Editing Debian (section)

== Forks and derivatives ==

A large number of [[Fork (software development)|forks]] and derivatives have been built upon Debian over the years. Among the more notable are [[Ubuntu]], developed by [[Canonical (company)|Canonical Ltd.]] and first released in 2004, which has surpassed Debian in popularity with desktop users;<ref>[https://www.zdnet.com/article/whats-the-most-popular-linux-of-them-all/ What is the most popular Linux of them all] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729044112/https://www.zdnet.com/article/whats-the-most-popular-linux-of-them-all/ |date=July 29, 2020 }}, Vaughn-Nichols, ZDNet, April 2018</ref> [[Knoppix]], first released in the year 2000 and one of the first distributions optimized to [[Live USB|boot from external storage]]; and [[Devuan]], which gained attention in 2014 when it forked in disagreement over Debian's adoption of the [[systemd]] software suite, and has been mirroring Debian releases since 2017.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hoffman|first1=Chris|title=Meet Devuan, the Debian fork born from a bitter systemd revolt|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2854717/meet-devuan-the-debian-fork-born-from-a-bitter-systemd-revolt.html|website=PCWorld|access-date=13 December 2014|archive-date=December 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209075125/http://www.pcworld.com/article/2854717/meet-devuan-the-debian-fork-born-from-a-bitter-systemd-revolt.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Phoronix>{{cite web|last1=Larabel|first1=Michael|title=Devuan: Debian Without Systemd|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTg1MDQ|website=Phoronix|access-date=14 December 2014|archive-date=December 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211004528/http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTg1MDQ|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Linux Mint]] Debian Edition (''[[Linux Mint|LMDE]]'') uses Debian Stable as the software source base since 2014.

=== Derivatives and flavors ===
{{main|List of Linux distributions#Debian-based}}

Debian is one of the most popular Linux distributions, and many other distributions have been created from the Debian codebase.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Vaughan-Nichols|first=Steven J.|date=2009-12-16|title=The Five Distros That Changed Linux|url=http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7651/|magazine=[[Linux Magazine]]|access-date=2013-02-14|archive-date=June 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616121917/http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7651/|url-status=usurped}}</ref> {{As of|2021}}, [[DistroWatch]] lists 121 active Debian derivatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://distrowatch.com/search.php?ostype=All&category=All&origin=All&basedon=Debian&notbasedon=None&desktop=All&architecture=All&status=Active|title=Based on Debian, status active|publisher=[[DistroWatch]]|access-date=2018-04-08|archive-date=October 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023055752/http://distrowatch.com/search.php?ostype=All&category=All&origin=All&basedon=Debian&notbasedon=None&desktop=All&architecture=All&status=Active|url-status=live}}</ref> The Debian project provides its derivatives with guidelines for best practices and encourages derivatives to merge their work back into Debian.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wiki.debian.org/Derivatives/Guidelines?action=recall&rev=1|title=Derivatives Guidelines|last=Halchenko|first=Yaroslav|date=2010-12-21|publisher=Debian Wiki|access-date=2014-10-17|archive-date=October 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021063228/https://wiki.debian.org/Derivatives/Guidelines?action=recall&rev=1|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn |Hertzog |2013 |p=429}}

[[Debian Pure Blend]]s are subsets of a Debian release configured out-of-the-box for users with particular skills and interests.<ref name="debian-pure-blends">{{cite web |url = http://blends.debian.org/blends/ch02.html#Blends |work = Debian Pure Blends |title = Chapter 2. What are Debian Pure Blends? |publisher = Debian |access-date = 2014-05-27 |archive-date = May 27, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140527215131/http://blends.debian.org/blends/ch02.html#Blends |url-status = live }}</ref> For example, Debian Jr. is made for children, while [[Debian Science]] is for researchers and scientists.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-jr/ |title = Debian Jr. Project |publisher = Debian |date = 2014-04-30 |access-date = 2014-06-16 |archive-date = October 11, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111011024525/http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-jr/ |url-status = live }}</ref> The complete Debian distribution includes all available Debian Pure Blends.<ref name="debian-pure-blends" /> "Debian Blend" (without "Pure") is a term for a Debian-based distribution that strives to become part of mainstream Debian, and have its extra features included in future releases.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url = https://lists.debian.org/debian-blends/2011/07/msg00010.html |title = Re: Difference between blends and remastered systems |last = Armstrong |first = Ben |publisher = Debian |mailing-list = debian-blends |date = 2011-07-06 |access-date = 2014-06-16 |archive-date = July 6, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140706182017/https://lists.debian.org/debian-blends/2011/07/msg00010.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

====Debian GNU/Hurd====
[[File:Hurd-logo.svg|thumb|upright=0.5|Logo of GNU Hurd]]
[[File:Debian GNU HURD XFCE desktop screenshot.png|thumb|left|Debian GNU/Hurd running on [[Xfce]]]]

Debian GNU/Hurd is a flavor based on the [[GNU Hurd|Hurd]] kernel (which, in turn, runs on the [[GNU Mach]] [[microkernel]]), instead of the [[Linux kernel]]. Debian GNU/Hurd has been in development since 1998,<ref name=d1/> and made a formal release in May 2013, with 78% of the software packaged for Debian GNU/Linux ported to the GNU Hurd.<ref>{{cite web |title = A comparison between Debian GNU/hurd and Debuan Gnu/kFreeBSD |url = https://www.wikivs.com/wiki/Debian_GNU/Hurd_vs_Debian_GNU/kFreeBSD |access-date = 23 November 2015 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151124034001/https://www.wikivs.com/wiki/Debian_GNU/Hurd_vs_Debian_GNU/kFreeBSD |archive-date = 24 November 2015 }}</ref> Hurd is not yet an official Debian release, and is maintained and developed as an unofficial port. Debian GNU/Hurd is distributed as an installer CD (running the official Debian installer) or ready-to-run [[virtual disk image]] ([[Live CD]], [[Live USB]]). The CD uses the [[IA-32]] architecture, making it compatible with [[IA-32]] and [[x86-64]] PCs. The current version of Debian GNU/Hurd is 2023, published in June 2023.<ref name="news">{{cite web|title=News about Debian GNU/Hurd|url=https://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/hurd-news|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618001824/https://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/hurd-news |archive-date=June 18, 2023|access-date=June 18, 2023}}</ref>

====Debian GNU/kFreeBSD====
[[File:Horned logo.svg|thumb|upright=0.5|Logo of Debian GNU/kFreeBSD]]
Debian GNU/kFreeBSD is a discontinued<ref>{{cite mailing list|url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2014/11/msg00005.html|title=Release Team Sprint Results|date=2014-11-09|mailing-list=debian-devel-announce|first=Jonathan|last=Wiltshire|access-date=January 10, 2017|archive-date=February 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221051409/https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2014/11/msg00005.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Debian flavor. It used the [[FreeBSD]] [[Kernel (operating system)|kernel]] and [[GNU]] [[User space|userland]]. The majority of software in Debian GNU/kFreeBSD was built from the same sources as Debian, with some kernel packages from [[FreeBSD]]. The ''k'' in ''kFreeBSD'' is an abbreviation for ''kernel'', which refers to the FreeBSD kernel. Before discontinuing the project, Debian maintained i386 and amd64 ports. The last version of Debian kFreeBSD was Debian 8 (Jessie) RC3. Debian GNU/kFreeBSD was created in 2002.<ref>{{Cite mailing list|url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-bsd/2002/01/msg00000.html|title=Chrooted NetBSD environment available for testing|date=2002-01-06|mailing-list=debian-bsd|first=Matthew|last=Garrett|access-date=December 17, 2019|archive-date=September 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906012153/https://lists.debian.org/debian-bsd/2002/01/msg00000.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was included in Debian 6.0 (Squeeze) as a [[technology preview]], and in Debian 7 (Wheezy) as an official port.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}} Debian GNU/kFreeBSD was discontinued as an officially supported platform as of Debian 8. Debian developers cited [[Open Sound System|OSS]], [[PF (firewall)|pf]], [[FreeBSD jail|jails]], [[Network Driver Interface Specification|NDIS]], and [[ZFS]] as reasons for being interested in the FreeBSD kernel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wiki.debian.org/Debian_GNU/kFreeBSD_why|title=Debian_GNU/kFreeBSD_why|website=Debian Wiki|date=2011-10-05|access-date=2013-07-05|archive-date=February 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222164624/https://wiki.debian.org/Debian_GNU/kFreeBSD_why|url-status=live}}</ref> It has not been officially updated since Debian 8.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.debian.org/ports/kfreebsd-gnu/ |title=Debian GNU/kFreeBSD |work=Debian.org |access-date=May 26, 2014 |archive-date=May 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531011403/http://www.debian.org/ports/kfreebsd-gnu/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, starting in July 2019, the operating system continued to be maintained unofficially.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-bsd/2019/07/threads.html|title=debian-bsd Jul 2019 by thread|website=lists.debian.org|access-date=2019-07-31|archive-date=July 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731204052/https://lists.debian.org/debian-bsd/2019/07/threads.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As of July 2023, the development of Debian GNU/kFreeBSD has officially terminated due to the lack of interest and developers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 July 2023 |title=Debian official announcement |url=https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2023/07/msg00176.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927064527/https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2023/07/msg00176.html |archive-date=27 September 2023 |access-date=27 November 2023}}</ref>