New Features and other interesting stuff in Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 "etch"

A list of more technical issues regarding the upgrade from Sarge to Etch is available at Sarge2EtchUpgrade.

internal changes

What changed between the release of Sarge and the upcoming release of Etch, which might be interesting for users, even if it didn't effect them direcetly.

• New python policy
• mirror split
• AMD64 arch
• LSB 3.1
• ..
• internal development:
  • GCC 4.1 as default compilter
  • libc 2.3.6
    • support for 2.2 kernels has been dropped (except for m68k). libc will refuse to be installed on 2.2 kernels, the solution is to install a 2.4 (or a 2.6) kernel before the upgrade.
  • Python 2.4

New Features

• apt-key and all that
• ddtp (translated package descriptions) out of the box?
• installer:
  • graphical installer
    • new languages through bidi support
  • encrypted partitions
• "default desktop environment" improvements
  • update notification (using update-notifier)
  • local deb install (using gdebi)
  • printing support
  • scanner support (post beta-3 stuff)
  • better artwork (being discussed now)
  • instant messaging (using gaim)
  • partition management (using gparted) and more.
• UTF-8 environment by default on new installs
• udev by default on new installs
• debtags
• ...

New introduced Packages

(Just the most important ones.)

• Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP)

• Nexuiz

• xen and vserver kernel variants (no more patching)
• with advancement of free Java implementations packages like Eclipse Platform or Tomcat5 are possible
• Mono
• TeX Live distribution (+350MB, yay)
• SER (SIP Express Router) and OpenSER, for advanced VoIP architectures

Updated Packages

(Just the most important ones.)

• OpenOffice.org 2.0.3

  • nota bene: splitted packages; you don't need to install everything, if you just need OpenOffice.org writer

• KDE 3.5.3 (3.5.4 in sid will probably make it to etch, too)
• GNOME 2.14.2.1
• Xfce 4.4
• Linux Kernel 2.6.17 (?)
• X.org 7.x
  • nota bene: Brings not only new drivers, but also modularized packages (and with that no mega downloads when a security update is releases)
• mdadm 2.5.x: now requires an mdadm.conf file.
• Asterisk 1.2
• Firefox 1.5

removed packages

• Mozilla (perhaps seamonkey as replacement)

(Might be mostly interesting for the release-notes? Some way to autogenerate such a list? ask tbm?)