diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'templates/iso/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.en.html')
| -rw-r--r-- | templates/iso/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.en.html | 567 |
1 files changed, 567 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/templates/iso/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.en.html b/templates/iso/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.en.html new file mode 100644 index 000000000..013350708 --- /dev/null +++ b/templates/iso/doc/FAQ/html/ch-ftparchives.en.html @@ -0,0 +1,567 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0//EN"> + +<html> + +<head> + +<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<title>The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ - The Debian FTP archives</title> + +</head> + +<body> + +<p><a name="ch-ftparchives"></a></p> +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">4</a> ] +[ 5 ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h1> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +<br>Chapter 5 - The Debian FTP archives +</h1> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-dirtree"></a>5.1 What are all those directories at the Debian FTP archives?</h2> + +<p> +The software that has been packaged for Debian GNU/Linux is available in one of +several directory trees on each Debian mirror site. +</p> + +<p> +The <samp>dists</samp> directory is short for "distributions", and it +is the canonical way to access the currently available Debian releases (and +pre-releases). +</p> + +<p> +The <samp>pool</samp> directory contains the actual packages, see <a +href="#s-pools">What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?, Section 5.10</a>. +</p> + +<p> +There are the following supplementary directories: +</p> +<dl> +<dt><em>/tools/</em>:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +DOS utilities for creating boot disks, partitioning your disk drive, +compressing/decompressing files, and booting Linux. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><em>/doc/</em>:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +The basic Debian documentation, such as the FAQ, the bug reporting system +instructions, etc. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><em>/indices/</em>:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +The Maintainers file and the override files. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +<dl> +<dt><em>/project/</em>:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +mostly developer-only materials, such as: +</p> +<dl> +<dt><em>project/experimental/</em>:</dt> +<dd> +<p> +This directory contains packages and tools which are still being developed, and +are still in the alpha testing stage. Users shouldn't be using packages from +here, because they can be dangerous and harmful even for the most experienced +people. +</p> +</dd> +</dl> +</dd> +</dl> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-dists"></a>5.2 How many Debian distributions are there in the <samp>dists</samp> directory?</h2> + +<p> +There are three distributions, the "stable" distribution, the +"testing" distribution, and the "unstable" distribution. +The "testing" distribution is sometimes `frozen' (see <a +href="#s-frozen">What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?, Section +5.6.1</a>). +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-codenames"></a>5.3 What are all those names like slink, potato, etc.?</h2> + +<p> +They are just "codenames". When a Debian distribution is in the +development stage, it has no version number but a codename. The purpose of +these codenames is to make easier the mirroring of the Debian distributions (if +a real directory like <samp>unstable</samp> suddenly changed its name to +<samp>stable</samp>, a lot of stuff would have to be needlessly downloaded +again). +</p> + +<p> +Currently, <samp>stable</samp> is a symbolic link to <samp>sarge</samp> (i.e. +Debian GNU/Linux 3.1) and <samp>testing</samp> is a symbolic link to +<samp>etch</samp>. This means that <samp>sarge</samp> is the current stable +distribution and <samp>etch</samp> is the current testing distribution. +</p> + +<p> +<samp>unstable</samp> is a permanent symbolic link to <samp>sid</samp>, as +<samp>sid</samp> is always the unstable distribution (see <a href="#s-sid">What +about "sid"?, Section 5.4</a>). +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-oldcodenames"></a>5.3.1 Which other codenames have been used in the past?</h3> + +<p> +Other codenames that have been already used are: <samp>buzz</samp> for release +1.1, <samp>rex</samp> for release 1.2, <samp>bo</samp> for releases 1.3.x, +<samp>hamm</samp> for release 2.0, <samp>slink</samp> for release 2.1, +<samp>potato</samp> for release 2.2 and <samp>woody</samp> for release 3.0. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-sourceforcodenames"></a>5.3.2 Where do these codenames come from?</h3> + +<p> +So far they have been characters taken from the movie "Toy Story" by +Pixar. +</p> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>buzz</em> (Buzz Lightyear) was the spaceman, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>rex</em> was the tyrannosaurus, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>bo</em> (Bo Peep) was the girl who took care of the sheep, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>hamm</em> was the piggy bank, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>slink</em> (Slinky Dog (R)) was the toy dog, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>potato</em> was, of course, Mr. Potato (R), +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>woody</em> was the cowboy, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>sarge</em> was the sergeant of the Green Plastic Army Men, +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>etch</em> was the toy blackboard (Etch-a-Sketch (R)). +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +<em>sid</em> was the boy next door who destroyed toys. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-sid"></a>5.4 What about "sid"?</h2> + +<p> +<em>sid</em> or <em>unstable</em> is the place where most of the packages are +initially uploaded. It will never be released directly, because packages which +are to be released will first have to be included in <em>testing</em>, in order +to be released in <em>stable</em> later on. sid contains packages for both +released and unreleased architectures. +</p> + +<p> +The name "sid" also comes from the "Toy Story" animated +motion picture: Sid was the boy next door who destroyed toys :-) +</p> + +<p> +[<a href="footnotes.en.html#f1" name="fr1">1</a>] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-stable"></a>5.5 What does the stable directory contain?</h2> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +stable/main/: This directory contains the packages which formally constitute +the most recent release of the Debian GNU/Linux system. +</p> + +<p> +These packages all comply with the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines">Debian Free Software +Guidelines</a></code>, and are all freely usable and distributable. +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +stable/non-free/: This directory contains packages distribution of which is +restricted in a way that requires that distributors take careful account of the +specified copyright requirements. +</p> + +<p> +For example, some packages have licenses which prohibit commercial +distribution. Others can be redistributed but are in fact shareware and not +freeware. The licenses of each of these packages must be studied, and possibly +negotiated, before the packages are included in any redistribution (e.g., in a +CD-ROM). +</p> +</li> +</ul> +<ul> +<li> +<p> +stable/contrib/: This directory contains packages which are DFSG-free and +<em>freely distributable</em> themselves, but somehow depend on a package that +is <em>not</em> freely distributable and thus available only in the non-free +section. +</p> +</li> +</ul> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-testing"></a>5.6 What does the testing directory contain?</h2> + +<p> +Packages are installed into the `testing' directory after they have undergone +some degree of testing in <a href="#s-unstable">unstable</a>. +</p> + +<p> +They must be in sync on all architectures where they have been built and +mustn't have dependencies that make them uninstallable; they also have to have +fewer release-critical bugs than the versions currently in testing. This way, +we hope that `testing' is always close to being a release candidate. +</p> + +<p> +More information about the status of "testing" in general and the +individual packages is available at <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/devel/testing">http://www.debian.org/devel/testing</a></code> +</p> + +<hr> + +<h3><a name="s-frozen"></a>5.6.1 What about "testing"? How is it `frozen'?</h3> + +<p> +When the "testing" distribution is mature enough, the release manager +starts `freezing' it. The normal propagation delays are increased to ensure +that as little as possible new bugs from "unstable" enter +"testing". +</p> + +<p> +After a while, the "testing" distribution becomes truly `frozen'. +This means that all new packages that are to propagate to the +"testing" are held back, unless they include release-critical bug +fixes. The "testing" distribution can also remain in such a deep +freeze during the so-called `test cycles', when the release is imminent. +</p> + +<p> +We keep a record of bugs in the "testing" distribution that can hold +off a package from being released, or bugs that can hold back the whole +release. For details, please see <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/releases/testing/">current testing release +information</a></code>. +</p> + +<p> +Once that bug count lowers to maximum acceptable values, the frozen +"testing" distribution is declared "stable" and released +with a version number. +</p> + +<p> +With each new release, the previous "stable" distribution becomes +obsolete and moves to the archive. For more information please see <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/distrib/archive">Debian archive</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-unstable"></a>5.7 What does the unstable directory contain?</h2> + +<p> +The `unstable' directory contains a snapshot of the current development system. +Users are welcome to use and test these packages, but are warned about their +state of readiness. The advantage of using the unstable distribution is that +you are always up-to-date with the latest in GNU/Linux software industry, but +if it breaks: you get to keep both parts :-) +</p> + +<p> +There are also main, contrib and non-free subdirectories in `unstable', +separated on the same criteria as in `stable'. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-archsections"></a>5.8 What are all those directories inside <samp>dists/stable/main</samp>?</h2> + +<p> +Within each of the major directory trees[<a href="footnotes.en.html#f2" +name="fr2">2</a>], there are three sets of subdirectories containing index +files. +</p> + +<p> +There's one set of <samp>binary-<var>something</var></samp> subdirectories +which contain index files for binary packages of each available computer +architecture, for example <samp>binary-i386</samp> for packages which execute +on Intel x86 PC machines or <samp>binary-sparc</samp> for packages which +execute on Sun SPARCStations. +</p> + +<p> +The complete list of available architectures for each release is available at +<code><a href="http://www.debian.org/releases/">the release's web +page</a></code>. For the current release, please see <a +href="ch-compat.en.html#s-arches">On what hardware architectures/systems does +Debian GNU/Linux run?, Section 3.1</a>. +</p> + +<p> +The index files in binary-* are called Packages(.gz) and they include a summary +of each binary package that is included in that distribution. The actual +binary packages (for <em>woody</em> and subsequent releases) reside in the top +level <a href="#s-pools"><samp>pool</samp> directory</a>. +</p> + +<p> +Furthermore, there's a subdirectory called source/ which contains index files +for source packages included in the distribution. The index file is called +Sources(.gz). +</p> + +<p> +Last but not least, there's a set of subdirectories meant for the installation +system index files. In the <em>woody</em> release, these are named +<samp>disks-<var>architecture</var></samp>; in <em>sarge</em>, they are at +<samp>debian-installer/binary-<var>architecture</var></samp>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-source"></a>5.9 Where is the source code?</h2> + +<p> +Source code is included for everything in the Debian system. Moreover, the +license terms of most programs in the system <em>require</em> that source code +be distributed along with the programs, or that an offer to provide the source +code accompany the programs. +</p> + +<p> +The source code is distributed in the <samp>pool</samp> directory (see <a +href="#s-pools">What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?, Section 5.10</a>) +together with all the architecture-specific binary directories. To retrieve +the source code without having to be familiar with the structure of the FTP +archive, try a command like <samp>apt-get source mypackagename</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +Some packages are only distributed as source code due to the restrictions in +their licenses. Notably, one such package is <samp>pine</samp>, see <a +href="ch-software.en.html#s-pine">Where is pine?, Section 4.10</a> for more +information. +</p> + +<p> +Source code may or may not be available for packages in the "contrib" +and "non-free" directories, which are not formally part of the Debian +system. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-pools"></a>5.10 What's in the <samp>pool</samp> directory?</h2> + +<p> +Packages are kept in a large `pool', structured according to the name of the +source package. To make this manageable, the pool is subdivided by section +(`main', `contrib' and `non-free') and by the first letter of the source +package name. These directories contain several files: the binary packages for +each architecture, and the source packages from which the binary packages were +generated. +</p> + +<p> +You can find out where each package is placed by executing a command like +<samp>apt-cache showsrc mypackagename</samp> and looking at the `Directory:' +line. For example, the <samp>apache</samp> packages are stored in +<samp>pool/main/a/apache/</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +Additionally, since there are so many <samp>lib*</samp> packages, these are +treated specially: for instance, libpaper packages are stored in +<samp>pool/main/libp/libpaper/</samp>. +</p> + +<p> +[<a href="footnotes.en.html#f3" name="fr3">3</a>] +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-incoming"></a>5.11 What is "incoming"?</h2> + +<p> +After a developer uploads a package, it stays for a short while in the +"incoming" directory before it is checked that it's genuine and +allowed into the archive. +</p> + +<p> +Usually nobody should install things from this place. However, in some rare +cases of emergency, the incoming directory is available at <code><a +href="http://incoming.debian.org/">http://incoming.debian.org/</a></code>. You +can manually fetch packages, check the GPG signature and MD5sums in the +.changes and .dsc files, and then install them. +</p> + +<hr> + +<h2><a name="s-ownrepository"></a>5.12 How do I set up my own apt-able repository?</h2> + +<p> +If you have built some private Debian packages which you'd like to install +using the standard Debian package management tools, you can set up your own +apt-able package archive. This is also useful if you'd like to share your +Debian packages while these are not distributed by the Debian project. +Instructions on how to do this are given in the <code><a +href="http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/repository-howto/repository-howto">Debian +Repository HOWTO</a></code>. +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">previous</a> ] +[ <a href="index.en.html#contents">Contents</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-basic_defs.en.html">1</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-getting.en.html">2</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-compat.en.html">3</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-software.en.html">4</a> ] +[ 5 ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">6</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkgtools.en.html">7</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-uptodate.en.html">8</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-kernel.en.html">9</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-customizing.en.html">10</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-support.en.html">11</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-contributing.en.html">12</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-redistrib.en.html">13</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-nexttime.en.html">14</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html">15</a> ] +[ <a href="ch-pkg_basics.en.html">next</a> ] +</p> + +<hr> + +<p> +The Debian GNU/Linux FAQ +</p> + +<address> +version 3.1.3, 25 April 2006<br> +<br> +Authors are listed at <a href="ch-faqinfo.en.html#s-authors">Debian FAQ Authors</a><br> +<br> +</address> +<hr> + +</body> + +</html> + |