Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 released

[plb]

http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/release/4.0_r0/

Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 released

The Debian Project is pleased to announce the official release of
Debian GNU/Linux version 4.0, codenamed "etch", after 21 months of
constant development. Debian GNU/Linux is a free operating system
which supports a total of eleven processor architectures and includes
the KDE, GNOME and Xfce desktop environments. It also features
cryptographic software and compatibility with the FHS v2.3 and
software developed for version 3.1 of the LSB.

Using a now fully integrated installation process, Debian GNU/Linux
4.0 comes with out-of-the-box support for encrypted partitions. This
release introduces a newly developed graphical frontend to the
installation system supporting scripts using composed characters and
complex languages; the installation system for Debian GNU/Linux has
now been translated to 58 languages.

Also beginning with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0, the package management
system has been improved regarding security and efficiency. Secure
APT allows the verification of the integrity of packages downloaded
from a mirror. Updated package indices won't be downloaded in their
entirety, but instead patched with smaller files containing only
differences from earlier versions.

Debian GNU/Linux runs on computers ranging from palmtops and handheld
systems to supercomputers, and on nearly everything in between. A
total of eleven architectures are supported including: Sun SPARC
(sparc), HP Alpha (alpha), Motorola/IBM PowerPC (powerpc), Intel
IA-32 (i386) and IA-64 (ia64), HP PA-RISC (hppa), MIPS (mips,
mipsel), ARM (arm), IBM S/390 (s390) and -- newly introduced with
Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 -- AMD64 and Intel EM64T (amd64).

Debian GNU/Linux can be installed from various installation media
such as DVDs, CDs, USB sticks and floppies, or from the network.
GNOME is the default desktop environment and is contained on the
first CD. The K Desktop Environment (KDE) and the Xfce desktop can be
installed through two new alternative CD images. Also newly available
with Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 are multi-arch CDs and DVDs supporting
installation of multiple architectures from a single disc.

Debian GNU/Linux can be downloaded right now via bittorent (the
recommended way), jigdo or HTTP; see for
further information. It will soon be available on DVD and CD-ROM from
numerous vendors , too.

This release includes a number of updated software packages, such as
the K Desktop Environment 3.5 (KDE), an updated version of the GNOME
desktop environment 2.14, the Xfce 4.4 desktop environment, the
GNUstep desktop 5.2, X.Org 7.1, OpenOffice.org 2.0.4a, GIMP 2.2.13,
Iceweasel (an unbranded version of Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.3), Icedove
(an unbranded version of Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5), Iceape (an
unbranded version of Mozilla Seamonkey 1.0.Cool, PostgreSQL 8.1.8,
MySQL 5.0.32, GNU Compiler Collection 4.1.1, Linux kernel version
2.6.18, Apache 2.2.3, Samba 3.0.24, Python 2.4.4 and 2.5, Perl 5.8.8,
PHP 4.4.4 and 5.2.0, Asterisk 1.2.13, and more than 18,000 other
ready to use software packages.

Upgrades to Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 from the previous release, Debian
GNU/Linux 3.1 codenamed "sarge", are automatically handled by the
aptitude package management tool for most configurations, and to a
certain degree also by the apt-get package management tool. As
always, Debian GNU/Linux systems can be upgraded quite painlessly, in
place, without any forced downtime, but it is strongly recommended to
read the release notes for possible issues. For detailed instructions
about installing and upgrading Debian GNU/Linux, please see the
release notes .
Please note that the release notes will be further improved and
translated to additional languages in the coming weeks.

[%hMa@?b<C]

took them long enough! :lolflag: how long was it "unstable" for?

[qpieus]

downloading net install now...

http://www.debian.org/News/2007/20070408

[Stone123]

No way . I thought it would be in 3 years.


debian lerry next?

[plb]

No way . I thought it would be in 3 years.


debian lerry next?

Lenny :)

[Bloodfen Razormaw]

took them long enough! :lolflag: how long was it "unstable" for?
Uh, Debian stable releases are derived from branches of testing, not unstable. And it was only 2 years since the last stable release. Considering that Debian stable means they fixed the bugs not just in their own software and packaging but in every single package out of the more than 20,000 they have, that's incredible. If you are stabilizing a couple dozen thousand packages every year you won't get anything done. And since a stable release is only for people who want support over the long term, they don't need to release quickly.

[weekend warrior]

Torrent for the first cd is going along at a really good speed at the moment if anyone's interested, not so for the dvd just yet though.

[Swab]

Congrats to the Debian team. :guitar:

[richbarna]

took them long enough! :lolflag: how long was it "unstable" for?

Etch was "Testing"
Sid is "Unstable"

[rai4shu2]

So, 3 DVDs or 21 CDs?

[Dual Cortex]

Only 1 dvd is really needed. Not sure about the CDs. Possibly the same.
IN FOR ONE!

[Stone123]

Lenny :)

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5493/lenny2ux8.gif ?

yeah thats much better.

Not lenny ..

[TravisNewman]

So, will Ubuntu's alternate install inherit their graphical installer? I prefer the "alternate install" cd to the live cd for Ubuntu, seems I have better luck with it, and making it prettier with Debian's graphical installer can only help things.

[rai4shu2]

I'm going to download the i386 and amd64 DVDs (6 total). This is going to take a while...

[Dual Cortex]

Opera's being mean with me lately. Many downloads are simply freezing and random numbers are appearing as ETA.

[weekend warrior]

Lol, here's 'the real' Lenny...
http://static.flickr.com/117/299589089_9ace7d630a_m.jpg


As far as the CDs go, you'll only need one if you're doing a netinstall. If you want a complete desktop you'll be wanting at least the next CD too; as stated in the Errata for release 4.0r0 (http://www.debian.org/releases/etch/debian-installer/)

Incomplete installation of Desktop task from full CD

The full CD image is too small to contain all packages needed to install the complete Desktop task. This means that if you only use the CD as a source, only part of the Desktop task will be installed.
You can resolve this either during the installation by choosing to use a network mirror as a source to install packages in addition to the CD (not recommended if you don't have a decent internet connection), or after you have rebooted into the installed system by using apt-cdrom to load additional CDs and then selecting the Desktop task again in aptitude.

2nd CD torrent is going at a good clip right now too.

[benuski]

Huzzah for Etch!

*continues using sid*

But at least now I can get new features

[DC@DR]

Good job, Debian team, and congrats :-)

[FuturePilot]

How easy is Debian to install? I was reading the instructions and it sounds really complicated.

[AndyCooll]

Being difficult to install is a myth these days. The last couple of versions have been relatively easy.

For instance Ubuntu's alternate CD text installer uses the Debian text installer IIRC.

:cool:

[TravisNewman]

It does. Its modified, but it's basically the same process.

I'm just hoping the Debian graphical installer (basically a front-end to the existing text installer) makes it onto the Ubuntu alt cd.

[Dual Cortex]

Download speeds down to ~40KB!

[deanlinkous]

CD1 should be all you need for a fairly good desktop.

The 'regular' iso is a gnome desktop ISO and they also have KDE CD1 and XFCE CD1
Once you have one CD1 ISO you can use jigdo to turn it into one of the other flavors and not have to download as much.

[Erik Trybom]

Does Etch, in general, have newer packages than Edgy?

I'm interested in trying a more stable distro but I don't relly feel like downgrading stuff.

[rai4shu2]

Some of it is a bit newer like the kernel, but I think most of the other stuff is about the same or slightly older.

[beercz]

Yay!! Debian fan here - well done to the debian team, downloading a net install CD and updating my debian server as well.


Congrats to all involved.

[ahaslam]

Released with over 60 release critical bugs :-k

[PurplePenguin]

I was about to give up on downloading it today (all the mirrors I tried are getting hammered, it seems), but decided to give jigdo a shot. It's flying now!

[karellen]

most of the stuff is older than edgy....for example gnome 2.14, kde 3.5.5, openoffice 2.0.4, evolution 2.6.3

[FuturePilot]

Downloading now at 400MB/s I only need the 1st CD right?

[kinematic]

but debian is a lot more stable and you don't have to go through upgrades that have the potential to completely bork you system.
some packages might break now if you're on testing but those will get fixed quickly and at least it's not gonna effect the whole system.

[TravisNewman]

400MB/s???? That means you'd have the CD downloaded in 2 seconds ;)

[FuturePilot]

Ooops! Lol:lolflag: I meant Kb/s

[aysiu]

Moved from the Cafe to Debian, and merged with the other, similar thread.

[deanlinkous]

To be stable means it has to be older.....only way to test is with time and etch has been beat on pretty good and I have rarely encountered anything I considered a good bug!

Looking forward to Lenny now!

[StarsAndBars14]

Pssh. 'Bout damn time for Etch to be released.

Good news though.

[maxamillion]

I can finally upgrade my production servers without my boss freaking out. :)

<3 debian

[lachesis]

Will Ubuntu eventually include the support for setting up encrypted partitions during installation that is available in Etch? If so, would it be included in Feisty or Feisty +1 or later?

[tommcd]

How easy is Debian to install? I was reading the instructions and it sounds really complicated.

Debian install is very similar to the ubuntu alternate CD. I thought debian had a GUI installer now, but I just got text mode. I installed the 386 version of debian etch rc2 from here:
http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/
(I installed it yesterday on my e-machines test box, and just found out Etch was finalized today). I then upgraded straight into testing per this thread:
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=13362&highlight=nvidia+driver
It went off without a problem. If you can install ubuntu, you should be able to install debian. Both OSs have a similar look and feel.

[peebly]

I downloaded the first iso cd this morning from a UK server, ticklers to be exact. I was getting about 750 - 800 kb/s.

[angryfirelord]

Released with over 60 release critical bugs :-k
None of those bugs are major issues, in fact, I ran Etch for a while w/o any issues.

Watch out Sid users! :twisted:

[ThinkBuntu]

Downloading CD1 and CD2 over the torrent, once they're done, I might get more. Anyone know where I can view what comes with each disc? I checked the wiki, but it only referred me to some technique using Jingo. I'm on my office (Windows) machine, so I'd prefer to view a page online.

Anyone know how wireless support is in 4.0?

[ahaslam]

None of those bugs are major issues, in fact, I ran Etch for a while w/o any issues.

Watch out Sid users! :twisted:

I tested out a couple of months ago (RC1) & did have issues, but I was running some obscure hardware at the time. My point is that when Sarge was released they'd cleared up the vast majority of bugs: http://bugs.debian.org/release-critical/ My concern lays with why they've released with so many this time, they will affect some people.

[rai4shu2]

@ThinkBuntu

http://atterer.net/jigdo/jigdo-search.php?list

Click on the "List contents" next to the disc you are thinking about downloading to see its contents.

[deanlinkous]

Those are RC bugs overall NOT etch only - so a RC bug that affects SID doesnt matter - only those that apply to etch.

[ahaslam]

That chart is irrelevant now ;)

[ThinkBuntu]

I installed Debian yesterday morning, and added a bunch of software off the DVD (had most of my productivity stuff, from Abiword to Inkscape to Quanta+) and am very pleased indeed. My machine's fast, stable, and compiz makes my old MEPIS Beryl look awful. I'll be sticking with this for a while!

[rai4shu2]

I installed Debian 4.0 amd64 just last night and it's pretty smooth so far.

[mstlyevil]

I installed Etch this weekend on a netinstall and everything went off without a hitch. I reccomend if you have broadband just download the netinstall for Gnome and the first Cd for KDE or XFCE installs and do it over the net.

[happy-and-lost]

Why does anyone need DVDs?! I've got my Etch netinstall on a full Gnome desktop with full multimedia/codec yadda yadda yadda on 724 installed packages. FAST!

[mstlyevil]

Why does anyone need DVDs?! I've got my Etch netinstall on a full Gnome desktop with full multimedia/codec yadda yadda yadda on 724 installed packages. FAST!

The DVD's are for IT shops, dialup users and those without an internet connection. They contain the entire stable Debian pools.

[rai4shu2]

DVDs are also good for people who have a lot of other computers lying around and don't want to have to download everything for each one.

[finferflu]

Downloading CD1 and CD2 over the torrent, once they're done, I might get more. Anyone know where I can view what comes with each disc? I checked the wiki, but it only referred me to some technique using Jingo. I'm on my office (Windows) machine, so I'd prefer to view a page online.

Anyone know how wireless support is in 4.0?
I've just installed it yesterday, it's my first pure Debian install :)

As for wireless I was able to get it working easily. I have downloaded all the ndiswrapper needed packages with Ubuntu and followed this guide (http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/401). Some stuff gets installed through the CD (I'm talking about CD1), so you really need the basic packages mentioned in the guide.

Hope it helps.

<3 debian!

[super.rad]

i want to download the new debian but have 3 questions.
1. The only internet access i have is wireless (netgear ma101), so can i do a netinstall?
2. If i cant do a netinstall, how many of the cd's do i need to download? Or should i just download the dvd, again how many of the dvd's to i need to download?
3. Is their a live cd/dvd version so i can have a look at it first?
Thanks

[deanlinkous]

1 - a netinstall pulls from the net so you need internet access, if the card is supported on linux then yes, otherwise no....
2 - 1CD is fine for a good install, pull the rest from the net since it likely wont be much
3 - http://live.debian.net/ ........ http://wiki.debian.org/DebianLive/

[super.rad]

thanks, well think i'll download the CD then set up the internet to install the rest

[factotum218]

Amazing release as usual. Solid and stable as can be. In the last six years Stable has never once failed me on the desktop.