Chapter 1. Definitions and overview

4

For additional information about this, please see our web page about reasons to choose Debian

(

http://www.debian.org/intro/why_debian

).

1.5 How does the Debian project fit in or compare with the Free Soft 

ware Foundation's GNU project?

The Debian system builds on the ideals of free software first championed by the Free Software

Foundation (

http://www.gnu.org/

) and in particular by Richard Stallman (

http://www.

stallman.org/

). FSF's powerful system development tools, utilities, and applications are

also a key part of the Debian system.

The Debian Project is a separate entity from the FSF, however we communicate regularly and

cooperate on various projects. The FSF explicitly requested that we call our system  Debian

GNU/Linux , and we are happy to comply with that request.

The FSF's long standing objective is to develop a new operating system called GNU, based

on Hurd (

http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/

). Debian is working with FSF on this

system, called Debian GNU/Hurd (

http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/

).

1.6 How does one pronounce Debian and what does this word

mean?

The project name is pronounced Deb' ee en, with a short e in Deb, and emphasis on the first

syllable. This word is a contraction of the names of Debra and Ian Murdock, who founded

the project. (Dictionaries seem to offer some ambiguity in the pronunciation of Ian (!), but Ian

prefers ee' en.)