Debian Linux 4.0 Gets an Update

Aug. 18, 2007

A new update to the latest stable version of Debian 4.0 includes security updates and other important problem fixes.

Historically, Debian is an extremely popular community-based Linux distribution. It's also known, however, for arriving later than expected. This time, though, the Debian Foundation has relatively quickly released a set of security and other patches to the recently released Debian GNU/Linux 4.0.

Codenamed Etch, Debian 4.0, was finally released in April, 2007 after months of delay. On the morning of August 16th, the Debian developers released an update, which adds security updates to the stable release, together with a few corrections to serious problems. The developers also noted in their Debian patch announcement that, "As always, the first point release also corrects a few issues that have been noticed too late in the release process to stop the release, but still should be fixed."

Specifically, this Etch "point release" includes the following changes:

• The installer has been updated. The kernels used in the installer have been updated to ABI 2.6.18-5; as a result, some "small" images (for example netboot and floppy images) included with the original Etch release will no longer work (but the new images included with the point release will work, as well as the full CD/DVD images from both the original release as well as from this point release).
  
  
• The mirror list for Debian ISOs, source code, and downloads has been updated.
  
  
• Debian now includes support added for more USB CD drives.
  
  
• An incorrect setup of GKSu was fixed. Before this repair if users chose to install Debian with the root account disabled, they would have been unable to run some administrative tasks while using the GNOME desktop.
  
  
• Debian has also been given more than 38 security updates.
  

For more details on these and other updates and changes, see the Preparation of Debian GNU/Linux 4.0r1 page.

The developers want to make it clear, though, that update does not constitute a new version of Debian Linux 4.0 but only updates some of the packages included. "There is no need to throw away 4.0 DVDs/CDs. Instead you only need to update against ftp.debian.org or a mirror after an installation, in order to incorporate those changes. New CD and DVD images will be available within the next week at the regular locations."

Debian community members recommend upgrading to this revision online by pointing the aptitude package tool to one of Debian's many FTP or HTTP mirrors. A comprehensive list of mirrors is available at the Debian ftp list site.

Many Debian users won't even need to do that, however. If your Debian system, such as the ones used by Linux-Watch and DesktopLinux editors, has been set to automatically update Debian, the updates should already have happened without any fuss or muss.