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# debian-reference (Version 2 series)

2026-08-17T03:06:31+00:00

Osamu Aoki, <osamu at debian dot org>

This Debian Reference (v2) is intended to provide a broad overview of the
Debian system as a post-installation user's guide. It covers many aspects of
system administration through shell-command examples for non-developers.

## Package status of `debian-reference` package

The package status of `debian-reference` can be checked at the following URLs:

 * https://bugs.debian.org/src:debian-reference    (BTS)
 * https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/debian-reference (Package)
 * https://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-reference/ (Latest HTML page)
 * https://www.debian.org/doc/user-manuals#quick-reference (Links on debian.org)

## Development of `debian-reference` package

The document content of `debian-reference` uses XML file as its backend and
stores it in the SALSA service.

* SALSA: https://salsa.debian.org/debian/debian-reference
* How to contribute: [README_salsa.md](README_salsa.md)

You are welcomed to join the maintenance team and update the source tree.

All Debian Developers (DD) have the write access with the "Master" status for
this [debian-reference salsa repository](https://salsa.debian.org/debian/debian-reference).

If you are a non-Debian Developer
with `*-guest` account on salsa who needs write access to this
debian-reference salsa repository, you can inform your `*-guest` account to me
(or any DD) with clear intent and reasonable rationale and let me (or any DD)
invite you to the write access with the "Developer" status from
[the main debian-reference project page](https://salsa.debian.org/debian/debian-reference)
via Setting-Member menu.

See https://wiki.debian.org/Salsa/Doc for how to use this site.

## Translation of `debian-reference` package

The translation of `debian-reference` uses PO files in the source tree.  Since
it is non-trivial for many people to update PO files, the `debian-reference`
is also use the weblate.org service for the translation resource.

* WEBLATE: https://hosted.weblate.org/projects/debian-reference/
* How to contribute: [README_weblate.md](README_weblate.md)
* Current status: [po_completed.md](po_completed.md)

## Corrections and proposals

If you have a concrete update proposal, your proposals are highly appreciated.

* [Debian BTS](https://bugs.debian.org/src:debian-reference) using `reportbug --src debian-reference` from the shell command line.
* [Merge requests on SALSA](https://salsa.debian.org/debian/debian-reference/-/merge_requests)

For the corrections and proposals to the English content, it is strongly
recommended to write what you want explicitly as an alternative.  "It does not
work...", "I can do this...", etc. aren't very useful.  Bug report such as
"The section 9.3.3 should be rewritten as .... because .... " is desirable
style.  (I do not wish to spend time to second-guess or search where you see
the issues.)

For simple grammar errors and spell errors, diff -u against the plain text
file or the source file are most appreciated.  (Of course, real patch files or
merge requests are even better.)

Any changes to the English content cause broken existing translations.
Extreme care is needed to avoid such translation breakages.  Advanced
discussion and use of a topic branch is a good idea.

See also, http://bugs.debian.org for how Debian BTS works.

Osamu
