Release 2.1 of the Debian operating system, code-named Slink, hit ftp sites on the morning of Tuesday March 9, 1999. While Linux is available free of charge, a number of organizations such as Debian, Caldera and Red Hat bundle the freely available software into convenient distributions. Cheap CDs of release 2.1 for Alpha, SPARC, Motorola 680×0 and Intel x86 systems will be available from Debian distributors soon. The OS uses the Linux kernel and GNU basic tools. Slink is only certified for use with Linux 2.0.x, and there are known problems with running Slink on the 2.2.x kernel. Debian is part of a non-profit organization called Software in the Public Interest; the distribution got its name from founders Deborah and Ian Murdoch.
