Working behind the scenes on Debian
Freexian
© Lead Image © fabrikacrimea, 123RF.com
Distro Walk talks to a company that plays a major role in developing and maintaining Debian distributions.
For long-time Linux users, Debian and its derivatives like Linux Mint and Ubuntu require no introduction. Together, they represent about two-thirds of all Linux distributions. By contrast, average users often know little about how these distributions are maintained and put together.
Unknown to many, Freexian [1], a small company based in France, plays a major role in both Debian itself and its derivative distributions as well as providing consulting services for corporate users. Anupa Ann Joseph, a Freexian collaborator, coordinated getting answers to my questions. The following interview is a group response from Freexian as a whole.
Linux Magazine (LM): How did Freexian begin? Was there a defining moment or need?
[...]
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