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<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - Choosing a Debian distribution</title>

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<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 (&quot;.deb&quot; files) on my Red Hat/Slackware/... Linux system? Can I use Red Hat packages (&quot;.rpm&quot; 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 &quot;ld: cannot find -lfoo&quot; 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 &quot;sid&quot;?">
<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 dists/stable/main?">
<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 pool directory?">
<link href="ch-ftparchives.en.html#s-incoming" rel="section" title="6.11 What is &quot;incoming&quot;?">
<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 Essential, Required, Important, Standard, Optional, or Extra 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 Depends, Recommends, Suggests, Conflicts, Replaces, Breaks or Provides 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 unknown, install, remove, purge and hold 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 rc.local 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 &quot;vertical market&quot;. 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 &quot;package&quot; 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 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 (wheezy). 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 &quot;testing&quot;? 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">

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<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 decision.  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 &quot;why you should choose Debian&quot; but rather
&quot;which distribution of Debian&quot;.
</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 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 --&gt; testing --&gt;
unstable.  But the reverse direction is not &quot;possible&quot;.  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
&quot;wise guess&quot; 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 &quot;trickled down&quot; 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 squeeze; The next stable distribution will
be called as wheezy.  Let's consider the particular case as to what happens
when wheezy is released as the new stable version.
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p>
oldstable = lenny; stable = squeeze; testing = wheezy; 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.  wheezy).  But packages
in stable (i.e.  squeeze) 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 wheezy.
</p>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<p>
At this stage oldstable = squeeze, stable = wheezy.  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 unstable.
</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 squeeze
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 wheezy.  So, if you change the third field of
<code>/etc/apt/sources.list</code> to wheezy, then also you will be running
testing.  But when wheezy becomes stable, you will still be tracking wheezy.
</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 (wheezy). 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/ wheezy 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 wheezy 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 'wheezy' then you will be tracking stable
(since wheezy 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 &quot;fixes&quot; 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 data and reinstall the operating system from scratch.  You should not
attempt to &quot;upgrade&quot; 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 5.0ubuntu1, 20 October 2011<br>
<br>
Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br>
<br>
</address>
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