Debian 5.0: Way to Go, Lenny!
The deal is closed: Debian 5.0, code-named Lenny, is officially available.
The long-anticipated Debian 5.0 is based on Kernel 2.6.26, while support for 2.4 was discontinued. Also put into retirement were Apache 1 and XMMS 1, which will be replaced by their successors. The newly supported architectures include Armel, whereas 32-bit SPARC V8 will also go away.
The new Debian-Installer clearly supports more hardware, such as some SATA RAID controllers, thanks to the current Kernel. Installation media can be changed during installation; Blueray is also available next to CD and DVD.
Upgrading from the most recent Debian 4.0r7 "Etch" uses distupgrade, where admins should proof the list of removed packages. The upgrade procedure in the Lenny release notes explicitly cautions in a "Prepare a safe environment" section to perform the distro upgrade "either locally from a textmode virtual console (or a directly connected serial terminal), or remotely via an ssh link." It recommends against upgrading using telnet or from an X session to avoid a newstart of the network services or X Server leading to a possibly half-upgraded, inaccessible system.
Caution also applies if using lilo as the bootloader in that Lenny generates initramfs images that are too large for lilo, in which case the standard grub bootloader is a better choice.
Lenny increased the number of software offerings from Debian 4.0 of almost 10,000 to 25,000. New ones include Nagios 3, MySQL 5.0.15 and PostgreSQL 8.3. The GCC version is 4.3 and the GLibc C library version is 2.7.
Equally interesting for server admins is that support ends for the EVMS LVM manager and was replaced by KVM kernel virtualization. Also, ryslog replaces the old kernel log daemon klogd/sysklogd.
Debian 5.0 is dedicated to the memory of developer Thiemo Seufer who died December 26 in a tragic car accident.
Lenny is available for download in a number of variants. Experienced admins with an excellent Internet connection should be happy with the CD/DVD images from mirror sites. However, the website recommends downloading via BitTorrent to take the load off the mirrors.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
ESET Discovers New Linux Malware
WolfsBane is an all-in-one malware that has hit the Linux operating system and includes a dropper, a launcher, and a backdoor.
-
New Linux Kernel Patch Allows Forcing a CPU Mitigation
Even when CPU mitigations can consume precious CPU cycles, it might not be a bad idea to allow users to enable them, even if your machine isn't vulnerable.
-
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.5 Released
Notify your friends, loved ones, and colleagues that the latest version of RHEL is available with plenty of enhancements.
-
Linux Sees Massive Performance Increase from a Single Line of Code
With one line of code, Intel was able to increase the performance of the Linux kernel by 4,000 percent.
-
Fedora KDE Approved as an Official Spin
If you prefer the Plasma desktop environment and the Fedora distribution, you're in luck because there's now an official spin that is listed on the same level as the Fedora Workstation edition.
-
New Steam Client Ups the Ante for Linux
The latest release from Steam has some pretty cool tricks up its sleeve.
-
Gnome OS Transitioning Toward a General-Purpose Distro
If you're looking for the perfectly vanilla take on the Gnome desktop, Gnome OS might be for you.
-
Fedora 41 Released with New Features
If you're a Fedora fan or just looking for a Linux distribution to help you migrate from Windows, Fedora 41 might be just the ticket.
-
AlmaLinux OS Kitten 10 Gives Power Users a Sneak Preview
If you're looking to kick the tires of AlmaLinux's upstream version, the developers have a purrfect solution.
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.