draft release announcement
(I'm Looking for corrections, suggestions, comments...)
***** THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT *****
* Debian is NOT released! This is a DRAFT announcement *
* for an UNRELEASED version of Debian. Go away. *
***** THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT *****
The Debian Project is pleased to announce the latest release of the
Debian GNU/Linux Operating System. This release has been in
development for approximately 18 months, and has been extensively
[ XXX do I count correctly from potato's release? ]
tested by several thousand end-users and developers.
Debian GNU/Linux is a free Linux system. It is developed by nearly
a thousand volunteers from all over the world who collaborate via the
[ XXX 963, whether to round up or down is an open question.. ]
Internet. Debian's dedication to free software, its non-profit nature,
and its open development model make it unique among Linux
distributions.
This is the first version of Debian to feature cryptographic software
integrated into the distribution, rather than as an optional add-on.
Ssh and gnupg are included in the default install, and strong
encryption is now present in web browsers, databases, XXX, and YYY.
[ XXX fill in the blanks ]
Further integration of crypto is planned for future releases.
With the addition of the ia64, hppa, mips, mipsel, and s390 architectures,
Debian GNU/Linux now supports a total of 10 architectures. It now runs on
computers ranging from game consoles to supercomputers, and nearly everything
in between, including the latest generation of 64 bit machines.
[ XXX those dreamstations and playcasts are mips boxen, right? I don't know
much about this area. ;-) ]
For the first time, Debian comes with the KDE desktop environment. The GNOME
desktop environment is upgraded to version 1.4, and X itself is upgraded to
version 2.4. With mozilla 1.0rc1, galeon, and konquoror, this release of
Debian for the first time features a set of mature and very usable desktops
and web browsers.
[ XXX must watch and see if mozilla 1+rc1 gets in. Also, is that the right
way to refer to its version number? ]
This version of Debian supports the 2.2 and 2.4 releases of the Linux
kernel. Along with better support for a greater variety of new hardware
(such as USB) and significant improvements in usability and stability, the
2.4 kernel provides support for the ext3 journaling filesystem.
[ XXX That is supported by the 2.4 boot floppies by default, right? Please
verify. Also, an other FS's supported by default? reiser? ]
Debian GNU/Linux 3,0 features a more streamlined and polished
installation, which is translated into several languages. The debconf tool
is used to streamline configuration of the system. The task system has been
revamped and made more flexible. Debian GNU/Linux can be installed from CD,
or from the network and a few floppies. It can be obtained via FTP from
ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/, and many mirrors, and will soon be
available on CD-ROM from numerous vendors. CD Images may be downloaded now.
[ XXX should I mention DVD? ]
[ XXX this paragraph is supposed to link to various places. ]
Upgrades to Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 from earlier releases are
automatically handled by the apt package management tool. As always,
Debian GNU/Linux systems can be upgraded painlessly, in place, with no
downtime. For detailed documentation about installing and upgrading
Debian GNU/Linux, please see the release notes.
[ XXX link ]
Current Debian users may be interested to know that this release of Debian
supports build dependencies, to aid in building packages from source, and
apt pinning, to ease partial upgrades to our testing branch. Aptitude and
deity are two new replacements for the venerable dselect program and will
make it easier to select packages. Over XXX packages are updated to newer
versions, and YYY new packages are added to the distribution in Debian
GNU/Linux 3.0.
[ XXX fill in the blanks. Any significant new stuff to mention here? ]
In the area of standards compliance, this is the first release of Debian to
be fully compliant with FHS version 2.1. Debian GNU/Linux now also supports
[ is "compliant" the right word? ]
the Linux Standard Base (LSB).
This release of Debian is the culmination of years of work by many
thousands of developers, not only from the Debian project but throughout
the free software community, and by many commercial enterprises. While
some have fallen along the way, Debian has weathered recent troubles well,
[ I hope the above wording doesn't generate any unfortunate imagery. Thoughts? ]
thanks to its volunteer base, its dedication to the Debian Social Contract,
and its commitment to provide the best operating system possible. Debian
GNU/Linux 3.0 is another important step in that direction.
--
see shy jo
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