Browsing Venda translation

21.

While many groups and individuals have contributed to Linux, the largest single contributor is still the Free Software Foundation, which created not only most of the tools used in Linux, but also the philosophy and the community that made Linux possible.

22.

The <ulink url="&url-kernel-org;">Linux kernel</ulink> first appeared in 1991, when a Finnish computing science student named Linus Torvalds announced an early version of a replacement kernel for Minix to the Usenet newsgroup <userinput>comp.os.minix</userinput>. See Linux International's <ulink url="&url-linux-history;">Linux History Page</ulink>.

23.

Linus Torvalds continues to coordinate the work of several hundred developers with the help of a few trusty deputies. An excellent weekly summary of discussions on the <userinput>linux-kernel</userinput> mailing list is <ulink url="&url-kernel-traffic;">Kernel Traffic</ulink>. More information about the <userinput>linux-kernel</userinput> mailing list can be found on the <ulink url="&url-linux-kernel-list-faq;">linux-kernel mailing list FAQ</ulink>.

24.

Linux users have immense freedom of choice in their software. For example, Linux users can choose from a dozen different command line shells and several graphical desktops. This selection is often bewildering to users of other operating systems, who are not used to thinking of the command line or desktop as something that they can change.

25.

Linux is also less likely to crash, better able to run more than one program at the same time, and more secure than many operating systems. With these advantages, Linux is the fastest growing operating system in the server market. More recently, Linux has begun to be popular among home and business users as well.

26.

What is &debian;?

27.

The combination of Debian's philosophy and methodology and the GNU tools, the Linux kernel, and other important free software, form a unique software distribution called &debian;. This distribution is made up of a large number of software <emphasis>packages</emphasis>. Each package in the distribution contains executables, scripts, documentation, and configuration information, and has a <emphasis>maintainer</emphasis> who is primarily responsible for keeping the package up-to-date, tracking bug reports, and communicating with the upstream author(s) of the packaged software. Our extremely large user base, combined with our bug tracking system ensures that problems are found and fixed quickly.

28.

Debian's attention to detail allows us to produce a high-quality, stable, and scalable distribution. Installations can be easily configured to serve many roles, from stripped-down firewalls to desktop scientific workstations to high-end network servers.

29.

Debian is especially popular among advanced users because of its technical excellence and its deep commitment to the needs and expectations of the Linux community. Debian also introduced many features to Linux that are now commonplace.

30.

For example, Debian was the first Linux distribution to include a package management system for easy installation and removal of software. It was also the first Linux distribution that could be upgraded without requiring reinstallation.