Debian 6.0 Hits “Freeze” Stage of Development Debian 6.0, also known as Squeeze, has just arrived at its “freeze” stage. What this basically means is that all of its features and vital characteristics have already been added and developers are currently working together among themselves as well as with prospective users to work out any remaining kinks or errors that still have not been addressed.
Also, the freeze stage is when the final adjustments will be made to the operating system to optimize its efficiency and to make it as user-friendly as possible. Additionally, during a freeze, users are not able to upload any new versions of the software package in question. There is nothing for users to worry about though, as most operating systems go through the freeze stage before the full release. John Ferlito, president of Linux Australia was quoted as saying, “A freeze is a normal part of everyone’s release process. It’s a sensible software practice.” (3) Ferlito also has stated that the actual release of Squeeze should be occurring some time in February of 2011, which is just slightly later than initially anticipated. He went on to say that from now until the point of release, all remaining efforts will be focused on fine-tuning Debian Squeeze to make sure that it is of the highest quality possible to ensure that Debian loyalists and new users alike will find the release of Squeeze to be on par with the quality of stable releases that Debian has prided itself upon since its inception.
The announcement of the Freeze was made at DebConf10 as it was held in New York City earlier this month. While Squeeze is going to feature Linux 2.6.32 as its default in its installer and all other areas, it will be the first version of Debian that will allow for the use of non Linux kernels as well. Other available features of Squeeze will include KDE 4.4.5, GNOME 2.30.0, LXDE 0.5.0, and XFCE 4.6.2, which will be supported by X.org 7.5 Open Office 3.2.1 and server programs such as Apache 2.2.16, PHP 5.3.2, MySQL 5.1.48, PostgreSQL 8.4.4, and Samba 3.4 will be available as well. (1) In addition, developers will acquire interpreters and compilers for Python 2.6 and 3.1, Perl 5.10, GHC 6.12, and GCC 4.4.
Before the new distribution is released, several bug killing parties will take place for the purpose of classifying and rectifying the known problems which still exist. As the final litany of features has at last been set, developers will now be able to construct release notes and guides for installation. All developers and users are encouraged to enlist with the Debian Bugs channel at irc.debian.org and aid in the undertaking of working out the bugs and experimenting with Squeeze prototypes. Debian is hoping to have all Squeeze documents translated into as many different languages as possible for optimum accessibility. Part of this newest incarnation of Debian is the new installer which is known as D-I. D-I is going to provide many new features not seen in previous versions of Debian operating system installers. Among these is the fact that the ext4 file system will be supported, as well the presence of a simplified setup of LVM and RAD. (2) Another unique feature of the Squeeze installer is that this time around, packages from the “Recommends” section will be automatically installed by default. This is one of the most notable changes, as previous versions have only automatically installed packages that resided in the “Depends” category. Programs and packages that are within the Recommends section are ones that have been deemed to be of very high importance but not 100% vital. Although this will be done by default if no action is taken on the part of the user, it is easy enough to prevent it from happening. For users who do not want this installation to take place for the sake of saving disk space, the installation can be avoided through the boot prompt using preseeding, or by manually configuring it in /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/* using APT::Install-Recommends false;. (2) Another capability possessed by D-I is the ability to install Lenny (Debian 5.0) which is the most recent stable edition of Debian. Therefore, it will be possible to support two different versions of Debian with one installer, which is a monumental achievement. As some users are already experimenting with the installer, Debian has requested that any user exploring D-I’s test version consult the errata webpage before reporting any bugs or errors. Overall, the release of Squeeze is a very highly anticipated event and it is one that cannot arrive soon enough for the Debian community. As the necessary final improvements and adjustments are made during the current Freeze, all users will be sure to keep current with any and all news updates that are made available to the public. Squeeze is truly shaping up to be the most complete and advance version of the Debian OS to date and is sure to be a big hit with both Debian loyalists and new users alike when it hits the market in February. Works Cited 1.The H Open “Debian Squeeze Frozen” www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Debian-Squeeze-Frozen-1052121.html August 6. 2010 2.Prokop, Michael “Debian Installer 6.0 Alpha 1: Ext Support, Installs “Recommended” Packages www.infoq.com/news/2010/02/debian-installer-60 February 26, 2010 3. Hopewell, Luke “Freeze shows Debian 6.0 Release Close” Builder AU August 9, 2010www.builderau.com.au/news/soa/Freeze-shows-Debian-6-0-release-close10,33…