comes from the Unix operating system. Unlike common desktop operating
systems such as DOS, Windows, and MacOS, GNU/Linux is usually found on
large servers and multiuser systems.

This means that Debian has features those other operating systems lack. It
allows a large number of people to use the same computer at once, as long
as each user has his or her own terminal.1.1 To permit many users to work
at once, Debian must allow many programs and applications to run
simultaneously. This feature is called multitasking.

Much of the power (and complexity) of GNU/Linux systems stems from these
two features. For example, the system must have a way to keep users from
accidentally deleting each other's files. The operating system also must
coordinate the many programs running at once to ensure that they don't all
use the same resource, such as a hard drive, at the same time.

If you keep in mind what Debian was originally designed to do, many
aspects of it will make a lot more sense. You'll learn to take advantage
of the power of these features.

What Is Free Software?

When Debian developers and users speak of ``Free Software,'' they refer to
freedom rather than price. Debian is free in this sense: You are free to
modify and redistribute it and will always have access to the source code
for this purpose. The Debian Free Software Guidelines describe in more
detail exactly what is meant by ``free.'' The Free Software Foundation,
originator of the GNU Project, is another excellent source of information.
You can find a more detailed discussion of free software on the Debian web
site. One of the most well-known works in this field is Richard M.