Debian is popular distribution of the GNU/Linux operating system. Over 8,710 packages of pre-compiled and tested applications are available for the Debian distribution.

Unparalleled Support - Mail sent to the mailing lists often gets answers within 15 minutes (or less), for free, and by the people who developed it. Compare that to typical phone support: hours spent on the phone, for money, only to get someone who doesn't know the system well enough to even understand your question.

World's Best Packaging System - Tired of old files from software three versions old cluttering your system? Or installing a piece of software only to find it causes your system to crash because of software conflicts? Dpkg, Debian's endured packaging system, takes care of these issues for you.

Easy Installation - If you have heard that GNU/Linux is difficult to install, then you haven't tried Debian lately. The Debian project is constantly improving the installation process. You can do the installation directly from CD, DOS, floppies or even over the network.

Incredible Amounts of Software - Debian comes with over 8,710 different pieces of software. Every bit of it is free. If you have proprietary software that runs under GNU/Linux, you can still use it - in fact, there may even be an installer in Debian that will automatically install and set up everything for you.

Packages Are Well Integrated - Debian surpasses most other distributions in how well its packages are integrated. Since all software is packaged in coherent groups, not only can all packages be found at a single site, but you can be assured that all issues regarding complicated dependencies have already worked out.

Source Code - If you are a software developer, you will appreciate the fact that there are hundreds of development tools and languages, plus millions of lines of source code in the base system. All of the software in the main distribution meets the criteria of the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG). This means that you can freely use this code to study from, or to incorporate into new free software projects. There are also plenty of tools and code suitable for use in proprietary projects.

Easy Upgrades - Due to the Debian packaging system, upgrading to a new version of Debian is a snap. Just run apt-get update ; apt-get dist-upgrade and you can upgrade from a CD in a matter of minutes or point apt at one of the over 150 Debian mirrors and upgrade over the net.

Bug Tracking System - Debian's bug tracking system is publicly available. Users are encouraged to submit bug reports and are notified when and why the bug was closed. This system allows Debian to respond to problems quickly and honestly.

Stability - There are many cases of machines that run for over a year without rebooting. Even then, they are only rebooted due to a power failure or a hardware upgrade. Compare that to other systems that crash multiple times a day.

Fast and Easy on Memory - Other operating systems may be as fast in one or two areas, but being based on GNU/Linux, Debian is lean and mean. Windows software run from GNU/Linux using an emulator sometimes runs faster than when run in the native environment.

Hardware Support - Drivers for most hardware is written by GNU/Linux users, not the manufacturer. While this can mean delays before new hardware is supported and no support for some hardware, it enables support for hardware long after the manufacturer has stopped producing it or gone out of business. Experience has shown that Open Source drivers are usually much better than proprietary ones.

• Pentium or AMD processor, 200 MHz or higher
• 64MB of RAM or more
• 640x480 or higher screen resolution

• 7 Debian 3.0 R4 CDs, 7 Paper CD Sleeves
• Quick Start Information Sheet