What Is Debian GNU/Linux?
*************************

   Debian GNU/Linux is a complete and powerful Unix-compatible
operating system for IBM PC and compatible machines with an 80386 or
faster processor and ISA, EISA, VLB, or PCI architecture.  In effect,
Debian GNU/Linux is a preliminary release of the GNU operating system,
integrating the available parts of GNU with the Linux kernel.

   Debian GNU/Linux includes hundreds of software packages, including
most GNU software, TeX, and the X Window System.  Each package is an
independent and modular unit, in that it is not associated with
any particular release of the complete system or distribution scheme.
Anyone can create their own packages and even upload them to be made
available with the distribution or as a part of the distribution.

   Of course, Debian GNU/Linux is best known for its upgradability.
It is upgradable incrementally and "in place".  This means that users
can upgrade individual packages or entire systems when they become
available without having to reformat and reinstall.  A user can choose
to upgrade certain new or updated components as they are released, or
she can choose to install an entire new release at once.  The package
maintenance system, called dpkg, makes sure that package conflicts and
dependencies are resolved, and it intelligently updates configuration
files to preserve any changes the user made before the upgrade process.

Computer Requirements (CPU and Architecture)
********************************************

   In general, Debian GNU/Linux will run on most IBM PC and compatible
machines with ISA, EISA, VLB, or PCI architecture and an 80386, 80486,
or Pentium processor.  This includes both desktop and laptop systems.
Linux will not run on machines with IBM's proprietary Micro Channel
Architecture (MCA)--most notably, this means that it will not run on
the IBM PS/2.

Disk Space Requirements
***********************

   The basic Debian GNU/Linux system, which is called the "base
system", requires slightly over ten megabytes of disk space.  The base
system includes everything necessary to boot and run Debian GNU/Linux,
but it will be difficult to do anything beyond that without installing
additional software.  A standard installation without the X Window
System requires approximately forty megabytes of disk space, and a
standard installation with the X Window System requires approximately
sixty megabytes of disk space.  The actual disk space requirements, of
course, depend greatly on which optional software packages you install.

RAM Requirements
****************

   Debian GNU/Linux requires at least four megabytes of RAM during
installation and normal system use, and eight megabytes of RAM when
running the X Window System.  In general, the more memory installed
in the machine, the faster it will run.

More Information
****************

   For more information about Debian GNU/Linux, please visit the World
Wide Web page `http://www.debian.org/'.