The upcoming Debian 12 (Bookworm) release is anticipated to be one of the most significant events of 2023 for the Open Source community. Often referred to as the “universal operating system,” Debian has been a staple in the Linux ecosystem for nearly three decades.
Moreover, the distribution is the foundation for a large ecosystem of first-class ones such as Ubuntu, MX Linux, Linux Mint Debian Edition, Deepin, etc.
And now the wait is almost over as Debian 12 enters its last fourth phase of development, known as full freeze, on May 24.
This means that all packages are frozen unless the maintainer has a good reason to update the package. However, for this to happen, the developer must submit an unblock request, which gets approved. So, in practice, only critical bugs, if any, will be fixed.
The full freeze is a critical milestone in the Debian release process. It signifies that the inclusion of new features and major changes is over, and the focus now shifts toward bug fixing, fine-tuning, and preparing the operating system for its stable release.
At the same time, the full freeze phase usually takes place around two weeks before the release of the final stable version, which, as we informed you earlier, the Debian team has scheduled for June 10, 2023.
The other three preceding phases in the development of each Debian version, namely Transition and Toolchain Freeze, Soft Freeze, and Hard Freeze, are now in the past – more about that – here.
So, with Debian 12 (Bookworm) knocking on our door, what can we expect from it? Well, it promises to bring a host of exciting updates and improvements.
The novelties are many, to mention the new Debian Installer, the inclusion of the non-free firmware into it, Linux kernel 6.1, updated desktop environments (Plasma 5.27, GNOME 43.3, Cinnamon 5.6, and Xfce 4.18), wholly updated package base, and so on.
An in-depth look at all the major new features in the upcoming Debian 12 (Bookworm) release can be found in our article on the subject.
So, as the development team works tirelessly to address any remaining issues, the Debian community eagerly waits for the moment when they can download and experience the latest iteration of their beloved operating system.
With each release, Debian demonstrates its unwavering commitment to open-source ideals while providing a robust and reliable platform that empowers users and businesses to unleash their creativity and achieve their computing goals. One thing is sure – Debian 12 (Bookworm) will be no exception to this rule.
