organizing the system and fitting everything together into an integrated,
stable operating system: Debian GNU/Linux.

The design philosophy of GNU/Linux is to distribute its functionality into
small, multipurpose parts. That way, you can easily achieve new
functionality and new features by combining the small parts (programs) in
new ways. Debian is like an erector set: You can build all sorts of things
with it.

When you're using an operating system, you want to minimize the amount of
work you put into getting your job done. Debian supplies many tools that
can help, but only if you know what these tools do. Spending an hour
trying to get something to work and then finally giving up isn't very
productive. This guide will teach you about the core tools that make up
Debian: what tools to use in certain situations and how to tie these
various tools together.

Who Creates Debian?

Debian is an all-volunteer Internet-based development project. There are
hundreds of volunteers working on it. Most are in charge of a small number
of software packages and are very familiar with the software they package.

These volunteers work together by following a strict set of guidelines
governing how packages are assembled. These guidelines are developed
cooperatively in discussions on Internet mailing lists.

A Multiuser, Multitasking Operating System

As we mentioned earlier in section 1.1, the design of Debian GNU/Linux