Over three decades ago, the late Ian Murdock posted a message to the comp.os.linux.development newsgroup, announcing the completion of a fresh Linux release that he dubbed “The Debian Linux Release.”
He meticulously constructed this release from the ground up, essentially crafting it by hand. Ian established a set of principles outlining how this novel release would function, its approach to matters such as size, upgrade procedures, and installation methods. He showed great consideration for users who lacked an Internet connection.
Unbeknownst to him, his actions ignited a movement within the nascent Free and Open Source Software (F/OSS) community. Ian continued to dedicate himself to the Debian project, which soon gained support from volunteers spanning the newsgroup and worldwide.
Over time, this release expanded and persists in its growth, evolving into one of the most substantial and enduring FREE operating systems that remains relevant even today.