunk/debian-faq/">http://svn.debian.org/viewsvn/ddp/manuals/trunk/debian-faq/</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-docformat"></a>16.4 Document format</h2> + +<p> +This document was written using the DebianDoc SGML DTD (rewritten from LinuxDoc +SGML). DebianDoc SGML systems enables us to create files in a variety of +formats from one source, e.g. this document can be viewed as HTML, plain text, +TeX DVI, PostScript, PDF, or GNU info. +</p> + +<p> +Conversion utilities for DebianDoc SGML are available in Debian package +<code>debiandoc-sgml</code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ 16 ] +[ <a href="index.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-faqinfo.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-faqinfo.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..0f759b4 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-faqinfo.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-faqinfo.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0efd28a --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,756 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - The Debian FTP archives</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-ftparchives"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ 6 ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 6 - The Debian FTP archives +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-dists"></a>6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?</h2> + +<p> +There are three major distributions: the "stable" distribution, the +"testing" distribution, and the "unstable" distribution. +The "testing" distribution is sometimes `frozen' (see <a +href="#s-frozen">What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?, Section +6.5.1</a>). Next to these, there is the "oldstable" distribution +(that's just the one from before "stable"), and the +"experimental" distribution. +</p> + +<p> +Experimental is used for packages which are still being developed, and with a +high risk of breaking your system. It's used by developers who'd like to study +and test bleeding edge software. Users shouldn't be using packages from here, +because they can be dangerous and harmful even for the most experienced people. +</p> + +<p> +See <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">Choosing a Debian distribution, Chapter 3</a> +for help when choosing a Debian distribution. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-codenames"></a>6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?</h2> + +<p> +They are just "codenames". When a Debian distribution is in the +development stage, it has no version number but a codename. The purpose of +these codenames is to make easier the mirroring of the Debian distributions (if +a real directory like <samp>unstable</samp> suddenly changed its name to +<samp>stable</samp>, a lot of stuff would have to be needlessly downloaded +again). +</p> + +<p> +Currently, <samp>stable</samp> is a symbolic link to <samp>etch</samp> (i.e. +Debian GNU/Linux 4.0) and <samp>testing</samp> is a symbolic link to +<samp>lenny</samp>. This means that <samp>etch</samp> is the current stable +distribution and <samp>lenny</samp> is the current testing distribution. +</p> + +<p> +<samp>unstable</samp> is a permanent symbolic link to <samp>sid</samp>, as +<samp>sid</samp> is always the unstable distribution (see <a href="#s-sid">What +about "sid"?, Section 6.3</a>). +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-oldcodenames"></a>6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?</h3> + +<p> +Other codenames that have been already used are: <samp>buzz</samp> for release +1.1, <samp>rex</samp> for release 1.2, <samp>bo</samp> for releases 1.3.x, +<samp>hamm</samp> for release 2.0, <samp>slink</samp> for release 2.1, +<samp>potato</samp> for release 2.2, <samp>woody</samp> for release 3.0, +<samp>sarge</samp> for release 3.1, and <samp>etch</samp> for release 4.0. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-sourceforcodenames"></a>6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?</h3> + +<p> +So far they have been characters taken from the movie "Toy Story" by +Pixar. +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>buzz</em> (Buzz Lightyear) was the spaceman, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>rex</em> was the tyrannosaurus, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>bo</em> (Bo Peep) was the girl who took care of the sheep, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>hamm</em> was the piggy bank, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>slink</em> (Slinky Dog (R)) was the toy dog, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>potato</em> was, of course, Mr. Potato (R), +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>woody</em> was the cowboy, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>sarge</em> was the sergeant of the Green Plastic Army Men, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>etch</em> was the toy blackboard (Etch-a-Sketch (R)), +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>lenny</em> was the binoculars. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>sid</em> was the boy next door who destroyed toys. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-sid"></a>6.3 What about "sid"?</h2> + +<p> +<em>sid</em> or <em>unstable</em> is the place where most of the packages are +initially uploaded. It will never be released directly, because packages which +are to be released will first have to be included in <em>testing</em>, in order +to be released in <em>stable</em> later on. sid contains packages for both +released and unreleased architectures. +</p> + +<p> +The name "sid" also comes from the "Toy Story" animated +motion picture: Sid was the boy next door who destroyed toys :-) +</p> + +<p> +[<a href="footnotes.en.html#f2" name="fr2">2</a>] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-stable"></a>6.4 What does the stable directory contain?</h2> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +stable/main/: This directory contains the packages which formally constitute +the most recent release of the Debian GNU/Linux system. +</p> + +<p> +These packages all comply with the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines">Debian Free Software +Guidelines</a></code>, and are all freely usable and distributable. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +stable/non-free/: This directory contains packages distribution of which is +restricted in a way that requires that distributors take careful account of the +specified copyright requirements. +</p> + +<p> +For example, some packages have licenses which prohibit commercial +distribution. Others can be redistributed but are in fact shareware and not +free software. The licenses of each of these packages must be studied, and +possibly negotiated, before the packages are included in any redistribution +(e.g., in a CD-ROM). +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +stable/contrib/: This directory contains packages which are DFSG-free and +<em>freely distributable</em> themselves, but somehow depend on a package that +is <em>not</em> freely distributable and thus available only in the non-free +section. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-testing"></a>6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?</h2> + +<p> +Packages are installed into the `testing' directory after they have undergone +some degree of testing in <a href="#s-unstable">unstable</a>. +</p> + +<p> +They must be in sync on all architectures where they have been built and +mustn't have dependencies that make them uninstallable; they also have to have +fewer release-critical bugs than the versions currently in testing. This way, +we hope that `testing' is always close to being a release candidate. +</p> + +<p> +More information about the status of "testing" in general and the +individual packages is available at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/devel/testing">http://www.debian.org/devel/testing</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-frozen"></a>6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?</h3> + +<p> +When the "testing" distribution is mature enough, the release manager +starts `freezing' it. The normal propagation delays are increased to ensure +that as little as possible new bugs from "unstable" enter +"testing". +</p> + +<p> +After a while, the "testing" distribution becomes truly `frozen'. +This means that all new packages that are to propagate to the +"testing" are held back, unless they include release-critical bug +fixes. The "testing" distribution can also remain in such a deep +freeze during the so-called `test cycles', when the release is imminent. +</p> + +<p> +We keep a record of bugs in the "testing" distribution that can hold +off a package from being released, or bugs that can hold back the whole +release. For details, please see <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/testing/">current testing release +information</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +Once that bug count lowers to maximum acceptable values, the frozen +"testing" distribution is declared "stable" and released +with a version number. +</p> + +<p> +With each new release, the previous "stable" distribution becomes +obsolete and moves to the archive. For more information please see <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/distrib/archive">Debian archive</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-unstable"></a>6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?</h2> + +<p> +The `unstable' directory contains a snapshot of the current development system. +Users are welcome to use and test these packages, but are warned about their +state of readiness. The advantage of using the unstable distribution is that +you are always up-to-date with the latest in GNU/Linux software industry, but +if it breaks: you get to keep both parts :-) +</p> + +<p> +There are also main, contrib and non-free subdirectories in `unstable', +separated on the same criteria as in `stable'. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-dirtree"></a>6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?</h2> + +<p> +The software that has been packaged for Debian GNU/Linux is available in one of +several directory trees on each Debian mirror site. +</p> + +<p> +The <samp>dists</samp> directory is short for "distributions", and it +is the canonical way to access the currently available Debian releases (and +pre-releases). +</p> + +<p> +The <samp>pool</samp> directory contains the actual packages, see <a +href="#s-pools">What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?, Section 6.10</a>. +</p> + +<p> +There are the following supplementary directories: +</p> +<dl> +<dt><em>/tools/</em>:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +DOS utilities for creating boot disks, partitioning your disk drive, +compressing/decompressing files, and booting Linux. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><em>/doc/</em>:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +The basic Debian documentation, such as this FAQ, the bug reporting system +instructions, etc. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><em>/indices/</em>:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +various indices of the site (the Maintainers file and the override files). +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><em>/project/</em>:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +mostly developer-only materials and some miscellaneous files. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-archsections"></a>6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?</h2> + +<p> +Within each of the major directory trees[<a href="footnotes.en.html#f3" +name="fr3">3</a>], there are three sets of subdirectories containing index +files. +</p> + +<p> +There's one set of <samp>binary-<var>something</var></samp> subdirectories +which contain index files for binary packages of each available computer +architecture, for example <samp>binary-i386</samp> for packages which execute +on Intel x86 PC machines or <samp>binary-sparc</samp> for packages which +execute on Sun SPARCStations. +</p> + +<p> +The complete list of available architectures for each release is available at +<code><a href="http://www.debian.org/releases/">the release's web +page</a></code>. For the current release, please see <a +href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches">On what hardware architectures/systems does +Debian GNU/Linux run?, Section 4.1</a>. +</p> + +<p> +The index files in binary-* are called Packages(.gz, .bz2) and they include a +summary of each binary package that is included in that distribution. The +actual binary packages reside in the top level <a +href="#s-pools"><samp>pool</samp> directory</a>. +</p> + +<p> +Furthermore, there's a subdirectory called source/ which contains index files +for source packages included in the distribution. The index file is called +Sources(.gz, .bz2). +</p> + +<p> +Last but not least, there's a set of subdirectories meant for the installation +system index files, they are at +<samp>debian-installer/binary-<var>architecture</var></samp>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-source"></a>6.9 Where is the source code?</h2> + +<p> +Source code is included for everything in the Debian system. Moreover, the +license terms of most programs in the system <em>require</em> that source code +be distributed along with the programs, or that an offer to provide the source +code accompany the programs. +</p> + +<p> +The source code is distributed in the <samp>pool</samp> directory (see <a +href="#s-pools">What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?, Section 6.10</a>) +together with all the architecture-specific binary directories. To retrieve +the source code without having to be familiar with the structure of the FTP +archive, try a command like <samp>apt-get source mypackagename</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +Some packages are only distributed as source code due to the restrictions in +their licenses. Notably, one such package is <samp>pine</samp>, see <a +href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine">Where is pine?, Section 5.10</a> for more +information. +</p> + +<p> +Source code may or may not be available for packages in the "contrib" +and "non-free" directories, which are not formally part of the Debian +system. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-pools"></a>6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?</h2> + +<p> +Packages are kept in a large `pool', structured according to the name of the +source package. To make this manageable, the pool is subdivided by section +(`main', `contrib' and `non-free') and by the first letter of the source +package name. These directories contain several files: the binary packages for +each architecture, and the source packages from which the binary packages were +generated. +</p> + +<p> +You can find out where each package is placed by executing a command like +<samp>apt-cache showsrc mypackagename</samp> and looking at the `Directory:' +line. For example, the <samp>apache</samp> packages are stored in +<samp>pool/main/a/apache/</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +Additionally, since there are so many <samp>lib*</samp> packages, these are +treated specially: for instance, libpaper packages are stored in +<samp>pool/main/libp/libpaper/</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +[<a href="footnotes.en.html#f4" name="fr4">4</a>] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-incoming"></a>6.11 What is "incoming"?</h2> + +<p> +After a developer uploads a package, it stays for a short while in the +"incoming" directory before it is checked that it's genuine and +allowed into the archive. +</p> + +<p> +Usually nobody should install things from this place. However, in some rare +cases of emergency, the incoming directory is available at <code><a +href="http://incoming.debian.org/">http://incoming.debian.org/</a></code>. You +can manually fetch packages, check the GPG signature and MD5sums in the +.changes and .dsc files, and then install them. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-ownrepository"></a>6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?</h2> + +<p> +If you have built some private Debian packages which you'd like to install +using the standard Debian package management tools, you can set up your own +apt-able package archive. This is also useful if you'd like to share your +Debian packages while these are not distributed by the Debian project. +Instructions on how to do this are given in the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/repository-howto/repository-howto">Debian +Repository HOWTO</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ 6 ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..cdad69f --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-ftparchives.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-getting.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-getting.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..16d506c --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-getting.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,451 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-getting"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ 2 ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 2 - Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux +</h1> + +<hr> + +<p> +The official document giving installation instructions is the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual">Debian GNU/Linux +Installation Guide</a></code>. We'll give some additional notes about getting +and installing Debian GNU/Linux here. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-version"></a>2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?</h2> + +<p> +Currently there are three versions of Debian GNU/Linux: +</p> +<dl> +<dt><em>release 4.0, a.k.a. the `stable' distribution or etch</em></dt> +<dd> +<p> +This is stable and well tested software, it changes if major security or +usability fixes are incorporated. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><em>the `testing' distribution, currently called lenny</em></dt> +<dd> +<p> +This is where packages that will be released as the next `stable' are placed; +they've had some testing in unstable but they may not be completely fit for +release yet. This distribution is updated more often than `stable', but not +more often than `unstable'. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><em>the `unstable' distribution</em></dt> +<dd> +<p> +This is the version currently under development; it is updated continuously. +You can retrieve packages from the `unstable' archive on any Debian FTP site +and use them to upgrade your system at any time, but you may not expect the +system to be as usable or as stable as before - that's why it's called +`<strong>unstable</strong>'! +</p> +</dd> +</dl> + +<p> +Please see <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists">How many Debian +distributions are there?, Section 6.1</a> for more information. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-updatestable"></a>2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?</h2> + +<p> +No new functionality is added to the stable release. Once a Debian version is +released and tagged `stable' it will only get security updates. That is, only +packages for which a security vulnerability has been found after the release +will be upgraded. All the security updates are served through <code><a +href="ftp://security.debian.org">security.debian.org</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +Security updates serve one purpose: to supply a fix for a security +vulnerability. They are not a method for sneaking additional changes into the +stable release without going through normal point release procedure. +Consequently, fixes for packages with security issues will not upgrade the +software. The Debian Security Team will backport the necessary fixes to the +version of the software distributed in `stable' instead. +</p> + +<p> +For more information related to security support please read the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/security/faq">Security FAQ</a></code> or the +<code><a href="http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/securing-debian-howto/">Debian +Security Manual</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-boot-floppies"></a>2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?</h2> + +<p> +You can get the installation disks by downloading the appropriate files from +one of the <code><a href="http://www.debian.org/mirror/list">Debian +mirrors</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +Please refer to <code><a href="http://www.debian.org/CD">Debian GNU/Linux on +CDs</a></code> for more information about CD (and DVD) images. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-cdrom"></a>2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?</h2> + +<p> +Installing Debian from CD is straightforward: configure your system for booting +off a CD, insert your CD, and reboot. Your system will now be running the +Debian Installer. See the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual">Debian GNU/Linux +Installation Guide</a></code> for more information. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-cdimage-symlinks"></a>2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!</h2> + +<p> +Official Debian CD images indeed contain symlinks like: +</p> + +<pre> + /dists/frozen -> etch/ + /dists/stable -> etch/ + /dists/testing -> etch/ + /dists/unstable -> etch/ +</pre> + +<p> +so that they work when your sources.list has an entry like +</p> + +<pre> + deb cdrom:[<name as on cd label>]/ unstable main [...] +</pre> + +<p> +. +</p> + +<p> +The fact these symlinks are present does <em>not</em> mean the image is +`unstable' or `testing' or anything. Read the CD label in +<code>/.disk/info</code> to find out which Debian version it contains. This +information is also present in <code>/README.txt</code> on the CD. +</p> + +<p> +Read <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/">http://www.debian.org/releases/</a></code> +to find out what the current `stable' and `testing' releases are. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-remoteinstall"></a>2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?</h2> + +<p> +Yes. You can boot the Debian installation system from a set of files you can +download from our FTP site and its mirrors. +</p> + +<p> +You can download a small CD image file, create a bootable CD from it, install +the basic system from it and the rest over the network. For more information +please see <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/">http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +You can also download even smaller floppy disk image files, create bootable +diskettes from them, start the installation procedure and get the rest of +Debian over the network. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-alternativebootinstaller"></a>2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?</h2> + +<p> +Yes. Apart from CD or DVD, you can install Debian GNU/Linux by booting from +floppy disks, USB memory stick, directly from hard disk, or using TFTP net +booting. For installing on multiple computers it's possible to do fully +automatic installations. NB: not all methods are supported by all computer +architectures. Once the installer has booted, the rest of the system can be +downloaded over the network, or installed from local media. See the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual">Debian GNU/Linux +Installation Guide</a></code> for more information. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ 2 ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-getting.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-getting.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..568d808 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-getting.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-getting.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-kernel.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-kernel.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..58781c9 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-kernel.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,389 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Debian and the kernel</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-kernel"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ 10 ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 10 - Debian and the kernel +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-non-debian-kernel"></a>10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?</h2> + +<p> +Yes. +</p> + +<p> +There's only one common catch: the Debian C libraries are built with the most +recent <em>stable</em> releases of the <strong>kernel</strong> headers. If you +happen to need to compile a program with kernel headers newer than the ones +from the stable branch, then you should either upgrade the package containing +the headers (<code>libc6-dev</code>), or use the new headers from an unpacked +tree of the newer kernel. That is, if the kernel sources are in +<code>/usr/src/linux</code>, then you should add +<samp>-I/usr/src/linux/include/</samp> to your command line when compiling. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-customkernel"></a>10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?</h2> + +<p> +Users who wish to (or must) build a custom kernel are encouraged to download +the package <code>kernel-package</code>. This package contains the script to +build the kernel package, and provides the capability to create a Debian +<code>linux-image-<var>version</var></code> package just by running the command +</p> + +<pre> + make-kpkg --initrd kernel_image +</pre> + +<p> +in the top-level kernel source directory. Help is available by executing the +command +</p> + +<pre> + make-kpkg --help +</pre> + +<p> +and through the manual page <code>make-kpkg(1)</code>. +</p> + +<p> +Users must separately download the source code for the most recent kernel (or +the kernel of their choice) from their favorite Linux archive site, unless a +<code>linux-source-<var>version</var></code> package is available (where +<var>version</var> stands for the kernel version). +</p> + +<p> +Detailed instructions for using the <code>kernel-package</code> package are +given in the file <code>/usr/share/doc/kernel-package/README.gz</code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-custombootdisk"></a>10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?</h2> + +<p> +This task is greatly aided by the Debian package <code>boot-floppies</code>, +normally found in the <samp>admin</samp> section of the Debian FTP archive. +Shell scripts in this package produce boot floppies in the +<samp>SYSLINUX</samp> format. These are <samp>MS-DOS</samp> formatted floppies +whose master boot records have been altered so that they boot Linux directly +(or whatever other operating system has been defined in the +<code>syslinux.cfg</code> file on the floppy). Other scripts in this package +produce emergency root disks and can even reproduce the base disks. +</p> + +<p> +You will find more information about this in the +<code>/usr/share/doc/boot-floppies/README</code> file after installing the +<code>boot-floppies</code> package. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-modules"></a>10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?</h2> + +<p> +Debian's <code>modconf</code> package provides a shell script +(<code>/usr/sbin/modconf</code>) which can be used to customize the +configuration of modules. This script presents a menu-based interface, +prompting the user for particulars on the loadable device drivers in his +system. The responses are used to customize the file +<code>/etc/modules.conf</code> (which lists aliases, and other arguments that +must be used in conjunction with various modules) through files in +<code>/etc/modutils/</code>, and <code>/etc/modules</code> (which lists the +modules that must be loaded at boot time). +</p> + +<p> +Like the (new) <code>Configure.help</code> files that are now available to +support the construction of custom kernels, the <code>modconf</code> package +comes with a series of help files (in <code>/usr/lib/modules_help/</code>) +which provide detailed information on appropriate arguments for each of the +modules. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-removeoldkernel"></a>10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?</h2> + +<p> +Yes. The <code>linux-image-<var>NNN</var>.prerm</code> script checks to see +whether the kernel you are currently running is the same as the kernel you are +trying to de-install. Therefore you can remove unwanted kernel image packages +using this command: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --purge linux-image-<var>NNN</var> +</pre> + +<p> +(replace <var>NNN</var> with your kernel version and revision number, of +course) +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ 10 ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-kernel.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-kernel.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..125039f --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-kernel.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-kernel.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-nexttime.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-nexttime.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd6c875 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-nexttime.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,377 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Changes expected in the next major release of Debian</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-nexttime"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ 15 ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 15 - Changes expected in the next major release of Debian +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-i18n"></a>15.1 Extended support for non-English users</h2> + +<p> +Debian already has very good support for non-English users, see <a +href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish">How does Debian support non-English +languages?, Section 5.9</a>. +</p> + +<p> +We hope to find people who will provide support for even more languages, and +translate. Some programs already support internationalization, so we need +message catalogs translators. Many programs still remain to be properly +internationalized. +</p> + +<p> +The GNU Translation Project <code><a +href="ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/ABOUT-NLS">ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/ABOUT-NLS</a></code> +works on internationalizing the GNU programs. +</p> + +<p> +Specifically for Debian lenny, we're working on things like the following: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +I18n support in all debconf-using packages: Packages using the Debian +configuration management must allow for translation of all messages displayed +to the user during package configuration. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +I18n support for package descriptions: Update package management frontends to +use the translated descriptions of packages. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +UTF-8 debian/changelog and debian/control. This way, e.g. names of people +from asian countries can get typeset the right way in changelogs. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-dependencybasedboot"></a>15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence</h2> + +<p> +Work is being done on <code><a +href="http://wiki.debian.org/LSBInitScripts/DependencyBasedBoot">converting the +Debian boot sequence</a></code> to use dynamic and dependency based ordering +instead of hardcoded sequence numbers. Once that's finished, Debian systems +will boot much faster. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-di"></a>15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer</h2> + +<p> +Lots of work has been done on the Debian Installer, resulting in major +improvements. We'll mention just two of them here. +</p> + +<p> +Starting the installer from Microsoft Windows: It is now possible to start the +installer directly from Microsoft Windows without the need to change BIOS +settings. Upon insertion of a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or USB stick, an autorun program +will be started, offering a step-by-step process to start the Debian Installer. +</p> + +<p> +The debian-installer now includes experimental support for installing Debian on +systems with Serial ATA RAID. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-morearches"></a>15.4 More architectures</h2> + +<p> +Complete Debian system on other architectures such as <code><a +href="http://wiki.debian.org/ArmEabiPort">ARM EABI</a></code> (referred to as +"armel") (next to the old "arm") will likely get supported +with lenny. Support for <code><a +href="http://wiki.debian.org/SHPort">SuperH</a></code> is expected soon. +Notice that even though some architectures are dropped for a given the release +there still might be a way to install and upgrade using the latest +<samp>sid</samp>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-morekernels"></a>15.5 More kernels</h2> + +<p> +In addition to Debian GNU/Hurd, Debian is being ported also to BSD kernels, +namely to <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/ports/kfreebsd-gnu/">FreeBSD</a></code>. This port +runs on both AMD64 ("kfreebsd-amd64") and traditional Intel +("kfreebsd-i386"). +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ 15 ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-nexttime.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-nexttime.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..da23d48 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-nexttime.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-nexttime.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkg_basics.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkg_basics.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..72799b2 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkg_basics.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,1123 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Basics of the Debian package management system</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-pkg_basics"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ 7 ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 7 - Basics of the Debian package management system +</h1> + +<hr> + +<p> +This chapter touches on some lower level internals of Debian package +management. If you're interested mainly in <em>usage</em> of the relevant +tools, skip to chapters <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">The Debian package +management tools, Chapter 8</a> and/or <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">Keeping +your Debian system up-to-date, Chapter 9</a>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-package"></a>7.1 What is a Debian package?</h2> + +<p> +Packages generally contain all of the files necessary to implement a set of +related commands or features. There are two types of Debian packages: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>Binary packages</em>, which contain executables, configuration files, +man/info pages, copyright information, and other documentation. These packages +are distributed in a Debian-specific archive format (see <a +href="#s-deb-format">What is the format of a Debian binary package?, Section +7.2</a>); they are usually distinguished by having a '.deb' file extension. +Binary packages can be unpacked using the Debian utility <samp>dpkg</samp> +(possibly via a frontend like <code>aptitude</code>); details are given in its +manual page. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>Source packages</em>, which consist of a <samp>.dsc</samp> file describing +the source package (including the names of the following files), a +<samp>.orig.tar.gz</samp> file that contains the original unmodified source in +gzip-compressed tar format and usually a <samp>.diff.gz</samp> file that +contains the Debian-specific changes to the original source. The utility +<samp>dpkg-source</samp> packs and unpacks Debian source archives; details are +provided in its manual page. (The program <code>apt-get</code> can get used a +frontend for <samp>dpkg-source</samp>.) +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +Installation of software by the package system uses "dependencies" +which are carefully designed by the package maintainers. These dependencies +are documented in the <samp>control</samp> file associated with each package. +For example, the package containing the GNU C compiler (<code>gcc</code>) +"depends" on the package <code>binutils</code> which includes the +linker and assembler. If a user attempts to install <code>gcc</code> without +having first installed <code>binutils</code>, the package management system +(dpkg) will send an error message that it also needs <code>binutils</code>, and +stop installing <code>gcc</code>. (However, this facility can be overridden by +the insistent user, see <code>dpkg(8)</code>.) See more in <a +href="#s-depends">What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, +<em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> +or <em>Provides</em> another package?, Section 7.9</a> below. +</p> + +<p> +Debian's packaging tools can be used to: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +manipulate and manage packages or parts of packages, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +administer local overrides of files in a package, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +aid developers in the construction of package archives, and +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +aid users in the installation of packages which reside on a remote FTP site. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-deb-format"></a>7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?</h2> + +<p> +A Debian "package", or a Debian archive file, contains the executable +files, libraries, and documentation associated with a particular suite of +program or set of related programs. Normally, a Debian archive file has a +filename that ends in <samp>.deb</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +The internals of this Debian binary packages format are described in the +<code>deb(5)</code> manual page. This internal format is subject to change +(between major releases of Debian GNU/Linux), therefore please always use +<code>dpkg-deb(1)</code> if you need to do lowlevel manipulations on +<samp>.deb</samp> files. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-pkgname"></a>7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?</h2> + +<p> +The Debian binary package file names conform to the following convention: +<foo>_<VersionNumber>-<DebianRevisionNumber>_<DebianArchitecture>.deb +</p> + +<p> +Note that <samp>foo</samp> is supposed to be the package name. As a check, one +can learn the package name associated with a particular Debian archive file +(.deb file) in one of these ways: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +inspect the "Packages" file in the directory where it was stored at a +Debian FTP archive site. This file contains a stanza describing each package; +the first field in each stanza is the formal package name. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +use the command <samp>dpkg --info foo_VVV-RRR_AAA.deb</samp> (where VVV, RRR +and AAA are the version, revision and architecture of the package in question, +respectively). This displays, among other things, the package name +corresponding to the archive file being unpacked. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +The <samp>VVV</samp> component is the version number specified by the upstream +developer. There are no standards in place here, so the version number may +have formats as different as "19990513" and "1.3.8pre1". +</p> + +<p> +The <samp>RRR</samp> component is the Debian revision number, and is specified +by the Debian developer (or an individual user if he chooses to build the +package himself). This number corresponds to the revision level of the Debian +package, thus, a new revision level usually signifies changes in the Debian +Makefile (<samp>debian/rules</samp>), the Debian control file +(<samp>debian/control</samp>), the installation or removal scripts +(<samp>debian/p*</samp>), or in the configuration files used with the package. +</p> + +<p> +The <samp>AAA</samp> component identifies the processor for which the package +was built. This is commonly <samp>i386</samp>, which refers to chips +compatible to Intel's 386 or later versions. For other possibilities review +Debian's FTP directory structure at <a +href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree">What are all those directories at the +Debian FTP archives?, Section 6.7</a>. For details, see the description of +"Debian architecture" in the manual page +<code>dpkg-architecture(1)</code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-controlfile"></a>7.4 What is a Debian control file?</h2> + +<p> +Specifics regarding the contents of a Debian control file are provided in the +Debian Policy Manual, section 5, see <a +href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs">What other documentation exists on and +for a Debian system?, Section 12.1</a>. +</p> + +<p> +Briefly, a sample control file is shown below for the Debian package hello: +</p> + +<pre> + Package: hello + Priority: optional + Section: devel + Installed-Size: 45 + Maintainer: Adam Heath <doogie@debian.org> + Architecture: i386 + Version: 1.3-16 + Depends: libc6 (>= 2.1) + Description: The classic greeting, and a good example + The GNU hello program produces a familiar, friendly greeting. It + allows nonprogrammers to use a classic computer science tool which + would otherwise be unavailable to them. + . + Seriously, though: this is an example of how to do a Debian package. + It is the Debian version of the GNU Project's `hello world' program + (which is itself an example for the GNU Project). +</pre> + +<p> +The Package field gives the package name. This is the name by which the +package can be manipulated by the package tools, and usually similar to but not +necessarily the same as the first component string in the Debian archive file +name. +</p> + +<p> +The Version field gives both the upstream developer's version number and (in +the last component) the revision level of the Debian package of this program as +explained in <a href="#s-pkgname">Why are Debian package file names so long?, +Section 7.3</a>. +</p> + +<p> +The Architecture field specifies the chip for which this particular binary was +compiled. +</p> + +<p> +The Depends field gives a list of packages that have to be installed in order +to install this package successfully. +</p> + +<p> +The Installed-Size indicates how much disk space the installed package will +consume. This is intended to be used by installation front-ends in order to +show whether there is enough disk space available to install the program. +</p> + +<p> +The Section line gives the "section" where this Debian package is +stored at the Debian FTP sites. +</p> + +<p> +The Priority indicates how important is this package for installation, so that +semi-intelligent software like dselect or aptitude can sort the package into a +category of e.g. packages optionally installed. See <a +href="#s-priority">What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, +<em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> +package?, Section 7.7</a>. +</p> + +<p> +The Maintainer field gives the e-mail address of the person who is currently +responsible for maintaining this package. +</p> + +<p> +The Description field gives a brief summary of the package's features. +</p> + +<p> +For more information about all possible fields a package can have, please see +the Debian Policy Manual, section 5., "Control files and their +fields". +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-conffile"></a>7.5 What is a Debian conffile?</h2> + +<p> +Conffiles is a list of configuration files (usually placed in +<samp>/etc</samp>) that the package management system will not overwrite when +the package is upgraded. This ensures that local values for the contents of +these files will be preserved, and is a critical feature enabling the in-place +upgrade of packages on a running system. +</p> + +<p> +To determine exactly which files are preserved during an upgrade, run: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --status package +</pre> + +<p> +And look under "Conffiles:". +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-maintscripts"></a>7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?</h2> + +<p> +These files are executable scripts which are automatically run before or after +a package is installed. Along with a file named <samp>control</samp>, all of +these files are part of the "control" section of a Debian archive +file. +</p> + +<p> +The individual files are: +</p> +<dl> +<dt>preinst</dt> +<dd> +<p> +This script executes before that package will be unpacked from its Debian +archive (".deb") file. Many 'preinst' scripts stop services for +packages which are being upgraded until their installation or upgrade is +completed (following the successful execution of the 'postinst' script). +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>postinst</dt> +<dd> +<p> +This script typically completes any required configuration of the package +<samp>foo</samp> once <samp>foo</samp> has been unpacked from its Debian +archive (".deb") file. Often, 'postinst' scripts ask the user for +input, and/or warn the user that if he accepts default values, he should +remember to go back and re-configure that package as the situation warrants. +Many 'postinst' scripts then execute any commands necessary to start or restart +a service once a new package has been installed or upgraded. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>prerm</dt> +<dd> +<p> +This script typically stops any daemons which are associated with a package. +It is executed before the removal of files associated with the package. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>postrm</dt> +<dd> +<p> +This script typically modifies links or other files associated with +<samp>foo</samp>, and/or removes files created by the package. (Also see <a +href="#s-virtual">What is a Virtual Package?, Section 7.8</a>.) +</p> +</dd> +</dl> + +<p> +Currently all of the control files can be found in directory +<samp>/var/lib/dpkg/info</samp>. The files relevant to package +<samp>foo</samp> begin with the name "foo" and have file extensions +of "preinst", "postinst", etc., as appropriate. The file +<samp>foo.list</samp> in that directory lists all of the files that were +installed with the package <samp>foo</samp>. (Note that the location of these +files is a dpkg internal; you should not rely on it.) +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-priority"></a>7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?</h2> + +<p> +Each Debian package is assigned a <em>priority</em> by the distribution +maintainers, as an aid to the package management system. The priorities are: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<strong>Required</strong>: packages that are necessary for the proper +functioning of the system. +</p> + +<p> +This includes all tools that are necessary to repair system defects. You must +not remove these packages or your system may become totally broken and you may +probably not even be able to use dpkg to put things back. Systems with only +the Required packages are probably unusable, but they do have enough +functionality to allow the sysadmin to boot and install more software. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<strong>Important</strong> packages should be found on any Unix-like system. +</p> + +<p> +Other packages which the system will not run well or be usable without will be +here. This does <em>NOT</em> include Emacs or X or TeX or any other large +applications. These packages only constitute the bare infrastructure. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<strong>Standard</strong> packages are standard on any Linux system, including +a reasonably small but not too limited character-mode system. Tools are +included to be able to browse the web (using w3m), send e-mail (with mutt) and +download files from FTP servers. +</p> + +<p> +This is what will install by default if users do not select anything else. It +does not include many large applications, but it does include the Python +interpreter and some server software like OpenSSH (for remote administration), +Exim (for mail delivery, although it can be configured for local delivery +only), an identd server (pidentd) and the RPC portmapper +(<samp>portmap</samp>). It also includes some common generic documentation +that most users will find helpful. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<strong>Optional</strong> packages include all those that you might reasonably +want to install if you did not know what it was, or do not have specialized +requirements. +</p> + +<p> +This includes X, a full TeX distribution, and lots of applications. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<strong>Extra</strong>: packages that either conflict with others with higher +priorities, are only likely to be useful if you already know what they are, or +have specialized requirements that make them unsuitable for +"Optional". +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +If you do a default Debian installation all the packages of priority +<strong>Standard</strong> or higher will be installed in your system. If you +select pre-defined tasks you will get lower priority packages too. +</p> + +<p> +Additionally, some packages are marked as <strong>Essential</strong> since they +are absolutely necessary for the proper functioning of the system. The package +management tools will refuse to remove these. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-virtual"></a>7.8 What is a Virtual Package?</h2> + +<p> +A virtual package is a generic name that applies to any one of a group of +packages, all of which provide similar basic functionality. For example, both +the <samp>tin</samp> and <samp>trn</samp> programs are news readers, and should +therefore satisfy any dependency of a program that required a news reader on a +system, in order to work or to be useful. They are therefore both said to +provide the "virtual package" called <samp>news-reader</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +Similarly, <samp>smail</samp> and <samp>sendmail</samp> both provide the +functionality of a mail transport agent. They are therefore said to provide +the virtual package, "mail transport agent". If either one is +installed, then any program depending on the installation of a +<samp>mail-transport-agent</samp> will be satisfied by the existence of this +virtual package. +</p> + +<p> +Debian provides a mechanism so that, if more than one package which provide the +same virtual package is installed on a system, then system administrators can +set one as the preferred package. The relevant command is +<samp>update-alternatives</samp>, and is described further in <a +href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse">Some users like mawk, others like gawk; +some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does +Debian support diversity?, Section 11.10</a>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-depends"></a>7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?</h2> + +<p> +The Debian package system has a range of package "dependencies" which +are designed to indicate (in a single flag) the level at which Program A can +operate independently of the existence of Program B on a given system: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Package A <em>depends</em> on Package B if B absolutely must be installed in +order to run A. In some cases, A depends not only on B, but on a version of B. +In this case, the version dependency is usually a lower limit, in the sense +that A depends on any version of B more recent than some specified version. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Package A <em>recommends</em> Package B, if the package maintainer judges that +most users would not want A without also having the functionality provided by +B. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Package A <em>suggests</em> Package B if B contains files that are related to +(and usually enhance) the functionality of A. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Package A <em>conflicts</em> with Package B when A will not operate if B is +installed on the system. Most often, conflicts are cases where A contains +files which are an improvement over those in B. "Conflicts" are +often combined with "replaces". +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Package A <em>replaces</em> Package B when files installed by B are removed and +(in some cases) over-written by files in A. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Package A <em>provides</em> Package B when all of the files and functionality +of B are incorporated into A. This mechanism provides a way for users with +constrained disk space to get only that part of package A which they really +need. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +More detailed information on the use of each these terms can be found in the +Policy manual. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-pre-depends"></a>7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?</h2> + +<p> +"Pre-Depends" is a special dependency. In the case of most packages, +<samp>dpkg</samp> will unpack its archive file (i.e., its <samp>.deb</samp> +file) independently of whether or not the files on which it depends exist on +the system. Simplistically, unpacking means that <samp>dpkg</samp> will +extract the files from the archive file that were meant to be installed on your +file system, and put them in place. If those packages <em>depend</em> on the +existence of some other packages on your system, <samp>dpkg</samp> will refuse +to complete the installation (by executing its "configure" action) +until the other packages are installed. +</p> + +<p> +However, for some packages, <samp>dpkg</samp> will refuse even to unpack them +until certain dependencies are resolved. Such packages are said to +"Pre-depend" on the presence of some other packages. The Debian +project provided this mechanism to support the safe upgrading of systems from +<samp>a.out</samp> format to <samp>ELF</samp> format, where the <em>order</em> +in which packages were unpacked was critical. There are other large upgrade +situations where this method is useful, e.g. the packages with the required +priority and their LibC dependency. +</p> + +<p> +As before, more detailed information about this can be found in the Policy +manual. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-pkgstatus"></a>7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?</h2> + +<p> +These "want" flags tell what the user wanted to do with a package (as +indicated either by the user's actions in the "Select" section of +<samp>dselect</samp>, or by the user's direct invocations of +<samp>dpkg</samp>). +</p> + +<p> +Their meanings are: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +unknown - the user has never indicated whether he wants the package +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +install - the user wants the package installed or upgraded +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +remove - the user wants the package removed, but does not want to remove any +existing configuration files. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +purge - the user wants the package to be removed completely, including its +configuration files. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +hold - the user wants this package not to be processed, i.e., he wants to keep +the current version with the current status whatever that is. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-puttingonhold"></a>7.12 How do I put a package on hold?</h2> + +<p> +There are three ways of holding back packages, with dpkg, aptitude or with +dselect. +</p> + +<p> +With dpkg, you have to export the list of package selections, with: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --get-selections \* > selections.txt +</pre> + +<p> +Then edit the resulting file <code>selections.txt</code>, change the line +containing the package you wish to hold, e.g. <code>libc6</code>, from this: +</p> + +<pre> + libc6 install +</pre> + +<p> +to this: +</p> + +<pre> + libc6 hold +</pre> + +<p> +Save the file, and reload it into dpkg database with: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --set-selections < selections.txt +</pre> + +<p> +With aptitude, you can hold a package using +</p> + +<pre> + aptitude hold package_name +</pre> + +<p> +and remove the hold with +</p> + +<pre> + aptitude unhold package_name +</pre> + +<p> +With dselect, you have to enter the [S]elect screen, find the package you wish +to hold in its present state, and press the `=' key (or `H'). The changes will +go live immediately after you exit the [S]elect screen. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-sourcepkgs"></a>7.13 How do I install a source package?</h2> + +<p> +Debian source packages can't actually be "installed", they are just +unpacked in whatever directory you want to build the binary packages they +produce. +</p> + +<p> +Source packages are distributed on most of the same mirrors where you can +obtain the binary packages. If you set up your APT's +<code>sources.list(5)</code> to include the appropriate "deb-src" +lines, you'll be able to easily download any source packages by running +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get source foo +</pre> + +<p> +To help you in actually building the source package, Debian source package +provide the so-called build-dependencies mechanism. This means that the source +package maintainer keeps a list of other packages that are required to build +their package. To see how this is useful, run +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get build-dep foo +</pre> + +<p> +before building the source. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-sourcebuild"></a>7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?</h2> + +<p> +The preferred way to do this is by using various wrapper tools. We'll show how +it's done using the <samp>devscripts</samp> tools. Install this package if you +haven't done so already. +</p> + +<p> +Now, first get the source package: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get source foo +</pre> + +<p> +and change to the source tree: +</p> + +<pre> + cd foo-* +</pre> + +<p> +Then install needed build-dependencies (if any): +</p> + +<pre> + sudo apt-get build-dep foo +</pre> + +<p> +Then create a dedicated version of your own build (so that you won't get +confused later when Debian itself releases a new version) +</p> + +<pre> + dch -l local 'Blah blah blah' +</pre> + +<p> +And finally build your package +</p> + +<pre> + debuild -us -uc +</pre> + +<p> +If everything worked out fine, you should now be able to install your package +by running +</p> + +<pre> + sudo dpkg -i ../*.deb +</pre> + +<p> +If you prefer to do things manually, and don't want to use +<samp>devscripts</samp>, follow this procedure: +</p> + +<p> +You will need all of foo_*.dsc, foo_*.tar.gz and foo_*.diff.gz to compile the +source (note: there is no .diff.gz for some packages that are native to +Debian). +</p> + +<p> +Once you have them (<a href="#s-sourcepkgs">How do I install a source package?, +Section 7.13</a>), if you have the <code>dpkg-dev</code> package installed, the +following command: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg-source -x foo_version-revision.dsc +</pre> + +<p> +will extract the package into a directory called <samp>foo-version</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +If you want just to compile the package, you may cd into +<samp>foo-version</samp> directory and issue the command +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot -b +</pre> + +<p> +to build the package (note that this also requires the <code>fakeroot</code> +package), and then +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg -i ../foo_version-revision_arch.deb +</pre> + +<p> +to install the newly-built package(s). +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-creatingdebs"></a>7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?</h2> + +<p> +For a more detailed description on this, read the New Maintainers' Guide, +available in the <code>maint-guide</code> package, or at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/doc/devel-manuals#maint-guide">http://www.debian.org/doc/devel-manuals#maint-guide</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ 7 ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkg_basics.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkg_basics.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..98c97fe --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkg_basics.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-pkg_basics.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkgtools.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkgtools.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..391e656 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkgtools.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,1199 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - The Debian package management tools</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-pkgtools"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ 8 ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 8 - The Debian package management tools +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-pkgprogs"></a>8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?</h2> + +<p> +There are multiple tools that are used to manage Debian packages, from graphic +or text-based interfaces to the low level tools used to install packages. All +the available tools rely on the lower level tools to properly work and are +presented here in decreasing complexity level. +</p> + +<p> +It is important to understand that the higher level package management tools +such as <code>aptitude</code> or <code>dselect</code> rely on <code>apt</code> +which, itself, relies on <code>dpkg</code> to manage the packages in the +system. +</p> + +<p> +See the <code><a href="http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/">APT +HOWTO</a></code> for more information about the Debian package management +utilities. This document is available in various languages and formats, see +<code><a href="http://www.debian.org/doc/user-manuals#apt-howto">the APT HOWTO +entry on the DDP Users' Manuals overview</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-dpkg"></a>8.1.1 dpkg</h3> + +<p> +This is the main package management program. <code>dpkg</code> can be invoked +with many options. Some common uses are: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Find out all the options: <samp>dpkg --help</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Print out the control file (and other information) for a specified package: +<samp>dpkg --info foo_VVV-RRR.deb</samp> +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Install a package (including unpacking and configuring) onto the file system of +the hard disk: <samp>dpkg --install foo_VVV-RRR.deb</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Unpack (but do not configure) a Debian archive into the file system of the hard +disk: <samp>dpkg --unpack foo_VVV-RRR.deb</samp>. Note that this operation +does <em>not</em> necessarily leave the package in a usable state; some files +may need further customization to run properly. This command removes any +already-installed version of the program and runs the preinst (see <a +href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts">What is a Debian preinst, postinst, +prerm, and postrm script?, Section 7.6</a>) script associated with the package. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Configure a package that already has been unpacked: <samp>dpkg --configure +foo</samp>. Among other things, this action runs the postinst (see <a +href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts">What is a Debian preinst, postinst, +prerm, and postrm script?, Section 7.6</a>) script associated with the package. +It also updates the files listed in the <samp>conffiles</samp> for this +package. Notice that the 'configure' operation takes as its argument a package +name (e.g., foo), <em>not</em> the name of a Debian archive file (e.g., +foo_VVV-RRR.deb). +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Extract a single file named "blurf" (or a group of files named +"blurf*" from a Debian archive: <samp>dpkg --fsys-tarfile +foo_VVV-RRR.deb | tar -xf - blurf*</samp> +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Remove a package (but not its configuration files): <samp>dpkg --remove +foo</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Remove a package (including its configuration files): <samp>dpkg --purge +foo</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +List the installation status of packages containing the string (or regular +expression) "foo*": <samp>dpkg --list 'foo*'</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-apt-get"></a>8.1.2 APT</h3> + +<p> +APT is the <em>Advanced Package Tool</em> and provides the <code>apt-get</code> +program. <code>apt-get</code> provides a simple way to retrieve and install +packages from multiple sources using the command line. Unlike +<code>dpkg</code>, <code>apt-get</code> does not understand .deb files, it +works with the packages proper name and can only install .deb archives from a +source specified in <code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code>. <code>apt-get</code> +will call <code>dpkg</code> directly after downloading the .deb archives[<a +href="footnotes.en.html#f5" name="fr5">5</a>] from the configured sources. +</p> + +<p> +Some common ways to use <code>apt-get</code> are: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To update the list of package known by your system, you can run: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get update +</pre> + +<p> +(you should execute this regularly to update your package lists) +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To upgrade all the packages on your system (without installing extra packages +or removing packages), run: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get upgrade +</pre> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To install the <var>foo</var> package and all its dependencies, run: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get install foo +</pre> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To remove the foo package from your system, run: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get remove foo +</pre> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To remove the foo package and its configuration files from your system, run: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get --purge remove foo +</pre> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To upgrade all the packages on your system, and, if needed for a package +upgrade, installing extra packages or removing packages, run: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get dist-upgrade +</pre> + +<p> +(The command <samp>upgrade</samp> keeps a package at its installed obsolete +version if upgrading would need an extra package to be installed, for a new +dependency to be satisfied. The <samp>dist-upgrade</samp> command is less +conservative.) +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +Note that you must be logged in as root to perform any commands that modify the +system packages. +</p> + +<p> +The apt tool suite also includes the <code>apt-cache</code> tool to query the +package lists. You can use it to find packages providing specific +functionality through simple text or regular expression queries and through +queries of dependencies in the package management system. Some common ways to +use <code>apt-cache</code> are: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To find packages whose description contain <var>word</var>: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-cache search <var>word</var> +</pre> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To print the detailed information of a package: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-cache show <var>package</var> +</pre> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To print the packages a given package depends on: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-cache depends <var>package</var> +</pre> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +To print detailed information of the versions available for a package and the +packages that reverse-depends on it: +</p> + +<pre> + apt-cache showpkg <var>package</var> +</pre> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +For more information, install the <code>apt</code> package and read +<code>apt-get(8)</code>, <code>sources.list(5)</code> and install the +<code>apt-doc</code> package and read +<code>/usr/share/doc/apt-doc/guide.html/index.html</code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-aptitude"></a>8.1.3 aptitude</h3> + +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> is a package manager for Debian GNU/Linux systems that +provides a frontend to the apt package management infrastructure. +<code>aptitude</code> is a text-based interface using the curses library, it +can be used to perform management tasks in a fast and easy way. +</p> + +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> provides the functionality of <code>dselect</code> and +<code>apt-get</code>, as well as many additional features not found in either +program: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> offers access to all versions of a package. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> logs all its actions in <code>/var/log/aptitude</code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> makes it easy to keep track of obsolete software by +listing it under "Obsolete and Locally Created Packages". +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> includes a fairly powerful system for searching +particular packages and limiting the package display. Users familiar with +<code>mutt</code> will pick up quickly, as <code>mutt</code> was the +inspiration for the expression syntax. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> tracks which packages have been installed due to +dependencies and removes them automatically when the packages that needed them +are removed from the system. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> can automatically install <em>Recommended:</em> +packages[<a href="footnotes.en.html#f6" name="fr6">6</a>]. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> can be used to install the predefined tasks available. +For more information see <a href="#s-tasksel">tasksel, Section 8.1.5</a>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> in full screen mode has <code>su</code> functionality +embedded and can be run by a normal user. It will call <code>su</code> (and +ask for the root password, if any) when you really need administrative +privileges +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +You can use <code>aptitude</code> through a visual interface (simply run +<samp>aptitude</samp>) or directly from the command line. The command line +syntax used is very similar to the one used in <code>apt-get</code>. For +example, to install the <var>foo</var> package, you can run <samp>aptitude +install <var>foo</var></samp>. +</p> + +<p> +Note that <code>aptitude</code> is the preferred program for package management +from console both for package installations and package or system upgrades. +</p> + +<p> +For more informations, read the manual page <code>aptitude(8)</code> and +install the <code>aptitude-doc</code> package. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-synaptic"></a>8.1.4 synaptic</h3> + +<p> +<code>synaptic</code> is a graphical package manager. It enables you to +install, upgrade and remove software packages in a user friendly way. Next to +all features offered by aptitude, it also has a feature for editing the list of +used repositories, and supports browsing all available documentation related to +a package. See the <code><a href="http://www.nongnu.org/synaptic/">Synaptic +Website</a></code> for more information. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-tasksel"></a>8.1.5 tasksel</h3> + +<p> +When you want to perform a specific task it might be difficult to find the +appropiate suite of packages that fill your need. The Debian developers have +defined <samp>tasks</samp>, a task is a collection of several individual Debian +packages all related to a specific activity. Tasks can be installed through +the <code>tasksel</code> program or through <code>aptitude</code>. +</p> + +<p> +The Debian installer will typically install automaticaly the task associated +with a standard system and a desktop environment. The specific desktop +environment installed will depend on the CD/DVD media used, most commonly it +will be the GNOME desktop (<samp>gnome-desktop</samp> task). Also, depending +on your selections throughout the installation process, tasks might be +automatically installed in your system. For example, if you selected a +language, the task associated with it will be installed automatically too and +if you are running in a laptop system the installer recognises the +<samp>laptop</samp> task will be installed too. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-dpkg-extra"></a>8.1.6 Other package management tools</h3> + +<hr> + +<h4><a name="s-dselect"></a>8.1.6.1 dselect</h4> + +<p> +This program is a menu-driven interface to the Debian package management +system. For woody and earlier releases, this was the main package management +interface for for first-time installations, but currently users are encouraged +to use <code>aptitude</code> instead. Some users might feel more comfortable +using <code>aptitude</code> and it is also recommended over +<code>dselect</code> for large-scale upgrades. For more information on +<code>aptitude</code> please see <a href="#s-aptitude">aptitude, Section +8.1.3</a>. +</p> + +<p> +<code>dselect</code> can: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +guide the user as he/she chooses among packages to install or remove, ensuring +that no packages are installed that conflict with one another, and that all +packages required to make each package work properly are installed; +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +warn the user about inconsistencies or incompatibilities in their selections; +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +determine the order in which the packages must be installed; +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +automatically perform the installation or removal; and +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +guide the user through whatever configuration process are required for each +package. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +<code>dselect</code> begins by presenting the user with a menu of 7 items, each +of which is a specific action. The user can select one of the actions by using +the arrow keys to move the highlighter bar, then pressing the +<em><enter></em> key to select the highlighted action. +</p> + +<p> +What the user sees next depends on the action he selected. If he selects any +option but <samp>Access</samp> or <samp>Select</samp>, then +<code>dselect</code> will simply proceed to execute the specified action: e.g., +if the user selected the action <samp>Remove</samp>, then dselect would proceed +to remove all of the files selected for removal when the user last chose the +<samp>Select</samp> action. +</p> + +<p> +Both the <samp>Access</samp> menu item and the <samp>Select</samp> menu item +lead to additional menus. In both cases, the menus are presented as split +screens; the top screen gives a scrollable list of choices, while the bottom +screen gives a brief explanation ("info") for each choice. +</p> + +<p> +Extensive on-line help is available, use the '?' key to get to a help screen +at any time. +</p> + +<p> +The order in which the actions are presented in the first <code>dselect</code> +menu represents the order in which a user would normally choose +<code>dselect</code> to install packages. However, a user can pick any of the +main menu choices as often as needed (including not at all, depending on what +one wants to do). +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Begin by choosing an <strong>Access Method</strong>. This is the method by +which the user plans on accessing Debian packages; e.g., some users have Debian +packages available on CD-ROM, while others plan to fetch them using anonymous +FTP. The selected "Access Method" is stored after +<code>dselect</code> exits, so if it does not change, then this option need not +be invoked again. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Then <strong>Update</strong> the list of available packages. To do this, +<code>dselect</code> reads the file "Packages.gz" which should be +included in the top level of the directory where the Debian packages to be +installed are stored. (But if it is not there, <code>dselect</code> will offer +to make it for you.) +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<strong>Select</strong> specific packages for installation on his system. +After choosing this menu item, the user is first presented with a full screen +of help (unless the `--expert' command line option was used). Once the user +exits the Help screen, he sees the split-screen menu for choosing packages to +install (or remove). +</p> + +<p> +The top part of the screen is a relatively narrow window into the list of +Debian's 18200 packages; the bottom part of the screen contains description of +the package or group of packages which are highlighted above. +</p> + +<p> +One can specify which packages should be operated on by highlighting a package +name or the label for a group of packages. After that, you can select +packages: +</p> +<dl> +<dt>to be installed:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +This is accomplished by pressing the `+' key. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>to be deleted:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +Packages can be deleted two ways: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +removed: this removes most of the files associated with the package, but +preserves the files listed as configuration files (see <a +href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile">What is a Debian conffile?, Section +7.5</a>) and package configuration information. This is done by pressing the +`-' key. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +purged: this removes <em>every</em> file that is part of the package. This is +done by pressing the `_' key. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +Note that it's not possible to remove "All Packages". If you try +that, your system will instead be reduced to the initial installed base +packages. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt>to be put "on hold"</dt> +<dd> +<p> +This is done by pressing `=', and it effectively tells <code>dselect</code> not +to upgrade a package even if the version currently installed on your system is +not as recent as the version that is available in the Debian repository you are +using (this was specified when you set the <strong>Access Method</strong>, and +acquired when you used <strong>Update</strong>). +</p> + +<p> +Just like you can put a package on hold, you can reverse such setting by +pressing `:'. That tells <code>dselect</code> that the package(s) may be +upgraded if a newer version is available. This is the default setting. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> + +<p> +You can select a different order in which the packages are presented, by using +the `o' key to cycle between various options for sorting the packages. The +default order is to present packages by Priority; within each priority, +packages are presented in order of the directory (a.k.a. section) of the +archive in which they are stored. Given this sort order, some packages in +section A (say) may be presented first, followed by some packages in section B, +followed by more packages (of lower priority) in section A. +</p> + +<p> +You can also expand meanings of the labels at the top of the screen, by using +the `v' (verbose) key. This action pushes much of the text that formerly fit +onto the display off to the right. To see it, press the right arrow; to scroll +back to the left, press the left arrow. +</p> + +<p> +If you select a package for installation or removal, e.g., +<code>foo.deb</code>, and that package depends on (or recommends) another +package, e.g., <code>blurf.deb</code>, then <code>dselect</code> will place the +you in a sub-screen of the main selection screen. There you can choose among +the related packages, accepting the suggested actions (to install or not), or +rejecting them. To do the latter, press Shift-D; to return to the former, +press Shift-U. In any case, you can save your selections and return to the +main selection screen by pressing Shift-Q. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Users returning to the main menu can then select the "Install" menu +item to unpack and configure the selected packages. Alternatively, users +wishing to remove files can choose the "Remove" menu item. At any +point, users can choose "Quit" to exit dselect; users' selections are +preserved by <code>dselect</code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h4><a name="s-dpkg-deb"></a>8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb</h4> + +<p> +This program manipulates Debian archive(<samp>.deb</samp>) files. Some common +uses are: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Find out all the options: <samp>dpkg-deb --help</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Determine what files are contained in a Debian archive file: <samp>dpkg-deb +--contents foo_VVV-RRR.deb</samp>) +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Extract the files contained in a named Debian archive into a user specified +directory: <samp>dpkg-deb --extract foo_VVV-RRR.deb tmp</samp> extracts each of +the files in <samp>foo_VVV-RRR.deb</samp> into the directory <samp>tmp/</samp>. +This is convenient for examining the contents of a package in a localized +directory, without installing the package into the root file system. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Extract the control information files from a package: <samp>dpkg-deb --control +foo_VVV-RRR.deb tmp</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +Note that any packages that were merely unpacked using <samp>dpkg-deb +--extract</samp> will be incorrectly installed, you should use <samp>dpkg +--install</samp> instead. +</p> + +<p> +More information is given in the manual page <code>dpkg-deb(1)</code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h4><a name="s-dpkg-split"></a>8.1.6.3 dpkg-split</h4> + +<p> +This program splits large package into smaller files (e.g., for writing onto a +set of floppy disks), and can also be used to merge a set of split files back +into a single file. It can only be used on a Debian system (i.e. a system +containing the <code>dpkg</code> package), since it calls the program +<samp>dpkg-deb</samp> to parse the debian package file into its component +records. +</p> + +<p> +For example, to split a big .deb file into N parts, +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Execute the command <samp>dpkg-split --split foo.deb</samp>. This will produce +N files each of approximately 460 KBytes long in the current directory. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Copy those N files to floppy disks. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Copy the contents of the floppy disks onto the hard disk of your choice on the +other machine. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Join those part-files together using <samp>dpkg-split --join +"foo*"</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-updaterunning"></a>8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?</h2> + +<p> +The kernel (file system) in Debian GNU/Linux systems supports replacing files +even while they're being used. +</p> + +<p> +We also provide a program called <code>start-stop-daemon</code> which is used +to start daemons at boot time or to stop daemons when the runlevel is changed +(e.g., from multi-user to single-user or to halt). The same program is used by +installation scripts when a new package containing a daemon is installed, to +stop running daemons, and restart them as necessary. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-whatpackages"></a>8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?</h2> + +<p> +To learn the status of all the packages installed on a Debian system, execute +the command +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --list +</pre> + +<p> +This prints out a one-line summary for each package, giving a 2-letter status +symbol (explained in the header), the package name, the version which is +<em>installed</em>, and a brief description. +</p> + +<p> +To learn the status of packages whose names match the string any pattern +beginning with "foo" by executing the command: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --list 'foo*' +</pre> + +<p> +To get a more verbose report for a particular package, execute the command: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --status packagename +</pre> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-listfiles"></a>8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?</h2> + +<p> +To list all the files provided by the installed package <samp>foo</samp> +execute the command +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --listfiles foo +</pre> + +<p> +Note that the files created by the installation scripts aren't displayed. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-filesearch"></a>8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?</h2> + +<p> +To identify the package that produced the file named <samp>foo</samp> execute +either: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<samp>dpkg --search filename</samp> +</p> + +<p> +This searches for <samp>filename</samp> in installed packages. (This is +(currently) equivalent to searching all of the files having the file extension +of <samp>.list</samp> in the directory <samp>/var/lib/dpkg/info/</samp>, and +adjusting the output to print the names of all the packages containing it, and +diversions.) +</p> + +<p> +A faster alternative to this is the <code>dlocate</code> tool. +</p> + +<pre> + dlocate -S filename +</pre> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<samp>zgrep foo Contents-ARCH.gz</samp> +</p> + +<p> +This searches for files which contain the substring <samp>foo</samp> in their +full path names. The files <samp>Contents-ARCH.gz</samp> (where ARCH +represents the wanted architecture) reside in the major package directories +(main, non-free, contrib) at a Debian FTP site (i.e. under +<samp>/debian/dists/etch</samp>). A <samp>Contents</samp> file refers only to +the packages in the subdirectory tree where it resides. Therefore, a user +might have to search more than one <samp>Contents</samp> files to find the +package containing the file <samp>foo</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +This method has the advantage over <samp>dpkg --search</samp> in that it will +find files in packages that are not currently installed on your system. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<samp>apt-file search <var>foo</var></samp> +</p> + +<p> +If you install the <code>apt-file</code>, similar to the above, it searches +files which contain the substring or regular expression <samp>foo</samp> in +their full path names. The advantage over the sample above is that there is no +need to retrieve the <samp>Contents-ARCH.gz</samp> files as it will do this +automatically for all the sources defined in <code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> +when you run (as root) <samp>apt-file update</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-datapackages"></a>8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?</h2> + +<p> +Some packages are split in program (`foo') and data (`foo-data') (or in `foo' +and `foo-doc'). This is true for many games, multimedia applications and +dictionaries in Debian and has been introduced since some users might want to +access the raw data without installing the program or because the program can +be run without the data itself, making it optional. +</p> + +<p> +Similar situations occur when dealing with libraries: generally these get +installed since packages containing applications depend on them. When the +application-package is purged, the library-package might stay on the system. +Or: when the application-package no longer depends upon e.g. libdb4.2, but +upon libdb4.3, the libdb4.2 package might stay when the application-package is +upgraded. +</p> + +<p> +In these cases, `foo-data' doesn't depend on `foo', so when you remove the +`foo' package it will not get automatically removed by most package management +tools. The same holds true for the library packages. This is necessary to +avoid circular dependencies. If you use <code>aptitude</code> (see <a +href="#s-aptitude">aptitude, Section 8.1.3</a>) as your package management tool +it will, however, track automatically installed packages and remove them when +no packages remain that need them in your system. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ 8 ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkgtools.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkgtools.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..6c9eeed --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-pkgtools.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-pkgtools.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-redistrib.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-redistrib.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..77bbf56 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-redistrib.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,340 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-redistrib"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ 14 ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 14 - Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-sellcds"></a>14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?</h2> + +<p> +Go ahead. You do not need permission to distribute anything we have +<em>released</em>, so that you can master your CD as soon as the beta-test +ends. You do not have to pay us anything. Of course, all CD manufacturers +must honor the licenses of the programs in Debian. For example, many of the +programs are licensed under the GPL, which requires you to distribute their +source code. +</p> + +<p> +Also, we will publish a list of CD manufacturers who donate money, software, +and time to the Debian project, and we will encourage users to buy from +manufacturers who donate, so it is good advertising to make donations. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-packagednonfree"></a>14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?</h2> + +<p> +Yes. While all the main components of Debian are free software, we provide a +non-free directory for programs that are not freely redistributable. +</p> + +<p> +CD manufacturers <em>may</em> be able to distribute the programs we have placed +in that directory, depending on the license terms or their private arrangements +with the authors of those software packages. CD manufacturers can also +distribute the non-free software they get from other sources on the same CD. +This is nothing new: free and commercial software are distributed on the same +CD by many manufacturers now. Of course we still encourage software authors to +release the programs they write as free software. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-childistro"></a>14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?</h2> + +<p> +Yes. Debian-derived distributions are being created both in close cooperation +with the Debian project itself and by external parties. One can use the +<code><a href="http://cdd.alioth.debian.org/">Custom Debian +Distributions</a></code> framework to work together with Debian; <code><a +href="http://www.skolelinux.org/">Skolelinux</a></code> is one such project. +</p> + +<p> +There are several other Debian-derived distributions already on the market, +such as Progeny Debian, Linspire, Knoppix and Ubuntu, that are targeted at a +different kind of audience than the original Debian GNU/Linux is, but use most +of our components in their product. +</p> + +<p> +Debian also provides a mechanism to allow developers and system administrators +to install local versions of selected files in such a way that they will not be +overwritten when other packages are upgraded. This is discussed further in the +question on <a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert">How do I override a file +installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?, +Section 11.8</a>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-commercialdebs"></a>14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?</h2> + +<p> +Go right ahead. The package tool is free software; the packages may or may not +be free software, it can install them all. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ 14 ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-redistrib.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-redistrib.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..f182623 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-redistrib.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-redistrib.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-software.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-software.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2c2d745 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-software.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,639 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Software available in the Debian system</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-software"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ 5 ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 5 - Software available in the Debian system +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-apps"></a>5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?</h2> + +<p> +Like most Linux distributions, Debian GNU/Linux provides: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +the major GNU applications for software development, file manipulation, and +text processing, including gcc, g++, make, texinfo, Emacs, the Bash shell and +numerous upgraded Unix utilities, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Perl, Python, Tcl/Tk and various related programs, modules and libraries for +each of them, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +TeX (LaTeX) and Lyx, dvips, Ghostscript, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +the Xorg windowing system, which provides a networked graphical user interface +for Linux, and countless X applications including the GNOME, KDE and Xfce +desktop environments. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +a full suite of networking applications, including servers for Internet +protocols such as HTTP (WWW), FTP, NNTP (news), SMTP and POP (mail) and DNS +(name servers); relational databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL; also provided are +web browsers including the various Mozilla products [<a +href="footnotes.en.html#f1" name="fr1">1</a>], +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +a complete set of office applications, including the OpenOffice.org +productivity suite, Gnumeric and other spreadsheets, WYSIWYG editors, +calendars. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +More than 18040 packages, ranging from news servers and readers to sound +support, FAX programs, database and spreadsheet programs, image processing +programs, communications, net, and mail utilities, Web servers, and even +ham-radio programs are included in the distribution. Another 560 software +suites are available as Debian packages, but are not formally part of Debian +due to license restrictions. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-softwareauthors"></a>5.2 Who wrote all that software?</h2> + +<p> +For each package the <em>authors</em> of the program(s) are credited in the +file <samp>/usr/share/doc/PACKAGE/copyright</samp>, where PACKAGE is to be +substituted with the package's name. +</p> + +<p> +<em>Maintainers</em> who package this software for the Debian GNU/Linux system +are listed in the Debian control file (see <a +href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile">What is a Debian control file?, +Section 7.4</a>) that comes with each package. The Debian changelog, in +<samp>/usr/share/doc/PACKAGE/changelog.Debian.gz</samp>, mentions the people +who've worked on the Debian packaging too. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-pkglist"></a>5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?</h2> + +<p> +A complete list is available from any of the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/distrib/ftplist">Debian mirrors</a></code>, in the +file <samp>indices/Maintainers</samp>. That file includes the package names +and the names and e-mails of their respective maintainers. +</p> + +<p> +The <code><a href="http://packages.debian.org/">WWW interface to the Debian +packages</a></code> conveniently summarizes the packages in each of about +thirty "sections" of the Debian archive. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-buildenv"></a>5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?</h2> + +<p> +If you want to build packages in your Debian system you will need to have a +basic development environment, including a C/C++ compiler and some other +essential packages. In order to install this environment you just need to +install the <code>build-essential</code>. This package is a meta-package or +place-holder package which depends on the standard development tools one needs +to build a Debian package. +</p> + +<p> +Some software can, however, need additional software to be rebuilt, including +library headers or additional tools such as <code>autoconf</code> or +<code>gettext</code>. Debian provides many of the tools needed to build other +software as Debian packages. +</p> + +<p> +Finding which software is precisely required can be tricky, however, unless you +are planning on rebuilding Debian packages. This last task is rather easy to +do, as official packages have to include a list of the additional software +(besides the packages in <code>build-essential</code>) needed to build the +pacakge, this is known as <samp>Build-Dependencies</samp>. To install all the +packages needed to build a given source package and then build said source +package you can just run: +</p> + +<pre> + # apt-get build-dep <var>foo</var> + # apt-get source --build <var>foo</var> +</pre> + +<p> +Notice that if you want to build the Linux kernels distributed by Debian you +will want to install also the <code>kernel-package</code> package. For more +information see <a href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel">What tools does +Debian provide to build custom kernels?, Section 10.2</a>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-missing"></a>5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?</h2> + +<p> +A list of packages which are still needed to be packaged for Debian exists, the +<code><a href="http://www.debian.org/devel/wnpp/">Work-Needing and Prospective +Packages list</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +For more details about adding the missing things, see <a +href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib">How can I become a Debian software +developer?, Section 13.1</a>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-no-devs"></a>5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?</h2> + +<p> +Debian Policy requires that such symbolic links (to libfoo.so.x.y.z or similar) +are placed in separate, development packages. Those packages are usually named +libfoo-dev or libfooX-dev (presuming the library package is named libfooX, and +X is a whole number). +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-java"></a>5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?</h2> + +<p> +Several <em>free</em> implementations of Java technology are available as +Debian packages, providing both Java Development Kits as well as Runtime +Environments. You can write, debug and run Java programs using Debian. +</p> + +<p> +Running a Java applet requires a web browser with the capability to recognize +and execute them. Several web browsers available in Debian, such as Mozilla or +Konqueror, support Java plug-ins that enable running Java applets within them. +</p> + +<p> +Please refer to the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-java-faq/">Debian Java +FAQ</a></code> for more information. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-isitdebian"></a>5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?</h2> + +<p> +In order to make sure that your system has been installed from the real Debian +base disks check for the existence of <samp>/etc/debian_version</samp> file, +which contains a single one-line entry giving the version number of the +release, as defined by the package <samp>base-files</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +The existence of the program <samp>dpkg</samp> shows that you should be able to +install Debian packages on your system, but as the program has been ported to +many other operating systems and architectures, this is no longer a reliable +method of determining is a system Debian GNU/Linux. +</p> + +<p> +Users should be aware, however, that the Debian system consists of many parts, +each of which can be updated (almost) independently. Each Debian +"release" contains well defined and unchanging contents. Updates are +separately available. For a one-line description of the installation status of +package <samp>foo</samp>, use the command <samp>dpkg --list foo</samp>. To +view versions of all installed packages, run: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg -l +</pre> + +<p> +For a more verbose description, use: +</p> + +<pre> + dpkg --status foo +</pre> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-nonenglish"></a>5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?</h2> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Debian GNU/Linux is distributed with keymaps for nearly two dozen keyboards, +and with utilities (in the <samp>kbd</samp> package) to install, view, and +modify the tables. +</p> + +<p> +The installation prompts the user to specify the keyboard he will use. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Vast majority of the software we packaged supports entering non-US-ASCII +characters used in other Latin languages (e.g. ISO-8859-1 or ISO-8859-2), and +a number of programs support multi-byte languages such as Japanese or Chinese. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Currently, support for German-, Spanish-, Finnish-, French-, Hungarian-, +Italian-, Japanese-, Korean-, Dutch-, Polish-, Portuguese-, Russian-, Turkish-, +and Chinese-language manual pages is provided through the +<samp>manpages-LANG</samp> packages (where LANG is the two-letter ISO country +code). To access an NLS manual page, the user must set the shell LC_MESSAGES +variable to the appropriate string. +</p> + +<p> +For example, in the case of the Italian-language manual pages, LC_MESSAGES +needs to be set to 'italian'. The <code>man</code> program will then search +for Italian manual pages under <samp>/usr/share/man/it/</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-pine"></a>5.10 Where is pine?</h2> + +<p> +Due to its restrictive license, it's in the non-free area. Moreover, since +license does not even allow modified binaries to be distributed, you have to +compile it yourself from the source and the Debian patches. +</p> + +<p> +The source package name is <code>pine</code>. You can use the +<code>pine-tracker</code> package to be notified about when you need to +upgrade. +</p> + +<p> +Note that there are many replacements for both pine and pico, such as +<code>mutt</code> and <code>nano</code>, that are located in the main section. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-qmail"></a>5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?</h2> + +<p> +Dan J. Bernstein used to distribute <code><a +href="http://cr.yp.to/software.html">all software he has written</a></code> +with a restrictive license which does not allow modified binaries to be +distributed. In november 2007 however, Bernstein said "[...] i have +decided to put all of my future and [...] past software into the public +domain". See <code><a href="http://cr.yp.to/distributors.html">FAQ from +distributors</a></code> for his distribution terms. +</p> + +<p> +As of 2008-04, <code>daemontools</code>, <code>djbdns</code> and +<code>ucspi-tcp</code> are shipped with Debian lenny (in main). As of this +writing (2008-04), <code>qmail</code> is not yet packaged for Debian main; see +<code><a href="http://bugs.debian.org/457318">Bug #457318 (ITP +qmail)</a></code> for the current status. +</p> + +<p> +As of 2008-04, <samp>publicfile</samp> and <samp>ezmlm</samp> were still not +free software. For <samp>ezmlm</samp>, there's the <code>ezmlm-src</code> +package in the non-free area. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-flash"></a>5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?</h2> + +<p> +Debian ships both <code>gnash</code> and <code>swfdec</code>: two free SWF +movie players. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-googleearth"></a>5.13 Where is Google Earth?</h2> + +<p> +Google Earth is available for GNU/Linux from Google's web site, but is not only +not Free Software, but is completely undistributable by a third party. +However, <code>googleearth-package</code> (in the contrib-section) might be +helpful in using this software. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-voip"></a>5.14 Where is VoIP software?</h2> + +<p> +Two main open protocols are used for Voice Over IP: SIP and H.323. Both are +implemented by a wide variety of software in Debian main. <code>ekiga</code> +is one of the popular clients. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-nonfreewireless"></a>5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?</h2> + +<p> +Buy one which does :) +</p> + +<p> +Alternatively, use <code>ndiswrapper</code> to use a driver for Windows (if you +have one) on your Linux system. See the <code><a +href="http://wiki.debian.org/NdisWrapper">Debian Wiki ndiswapper +page</a></code> for more information. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ 5 ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-software.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-software.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..f75c0ab --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-software.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-software.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-support.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-support.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5036cb5 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-support.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,679 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-support"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ 12 ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 12 - Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-debiandocs"></a>12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?</h2> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Installation instructions for the current release: see <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual">http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/installmanual</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux reference covers many aspects of system administration +through shell-command examples. Basic tutorials, tips, and other information +are provided for many different topics ranging from system administration to +programming. +</p> + +<p> +Get it from the <code>debian-reference</code> package, or at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/doc/user-manuals#quick-reference">http://www.debian.org/doc/user-manuals#quick-reference</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +The Debian Policy manual documents the policy requirements for the +distribution, i.e. the structure and contents of the Debian archive, several +design issues of the operating system etc. It also includes the technical +requirements that each package must satisfy to be included in the distribution, +and documents the basic technical aspects of Debian binary and source packages. +</p> + +<p> +Get it from the <code>debian-policy</code> package, or at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/doc/devel-manuals#policy">http://www.debian.org/doc/devel-manuals#policy</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Documentation developed by the Debian Documentation Project. It is available +at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/doc/">http://www.debian.org/doc/</a></code> and +includes user guides, administration guides and security guides for the Debian +GNU/Linux operating system. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Documentation on installed Debian packages: Most packages have files that are +unpacked into <samp>/usr/share/doc/PACKAGE</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Documentation on the Linux project: The Debian package <code>doc-linux</code> +installs all of the most recent versions of the HOWTOs and mini-HOWTOs from the +<code><a href="http://www.tldp.org/">Linux Documentation Project</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Unix-style `man' pages: Most commands have manual pages written in the style of +the original Unix 'man' files. For instance, to see the manual page for the +command `ls', execute <samp>man ls</samp>. Execute <samp>man man</samp> for +more information on finding and viewing manual pages. +</p> + +<p> +New Debian users should note that the 'man' pages of many general system +commands are not available until they install these packages: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<samp>man-db</samp>, which contains the <samp>man</samp> program itself, and +other programs for manipulating the manual pages. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<samp>manpages</samp>, which contains the system manual pages. (see <a +href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish">How does Debian support non-English +languages?, Section 5.9</a>). +</p> +</li> +</ul> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +GNU-style `info' pages: User documentation for many commands, particularly GNU +tools, is available not in `man' pages, but in `info' files which can be read +by the GNU tool <samp>info</samp>, by running <samp>M-x info</samp> within GNU +Emacs, or with some other Info page viewer. +</p> + +<p> +Its main advantage over the original `man' pages are that it is a hypertext +system. It does <em>not</em> require the WWW, however; <samp>info</samp> can +be run from a plain text console. It was designed by Richard Stallman and +preceded the WWW. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +Note that you may access a lot of documentation on your system by using a WWW +browser, through `dwww', `dhelp' or `doccentral' commands, found in respective +packages, or by using `yelp'. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-onlineresources"></a>12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?</h2> + +<p> +Yes. In fact, the main method of support Debian provides to our users is by +the way of e-mail. We'll give some details on that, and mention some other +useful resources. Even more resources are listed at the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/support">Debian Support webpage</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s12.2.1"></a>12.2.1 Mailing lists</h3> + +<p> +There are a lot of <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/">Debian-related mailing +lists</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +On a system with the <code>doc-debian</code> package installed there is a +complete list of mailing lists in +<code>/usr/share/doc/debian/mailing-lists.txt</code>. +</p> + +<p> +Debian mailing lists are named following the pattern +debian-<var>list-subject</var>. Examples are debian-announce, debian-user, +debian-news. To subscribe to any list debian-<var>list-subject</var>, send +mail to debian-<var>list-subject</var>-request@lists.debian.org with the word +"subscribe" in the Subject: header. Be sure to remember to add +<em>-request</em> to the e-mail address when using this method to subscribe or +unsubscribe. Otherwise your e-mail will go to the list itself, which could be +embarrassing or annoying, depending on your point of view. +</p> + +<p> +You can subscribe to mailing lists using the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/subscribe">WWW form</a></code>. You +can also un-subscribe using a <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/unsubscribe">WWW form</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +The list manager's e-mail address is <code><a +href="mailto:listmaster@lists.debian.org">listmaster@lists.debian.org</a></code>, +in case you have any trouble. +</p> + +<p> +The mailing lists are public forums. All e-mails sent to the lists are also +copied to the public archive, for anybody (even non-subscribers) to browse or +search. Please make sure you never send any confidential or unlicensed +material to the lists. This includes things like e-mail addresses. Of +particular note is the fact that spammers have been known to abuse e-mail +addresses posted to our mailing lists. See the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/index.en.html#disclaimer">Mailing +Lists Privacy policy</a></code> for more information. +</p> + +<p> +Archives of the Debian mailing lists are available via WWW at <code><a +href="http://lists.debian.org/">http://lists.debian.org/</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h4><a name="s-mailinglistconduct"></a>12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?</h4> + +<p> +When using the Debian mailing lists, please follow these rules: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Do not send spam. See the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/MailingLists/#ads">Debian mailing list advertising +policy</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Do not flame; it is not polite. The people developing Debian are all +volunteers, donating their time, energy and money in an attempt to bring the +Debian project together. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Do not use foul language; besides, some people receive the lists via packet +radio, where swearing is illegal. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Make sure that you are using the proper list. <em>Never</em> post your +(un)subscription requests to the mailing list itself[<a +href="footnotes.en.html#f7" name="fr7">7</a>] +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +See section <a href="#s-bugreport">How do I report a bug in Debian?, Section +12.5</a> for notes on reporting bugs. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s12.2.2"></a>12.2.2 Web forums</h3> + +<p> +<code><a href="http://debianhelp.org/">debianHELP</a></code> and <code><a +href="http://forums.debian.net/">Debian User Forums</a></code> are web forums +on which you can submit questions about Debian and have them answered by other +users. (These are not officially part of the Debian project.) +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s12.2.3"></a>12.2.3 Wiki</h3> + +<p> +Solutions to common problems, howto's, guides, tips and other documentation can +be found at the constantly changing <code><a +href="http://wiki.debian.org/">Debian Wiki</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s12.2.4"></a>12.2.4 Maintainers</h3> + +<p> +Users can address questions to individual package maintainers using e-mail. To +reach a maintainer of a package called xyz, send e-mail to +<em>xyz@packages.debian.org</em>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s12.2.5"></a>12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups</h3> + +<p> +Users should post non-Debian-specific questions to one of the Linux USENET +groups, which are named comp.os.linux.* or linux.*. There are several lists of +Linux Usenet newsgroups and other related resources on the WWW, e.g. on the +<code><a href="http://www.linux.org/docs/usenet.html">Linux Online</a></code> +and <code><a +href="http://www.linuxjournal.com/helpdesk.php">LinuxJournal</a></code> sites. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-searchtools"></a>12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?</h2> + +<p> +There is a variety of search engines that serve documentation related to +Debian: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code><a href="http://search.debian.org/">Debian WWW search site</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<code><a href="http://groups.google.com/">Google Groups</a></code>: a search +engine for newsgroups. +</p> + +<p> +For example, to find out what experiences people have had with finding drivers +for Promise controllers under Debian, try searching on the phrase <samp>Promise +Linux driver</samp>. This will show you all the postings that contain these +strings, i.e. those where people discussed these topics. If you add +<samp>Debian</samp> to those search strings, you'll also get the postings +specifically related to Debian. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +Any of the common web spidering engines, such as <code><a +href="http://www.altavista.com/">AltaVista</a></code> or <code><a +href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a></code>, as long as you use the right +search terms. +</p> + +<p> +For example, searching on the string "cgi-perl" gives a more detailed +explanation of this package than the brief description field in its control +file. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-buglogs"></a>12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?</h2> + +<p> +Reports on unsolved (and closed) issues are publicly available: Debian +promissed to do so by stating "We will not hide problems" in the +<code><a href="http://www.debian.org/social_contract">Debian Social +Contract</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux distribution has a bug tracking system (BTS) which files +details of bugs reported by users and developers. Each bug is given a number, +and is kept on file. Once it has been dealt with, it is marked as such. +</p> + +<p> +Copies of this information are available at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/Bugs/">http://www.debian.org/Bugs/</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +A mail server provides access to the bug tracking system database via e-mail. +In order to get the instructions, send an e-mail to request@bugs.debian.org +with "help" in the body. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-bugreport"></a>12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?</h2> + +<p> +If you have found a bug in Debian, please read the instructions for reporting a +bug in Debian. These instructions can be obtained in one of several ways: +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +From the WWW. A copy of the instructions is shown at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/Bugs/Reporting">http://www.debian.org/Bugs/Reporting</a></code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +On any Debian system with the <code>doc-debian</code> package installed. The +instructions are in the file +<code>/usr/share/doc/debian/bug-reporting.txt</code>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +By anonymous FTP. Debian mirror sites contain the instructions in the file +<samp>doc/bug-reporting.txt</samp>. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<p> +You can use the package <code>reportbug</code> that will guide you through the +reporting process and mail the message to the proper address, with some extra +details about your system added automatically. It will also show you a list of +bugs already reported to the package you are reporting against in case your bug +has been reported previously, so that you can add additional information to the +existing bug report. +</p> + +<p> +Expect to get an automatic acknowledgement of your bug report. It will also be +automatically given a bug tracking number, entered into the bug log and +forwarded to the debian-bugs-dist mailing list. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ 12 ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-support.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-support.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..978d556 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-support.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-support.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-uptodate.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-uptodate.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..33cc9f0 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-uptodate.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,636 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Keeping your Debian system up-to-date</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-uptodate"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ 9 ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 9 - Keeping your Debian system up-to-date +</h1> + +<hr> + +<p> +A Debian goal is to provide a consistent upgrade path and a secure upgrade +process. We always do our best to make upgrading to new releases a smooth +procedure. In case there's some important note to add to the upgrade process, +the packages will alert the user, and often provide a solution to a possible +problem. +</p> + +<p> +You should also read the Release Notes document that describes the details of +specific upgrades. It is shipped on all Debian CDs and available on the WWW at +<code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/releasenotes">http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/releasenotes</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-howtocurrent"></a>9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?</h2> + +<p> +One could simply execute an anonymous ftp call to a Debian archive, then peruse +the directories until one finds the desired file, and then fetch it, and +finally install it using <samp>dpkg</samp>. Note that <samp>dpkg</samp> will +install upgrade files in place, even on a running system. Sometimes, a revised +package will require the installation of a newly revised version of another +package, in which case the installation will fail until/unless the other +package is installed. +</p> + +<p> +Many people find this approach much too time-consuming, since Debian evolves so +quickly -- typically, a dozen or more new packages are uploaded every week. +This number is larger just before a new major release. To deal with this +avalanche, many people prefer to use a more automated method. Several +different packages are available for this purpose: +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-aptitude-upgrade"></a>9.1.1 aptitude</h3> + +<p> +APT is an advanced interface to the Debian packaging system. It features +complete installation ordering, multiple source capability and several other +unique features, see the User's Guide in +<samp>/usr/share/doc/apt-doc/guide.html/index.html</samp> (you will have to +install the <samp>apt-doc</samp> package). +</p> + +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> is the recommended package manager for Debian GNU/Linux +systems. It is a text-based interface to APT using the curses library, and can +be used to perform management tasks in a fast and easy way. +</p> + +<p> +Before you can use <code>aptitude</code>, you'll have to edit the +<samp>/etc/apt/sources.list</samp> file to set it up. If you wish to upgrade +to the latest stable version of Debian, you'll probably want to use a source +like this one: +</p> + +<pre> + http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free +</pre> + +<p> +You can replace ftp.us.debian.org with the name of a faster Debian mirror near +you. See the mirror list at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/mirror/list">http://www.debian.org/mirror/list</a></code> +for more information. +</p> + +<p> +More details on this can be found in the <code>sources.list(8)</code> manual +page. +</p> + +<p> +To update your system, run +</p> + +<pre> + aptitude update +</pre> + +<p> +followed by +</p> + +<pre> + aptitude dist-upgrade +</pre> + +<p> +Answer any questions that might come up, and your system will be upgraded. See +also <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude">aptitude, Section 8.1.3</a>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-apt"></a>9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom</h3> + +<p> +<code>apt-get</code> is an APT-based command-line tool for handling packages, +and the APT dselect method is an interface to APT through <code>dselect</code>. +Both of these provide a simple, safe way to install and upgrade packages. +</p> + +<p> +To use <code>apt-get</code>, install the <code>apt</code> package, and edit the +<samp>/etc/apt/sources.list</samp> file to set it up, just as for <a +href="#s-aptitude-upgrade">aptitude, Section 9.1.1</a>. +</p> + +<p> +Then run +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get update +</pre> + +<p> +followed by +</p> + +<pre> + apt-get dist-upgrade +</pre> + +<p> +Answer any questions that might come up, and your system will be upgraded. See +also the <code>apt-get(8)</code> manual page, as well as <a +href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get">APT, Section 8.1.2</a>. +</p> + +<p> +To use APT with <code>dselect</code>, choose the APT access method in dselect's +method selection screen (option 0) and then specify the sources that should be +used. The configuration file is <code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code>. See also +<a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect">dselect, Section 8.1.6.1</a>. +</p> + +<p> +If you want to use CDs to install packages, you can use <code>apt-cdrom</code>. +For details, please see the Release Notes, section "Setting up for an +upgrade from a local mirror". +</p> + +<p> +Please note that when you get and install the packages, you'll still have them +kept in your /var directory hierarchy. To keep your partition from +overflowing, remember to delete extra files using <samp>apt-get clean</samp> +and <samp>apt-get autoclean</samp>, or to move them someplace else (hint: use +<code>apt-move</code>). +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-update_aptitude"></a>9.1.3 aptitude</h3> + +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> is a text-based interface to the Debian package system. +It allows the user to view the list of packages and to perform package +management tasks such as installing, upgrading, and removing packages (see <a +href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude">aptitude, Section 8.1.3</a>). Actions +may be performed from a visual interface or from the command-line. +</p> + +<p> +In command line, the actions are similar to that of APT, so to upgrade your +system run +</p> + +<pre> + aptitude update +</pre> + +<p> +followed by +</p> + +<pre> + aptitude dist-upgrade +</pre> + +<p> +To upgrade from a preview release, <code>aptitude</code> is the tool +recommended. Read the Release Notes at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/releasenotes">http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/releasenotes</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +For details, see the manual page <code>aptitude(8)</code>, and the file +<code>/usr/share/aptitude/README</code> +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-mirror"></a>9.1.4 mirror</h3> + +<p> +This Perl script, and its (optional) manager program called +<code>mirror-master</code>, can be used to fetch user-specified parts of a +directory tree from a specified host <em>via</em> anonymous FTP. +</p> + +<p> +<code>mirror</code> is particularly useful for downloading large volumes of +software. After the first time files have been downloaded from a site, a file +called <samp>.mirrorinfo</samp> is stored on the local host. Changes to the +remote file system are tracked automatically by <code>mirror</code>, which +compares this file to a similar file on the remote system and downloads only +changed files. +</p> + +<p> +The <code>mirror</code> program is generally useful for updating local copies +of remote directory trees. The files fetched need not be Debian files. (Since +<code>mirror</code> is a Perl script, it can also run on non-Unix systems.) +Though the <code>mirror</code> program provides mechanisms for excluding files +names of which match user-specified strings, this program is most useful when +the objective is to download whole directory trees, rather than selected +packages. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-dpkg-mountable"></a>9.1.5 dpkg-mountable</h3> + +<p> +dpkg-mountable adds an access method called `mountable' to dselect's list, +which allows you to install from any file system specified in /etc/fstab. For +example, the archive could be a normal hard disk partition or an NFS server, +which it will automatically mount and umount for you if necessary. +</p> + +<p> +It also has some extra features not found in the standard dselect methods, such +as provision for a local file tree (either parallel to the main distribution or +totally separate), and only getting packages which are required, rather than +the time-consuming recursive directory scan, as well as logging of all dpkg +actions in the install method. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-upgradesingle"></a>9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?</h2> + +<p> +No. Packages can be upgraded in place, even in running systems. Debian has a +<samp>start-stop-daemon</samp> program that is invoked to stop, then restart +running process if necessary during a package upgrade. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-savedebs"></a>9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?</h2> + +<p> +No. If you have downloaded the files to your disk then after you have +installed the packages, you can remove them from your system, e.g. by running +<samp>aptitude clean</samp>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-keepingalog"></a>9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!</h2> + +<p> +Passing the <samp>--log</samp>-option to <code>dpkg</code> makes +<code>dpkg</code> log status change updates and actions. It logs both the +<code>dpkg</code>-invokation (e.g. +</p> + +<pre> + 2005-12-30 18:10:33 install hello 1.3.18 2.1.1-4 +</pre> + +<p> +) and the results (e.g. +</p> + +<pre> + 2005-12-30 18:10:35 status installed hello 2.1.1-4 +</pre> + +<p> +) If you'd like to log all your <code>dpkg</code> invokations (even those done +using frontends like <code>aptitude</code>), you could add +</p> + +<pre> + log /var/log/dpkg.log +</pre> + +<p> +to your <code>/etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg</code>. Be sure the created logfile gets +rotated periodically. If you're using <code>logrotate</code>, this can be +achieved by creating a file <code>/etc/logrotate.d/dpkg</code> with contents +</p> + +<pre> + /var/log/dpkg { + missingok + notifempty + } +</pre> + +<p> +More details on <code>dpkg</code> logging can be found in the +<code>dpkg(1)</code> manual page. +</p> + +<p> +<code>aptitude</code> logs the package installations, removals, and upgrades +that it intends to perform to <code>/var/log/aptitude</code>. Note that the +<em>results</em> of those actions are not recorded in this file! +</p> + +<p> +Another way to record your actions is to run your package management session +within the <code>script(1)</code> program. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-autoupdate"></a>9.5 Can I automatically update the system?</h2> + +<p> +Yes. You can use <code>cron-apt</code>, this tool updates the system at +regular interval by using a cron job. By default it just updates the package +list and download new packages without installing. +</p> + +<p> +Note: Automatic upgrade of packages is <strong>NOT</strong> recommended in +<em>testing</em> or <em>unstable</em> systems as this might bring unexpected +behaviour and remove packages without notice. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-aptproxy"></a>9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?</h2> + +<p> +If you have more than one Debian machine on your network, it is useful to use +<code>apt-proxy</code> to keep all of your Debian systems up-to-date. +</p> + +<p> +<code>apt-proxy</code> reduces the bandwidth requirements of Debian mirrors by +restricting the frequency of Packages, Releases and Sources file updates from +the back end and only doing a single fetch for any file, independently of the +actual request it from the proxy. <code>apt-proxy</code> automatically builds +a Debian HTTP mirror based on requests which pass through the proxy. +</p> + +<p> +For more details, see the apt-proxy homepage at <code><a +href="http://apt-proxy.sourceforge.net/">http://apt-proxy.sourceforge.net/</a></code> +</p> + +<p> +Of course, you can get the same benefit if you are already using a standard +caching proxy and all your systems are configured to use it. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ 9 ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-uptodate.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-uptodate.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..37f6852 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/ch-uptodate.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +ch-uptodate.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/footnotes.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/footnotes.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..881269f --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/footnotes.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,294 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Footnotes</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href=".en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href=".en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Footnotes</h1> + +<h2><a href="ch-software.en.html#fr1" name="f1">1</a></h2> + +<p> +These have been, however, rebranded and are provided with different names due +to trademark issues +</p> + +<h2><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#fr2" name="f2">2</a></h2> + +<p> +When the present-day sid did not exist, the FTP site organization had one major +flaw: there was an assumption that when an architecture is created in the +current unstable, it will be released when that distribution becomes the new +stable. For many architectures that isn't the case, with the result that those +directories had to be moved at release time. This was impractical because the +move would chew up lots of bandwidth. +</p> + +<p> +The archive administrators worked around this problem for several years by +placing binaries for unreleased architectures in a special directory called +"sid". For those architectures not yet released, the first time they +were released there was a link from the current stable to sid, and from then on +they were created inside the unstable tree as normal. This layout was somewhat +confusing to users. +</p> + +<p> +With the advent of package pools (see <a href="#s-pools">What's in the +<samp>pool</samp> directory?, Section 6.10</a>), binary packages began to be +stored in a canonical location in the pool, regardless of the distribution, so +releasing a distribution no longer causes large bandwidth consumption on the +mirrors (there is, however, a lot of gradual bandwidth consumption throughout +the development process). +</p> + +<h2><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#fr3" name="f3">3</a></h2> + +<p> +<samp>dists/stable/main</samp>, <samp>dists/stable/contrib</samp>, +<samp>dists/stable/non-free</samp>, and <samp>dists/unstable/main/</samp>, etc. +</p> + +<h2><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#fr4" name="f4">4</a></h2> + +<p> +Historically, packages were kept in the subdirectory of <samp>dists</samp> +corresponding to which distribution contained them. This turned out to cause +various problems, such as large bandwidth consumption on mirrors when major +changes were made. This was fixed with the introduction of the package pool. +</p> + +<p> +The <samp>dists</samp> directories are still used for the index files used by +programs like <samp>apt</samp>. +</p> + +<h2><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#fr5" name="f5">5</a></h2> + +<p> +Notice that there are ports that make this tool available with other package +management systems, like Red Hat package manager, also known as +<code>rpm</code> +</p> + +<h2><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#fr6" name="f6">6</a></h2> + +<p> +Although this can also lead to systems with more packages installed than they +actually need to work. +</p> + +<h2><a href="ch-support.en.html#fr7" name="f7">7</a></h2> + +<p> +Use the debian-<var>list-subject</var>-REQUEST@lists.debian.org address for +that. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/footnotes.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/footnotes.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..c18fdfb --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/footnotes.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +footnotes.en.html
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/index.en.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/index.en.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c7115e0 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/index.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,522 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ</title> + +<link href="index.en.html" rel="start"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="prev"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="next"> +<link href="index.en.html#contents" rel="contents"> +<link href="index.en.html#copyright" rel="copyright"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html" rel="chapter" title="1 Definitions and overview"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html" rel="chapter" title="2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="3 Choosing a Debian distribution"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html" rel="chapter" title="4 Compatibility issues"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html" rel="chapter" title="5 Software available in the Debian system"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html" rel="chapter" title="6 The Debian FTP archives"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html" rel="chapter" title="7 Basics of the Debian package management system"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html" rel="chapter" title="8 The Debian package management tools"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html" rel="chapter" title="9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html" rel="chapter" title="10 Debian and the kernel"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html" rel="chapter" title="12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html" rel="chapter" title="13 Contributing to the Debian Project"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html" rel="chapter" title="14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html" rel="chapter" title="15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html" rel="chapter" title="16 General information about the FAQ"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq" rel="section" title="1.1 What is this FAQ?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian" rel="section" title="1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux" rel="section" title="1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux" rel="section" title="1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference" rel="section" title="1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu" rel="section" title="1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?"> +<link href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation" rel="section" title="1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version" rel="section" title="2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable" rel="section" title="2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies" rel="section" title="2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom" rel="section" title="2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks" rel="section" title="2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall" rel="section" title="2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?"> +<link href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller" rel="section" title="2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1" rel="section" title="3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2" rel="section" title="3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches" rel="section" title="4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs" rel="section" title="4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices" rel="section" title="4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages" rel="section" title="4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs" rel="section" title="4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap" rel="section" title="4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx" rel="section" title="4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?"> +<link href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls" rel="section" title="4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps" rel="section" title="5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors" rel="section" title="5.2 Who wrote all that software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist" rel="section" title="5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv" rel="section" title="5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing" rel="section" title="5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs" rel="section" title="5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-java" rel="section" title="5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian" rel="section" title="5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish" rel="section" title="5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine" rel="section" title="5.10 Where is pine?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail" rel="section" title="5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash" rel="section" title="5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth" rel="section" title="5.13 Where is Google Earth?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip" rel="section" title="5.14 Where is VoIP software?"> +<link href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless" rel="section" title="5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists" rel="section" title="6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames" rel="section" title="6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid" rel="section" title="6.3 What about "sid"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable" rel="section" title="6.4 What does the stable directory contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing" rel="section" title="6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable" rel="section" title="6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree" rel="section" title="6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections" rel="section" title="6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source" rel="section" title="6.9 Where is the source code?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools" rel="section" title="6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is "incoming"?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository" rel="section" title="6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package" rel="section" title="7.1 What is a Debian package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format" rel="section" title="7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname" rel="section" title="7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile" rel="section" title="7.4 What is a Debian control file?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile" rel="section" title="7.5 What is a Debian conffile?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts" rel="section" title="7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority" rel="section" title="7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual" rel="section" title="7.8 What is a Virtual Package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends" rel="section" title="7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends" rel="section" title="7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus" rel="section" title="7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold" rel="section" title="7.12 How do I put a package on hold?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs" rel="section" title="7.13 How do I install a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild" rel="section" title="7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?"> +<link href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs" rel="section" title="7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs" rel="section" title="8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning" rel="section" title="8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages" rel="section" title="8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles" rel="section" title="8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch" rel="section" title="8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages" rel="section" title="8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent" rel="section" title="9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle" rel="section" title="9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs" rel="section" title="9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog" rel="section" title="9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate" rel="section" title="9.5 Can I automatically update the system?"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy" rel="section" title="9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel" rel="section" title="10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel" rel="section" title="10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk" rel="section" title="10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules" rel="section" title="10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?"> +<link href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel" rel="section" title="10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize" rel="section" title="11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess" rel="section" title="11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont" rel="section" title="11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults" rel="section" title="11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting" rel="section" title="11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's."> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts" rel="section" title="11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles" rel="section" title="11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert" rel="section" title="11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages" rel="section" title="11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?"> +<link href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse" rel="section" title="11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs" rel="section" title="12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources" rel="section" title="12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools" rel="section" title="12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs" rel="section" title="12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport" rel="section" title="12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib" rel="section" title="13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources" rel="section" title="13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations" rel="section" title="13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds" rel="section" title="14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree" rel="section" title="14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro" rel="section" title="14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?"> +<link href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs" rel="section" title="14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n" rel="section" title="15.1 Extended support for non-English users"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot" rel="section" title="15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di" rel="section" title="15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches" rel="section" title="15.4 More architectures"> +<link href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels" rel="section" title="15.5 More kernels"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors" rel="section" title="16.1 Authors"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback" rel="section" title="16.2 Feedback"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest" rel="section" title="16.3 Availability"> +<link href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat" rel="section" title="16.4 Document format"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1" rel="subsection" title="3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2" rel="subsection" title="3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3" rel="subsection" title="3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4" rel="subsection" title="3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5" rel="subsection" title="3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6" rel="subsection" title="3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7" rel="subsection" title="3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8" rel="subsection" title="3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9" rel="subsection" title="3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10" rel="subsection" title="3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11" rel="subsection" title="3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12" rel="subsection" title="3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13" rel="subsection" title="3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1" rel="subsection" title="3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2" rel="subsection" title="3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?"> +<link href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3" rel="subsection" title="3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames" rel="subsection" title="6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?"> +<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen" rel="subsection" title="6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg" rel="subsection" title="8.1.1 dpkg"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get" rel="subsection" title="8.1.2 APT"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude" rel="subsection" title="8.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic" rel="subsection" title="8.1.4 synaptic"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel" rel="subsection" title="8.1.5 tasksel"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6 Other package management tools"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dselect" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.1 dselect"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-deb" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.2 dpkg-deb"> +<link href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-split" rel="subsection" title="8.1.6.3 dpkg-split"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade" rel="subsection" title="9.1.1 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt" rel="subsection" title="9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude" rel="subsection" title="9.1.3 aptitude"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror" rel="subsection" title="9.1.4 mirror"> +<link href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable" rel="subsection" title="9.1.5 dpkg-mountable"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1 Mailing lists"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s-mailinglistconduct" rel="subsection" title="12.2.1.1 What is the code of conduct for the mailing lists?"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2" rel="subsection" title="12.2.2 Web forums"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3" rel="subsection" title="12.2.3 Wiki"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4" rel="subsection" title="12.2.4 Maintainers"> +<link href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5" rel="subsection" title="12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI" rel="subsection" title="13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest"> +<link href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF" rel="subsection" title="13.3.2 Free Software Foundation"> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="index"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br></h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="abstract"></a>Abstract</h2> + +<p> +This document answers questions frequently asked about Debian GNU/Linux. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="copyright"></a>Copyright Notice</h2> + +<p> +Copyright © 1996-2005 by Software in the Public Interest, portions copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006 Kamaraju Kusumanchi +</p> + +<p> +Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this document +provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all +copies. +</p> + +<p> +Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this document +under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the entire resulting +derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to +this one. +</p> + +<p> +Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this document into +another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except that +this permission notice may be included in translations approved by the Free +Software Foundation instead of in the original English. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="contents"></a>Contents</h2> + +<ul> +<li><a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1 Definitions and overview</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisfaq">1.1 What is this FAQ?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-whatisdebian">1.2 What is Debian GNU/Linux?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-linux">1.3 OK, now I know what Debian is... what is Linux?!</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-non-linux">1.4 Does Debian just do GNU/Linux?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-difference">1.5 What is the difference between Debian GNU/Linux and other Linux distributions? Why should I choose Debian over some other distribution?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-gnu">1.6 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Software Foundation's GNU project?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html#s-pronunciation">1.7 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word mean?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-getting.en.html">2 Getting and installing Debian GNU/Linux</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-getting.en.html#s-version">2.1 What is the latest version of Debian?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-getting.en.html#s-updatestable">2.2 Are there package upgrades in `stable'?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-getting.en.html#s-boot-floppies">2.3 Where/how can I get the Debian installation disks?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdrom">2.4 How do I install the Debian from CD-ROMs?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-getting.en.html#s-cdimage-symlinks">2.5 Why does the official stable released CD-ROM contain symlinks for `frozen' and `unstable'? I thought this CD contains just `stable'!</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-getting.en.html#s-remoteinstall">2.6 Can I get and install Debian directly from a remote Internet site?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-getting.en.html#s-alternativebootinstaller">2.7 Are there any alternative strategies for booting the system installer?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3 Choosing a Debian distribution</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1">3.1 Which Debian distribution (stable/testing/unstable) is better for me?</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.1">3.1.1 You asked me to install stable, but in stable so and so hardware is not detected/working. What should I do?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.2">3.1.2 Will there be different different versions of packages in different distributions?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.3">3.1.3 The stable distributions really contains outdated packages. Just look at Kde, Gnome, Xorg or even the kernel. They are very old. Why is it so?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.4">3.1.4 If I were to decide to change to another distribution, Can I do that?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.5">3.1.5 Could you tell me whether to install testing or unstable?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.6">3.1.6 You are talking about testing being broken. What do you mean by that?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.7">3.1.7 Why is it that testing could be broken for months? Wont the fixes introduced in unstable flow directly down into testing?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.8">3.1.8 From an administrator's point of view, Which distribution requires more attention?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.9">3.1.9 What happens when a new release is made?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.10">3.1.10 I have a working Desktop/cluster with Debian installed. How do I know which distribution I am running?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.11">3.1.11 I am currently tracking stable. Can I change to testing or unstable? If so, How?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.12">3.1.12 I am currently tracking testing (lenny). What will happen when a release is made? Will I still be tracking testing or will my machine be running the new stable distribution?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.1.13">3.1.13 I am still confused. What did you say I should install?</a> + </ul></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2">3.2 But what about Knoppix, Linex, Ubuntu, and others?</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.1">3.2.1 I know that Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... is Debian-based. So after installing it on the hard disk, can I use 'apt' package tools on it?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.2">3.2.2 I installed Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... on my hard disk. Now I have a problem. What should I do?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-choosing.en.html#s3.2.3">3.2.3 I'm using Knoppix/Linex/Ubuntu/... and now I want to use Debian. How do I migrate?</a> + </ul></li> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-compat.en.html">4 Compatibility issues</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches">4.1 On what hardware architectures/systems does Debian GNU/Linux run?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherdistribs">4.2 How compatible is Debian with other distributions of Linux?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherunices">4.3 How source code compatible is Debian with other Unix systems?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-otherpackages">4.4 Can I use Debian packages (".deb" files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (".rpm" files) on my Debian GNU/Linux system?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-non-debian-programs">4.5 How should I install a non-Debian program?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-termcap">4.6 Why can't I compile programs that require libtermcap?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-accelx">4.7 Why can't I install AccelX?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-compat.en.html#s-motifnls">4.8 Why do my old XFree 2.1 Motif applications crash?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-software.en.html">5 Software available in the Debian system</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-apps">5.1 What types of applications and development software are available for Debian GNU/Linux?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-softwareauthors">5.2 Who wrote all that software?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-pkglist">5.3 How can I get a current list of programs that have been packaged for Debian?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-buildenv">5.4 How can I install a developer's environment to build packages?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-missing">5.5 What is missing from Debian GNU/Linux?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-no-devs">5.6 Why do I get "ld: cannot find -lfoo" messages when compiling programs? Why aren't there any libfoo.so files in Debian library packages?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-java">5.7 (How) Does Debian support Java?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-isitdebian">5.8 How can I check that I am using a Debian system, and what version is it?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonenglish">5.9 How does Debian support non-English languages?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine">5.10 Where is pine?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-qmail">5.11 Where is qmail/ezmlm/djbdns?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-flash">5.12 Where is a player for Flash (SWF)?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-googleearth">5.13 Where is Google Earth?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-voip">5.14 Where is VoIP software?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-software.en.html#s-nonfreewireless">5.15 I have a wireless network card which doesn't work with Linux. What should I do?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6 The Debian FTP archives</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dists">6.1 How many Debian distributions are there?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-codenames">6.2 What are all those names like etch, lenny, etc.?</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-oldcodenames">6.2.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sourceforcodenames">6.2.2 Where do these codenames come from?</a> + </ul></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-sid">6.3 What about "sid"?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-stable">6.4 What does the stable directory contain?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-testing">6.5 What does the testing distribution contain?</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-frozen">6.5.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?</a> + </ul></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-unstable">6.6 What does the unstable distribution contain?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-dirtree">6.7 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-archsections">6.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-source">6.9 Where is the source code?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-pools">6.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming">6.11 What is "incoming"?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-ownrepository">6.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7 Basics of the Debian package management system</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-package">7.1 What is a Debian package?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-deb-format">7.2 What is the format of a Debian binary package?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgname">7.3 Why are Debian package file names so long?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-controlfile">7.4 What is a Debian control file?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-conffile">7.5 What is a Debian conffile?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-maintscripts">7.6 What is a Debian preinst, postinst, prerm, and postrm script?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-priority">7.7 What is an <em>Essential</em>, <em>Required</em>, <em>Important</em>, <em>Standard</em>, <em>Optional</em>, or <em>Extra</em> package?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-virtual">7.8 What is a Virtual Package?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-depends">7.9 What is meant by saying that a package <em>Depends</em>, <em>Recommends</em>, <em>Suggests</em>, <em>Conflicts</em>, <em>Replaces</em> or <em>Provides</em> another package?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pre-depends">7.10 What is meant by Pre-Depends?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-pkgstatus">7.11 What is meant by <em>unknown</em>, <em>install</em>, <em>remove</em>, <em>purge</em> and <em>hold</em> in the package status?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-puttingonhold">7.12 How do I put a package on hold?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcepkgs">7.13 How do I install a source package?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-sourcebuild">7.14 How do I build binary packages from a source package?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html#s-creatingdebs">7.15 How do I create Debian packages myself?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8 The Debian package management tools</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-pkgprogs">8.1 What programs does Debian provide for managing its packages?</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg">8.1.1 dpkg</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-apt-get">8.1.2 APT</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-aptitude">8.1.3 aptitude</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-synaptic">8.1.4 synaptic</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-tasksel">8.1.5 tasksel</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-dpkg-extra">8.1.6 Other package management tools</a> + </ul></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-updaterunning">8.2 Debian claims to be able to update a running program; how is this accomplished?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-whatpackages">8.3 How can I tell what packages are already installed on a Debian system?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-listfiles">8.4 How to display the files of a package installed?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-filesearch">8.5 How can I find out what package produced a particular file?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html#s-datapackages">8.6 Why doesn't get `foo-data' removed when I uninstall `foo'? How do I make sure old unused library-packages get purged?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9 Keeping your Debian system up-to-date</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-howtocurrent">9.1 How can I keep my Debian system current?</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptitude-upgrade">9.1.1 aptitude</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-apt">9.1.2 apt-get, dselect and apt-cdrom</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-update_aptitude">9.1.3 aptitude</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-mirror">9.1.4 mirror</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-dpkg-mountable">9.1.5 dpkg-mountable</a> + </ul></li> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-upgradesingle">9.2 Must I go into single user mode in order to upgrade a package?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-savedebs">9.3 Do I have to keep all those .deb archive files on my disk?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-keepingalog">9.4 How can I keep a log of the packages I added to the system? I'd like to know when which package upgrades and removals have occured!</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-autoupdate">9.5 Can I automatically update the system?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-uptodate.en.html#s-aptproxy">9.6 I have several machines how can I download the updates only one time?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10 Debian and the kernel</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-non-debian-kernel">10.1 Can I install and compile a kernel without some Debian-specific tweaking?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-customkernel">10.2 What tools does Debian provide to build custom kernels?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-custombootdisk">10.3 How can I make a custom boot floppy?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-modules">10.4 What special provisions does Debian provide to deal with modules?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-kernel.en.html#s-removeoldkernel">10.5 Can I safely de-install an old kernel package, and if so, how?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11 Customizing your installation of Debian GNU/Linux</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-papersize">11.1 How can I ensure that all programs use the same paper size?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-hardwareaccess">11.2 How can I provide access to hardware peripherals, without compromising security?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-consolefont">11.3 How do I load a console font on startup the Debian way?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-appdefaults">11.4 How can I configure an X11 program's application defaults?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-booting">11.5 Every distribution seems to have a different boot-up method. Tell me about Debian's.</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-custombootscripts">11.6 It looks as if Debian does not use <samp>rc.local</samp> to customize the boot process; what facilities are provided?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-interconffiles">11.7 How does the package management system deal with packages that contain configuration files for other packages?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-divert">11.8 How do I override a file installed by a package, so that a different version can be used instead?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-localpackages">11.9 How can I have my locally-built package included in the list of available packages that the package management system knows about?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-customizing.en.html#s-diverse">11.10 Some users like mawk, others like gawk; some like vim, others like elvis; some like trn, others like tin; how does Debian support diversity?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-support.en.html">12 Getting support for Debian GNU/Linux</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s-debiandocs">12.1 What other documentation exists on and for a Debian system?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s-onlineresources">12.2 Are there any on-line resources for discussing Debian?</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.1">12.2.1 Mailing lists</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.2">12.2.2 Web forums</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.3">12.2.3 Wiki</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.4">12.2.4 Maintainers</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s12.2.5">12.2.5 Usenet newsgroups</a> + </ul></li> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s-searchtools">12.3 Is there a quick way to search for information on Debian GNU/Linux?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s-buglogs">12.4 Are there logs of known bugs?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-support.en.html#s-bugreport">12.5 How do I report a bug in Debian?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13 Contributing to the Debian Project</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contrib">13.1 How can I become a Debian software developer?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-contribresources">13.2 How can I contribute resources to the Debian project?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-supportingorganizations">13.3 How can I contribute financially to the Debian project?</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-SPI">13.3.1 Software in the Public Interest</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-contributing.en.html#s-FSF">13.3.2 Free Software Foundation</a> + </ul></li> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14 Redistributing Debian GNU/Linux in a commercial product</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-sellcds">14.1 Can I make and sell Debian CDs?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-packagednonfree">14.2 Can Debian be packaged with non-free software?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-childistro">14.3 I am making a special Linux distribution for a "vertical market". Can I use Debian GNU/Linux for the guts of a Linux system and add my own applications on top of it?</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-redistrib.en.html#s-commercialdebs">14.4 Can I put my commercial program in a Debian "package" so that it installs effortlessly on any Debian system?</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15 Changes expected in the next major release of Debian</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-i18n">15.1 Extended support for non-English users</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-dependencybasedboot">15.2 Faster booting: Dependency based boot sequence</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-di">15.3 Improvements in the Debian Installer</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morearches">15.4 More architectures</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-nexttime.en.html#s-morekernels">15.5 More kernels</a> + </ul></li> +<li><a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16 General information about the FAQ</a> + <ul> + <li><a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">16.1 Authors</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-feedback">16.2 Feedback</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-latest">16.3 Availability</a></li> + <li><a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-docformat">16.4 Document format</a></li> + </ul></li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-choosing.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">4</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">5</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-ftparchives.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">16</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 4.0.3, 6 August 2008<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + diff --git a/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/index.html b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/index.html new file mode 120000 index 0000000..0e85422 --- /dev/null +++ b/includes/etch/common/doc/FAQ/html/index.html @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +index.en.html
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