Debian Version History

2 active, 16 end-of-life. 18 versions tracked.

Debian releases a new stable version roughly every 2 years, though there's no fixed schedule. Each release is named after a Toy Story character. Debian's stable releases are known for their rock-solid reliability and conservative package versions.

Recommendation

For servers and production, use Debian 13 (Trixie). It's the current stable release with security support through 2028 (plus LTS extensions).

Version Released End of Life Latest Patch Status
Debian 13 August 9, 2025 August 9, 2028 13.3 Active
Debian 12 June 10, 2023 June 10, 2026 12.13 Active
Debian 11 August 14, 2021 August 14, 2024 11.11 End of Life
Debian 10 July 6, 2019 September 10, 2022 10.13 End of Life
Debian 9 June 17, 2017 July 18, 2020 9.13 End of Life
Debian 8 April 25, 2015 June 17, 2018 8.11 End of Life
Debian 7 May 4, 2013 April 25, 2016 7.11 End of Life
Debian 6 February 6, 2011 May 31, 2014 6.0.10 End of Life
Debian 5 February 14, 2009 February 6, 2012 5.0.10 End of Life
Debian 4 April 8, 2007 February 15, 2010 4.0r9 End of Life
Debian 3.1 June 6, 2005 March 31, 2008 3.1r8 End of Life
Debian 3.0 July 19, 2002 June 30, 2006 3.0r6 End of Life
Debian 2.2 August 15, 2000 June 30, 2003 2.2r7 End of Life
Debian 2.1 March 9, 1999 September 30, 2000 2.1r5 End of Life
Debian 2.0 July 24, 1998 February 15, 1999 2.0r5 End of Life
Debian 1.3 July 2, 1997 December 8, 1998 1.3.1 r.6 End of Life
Debian 1.2 December 12, 1996 October 23, 1997 1.2 End of Life
Debian 1.1 June 17, 1996 December 12, 1996 1.1 End of Life
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Debian Support Policy

Debian stable releases get approximately 3 years of full security support from the Debian Security Team, followed by 2 years of LTS support from the Debian LTS Team (total ~5 years). After LTS ends, Extended LTS (ELTS) may provide commercial support for specific packages.

What You Need to Know

Debian 12 (Bookworm) enters LTS in June 2026. It's still fully supported until then.

Debian 13 (Trixie) is the current stable release, shipped in 2025.

Debian 11 (Bullseye) LTS support continues through mid-2026.

Debian 13 ships with an updated LTS kernel, Python 3.12+, PHP 8.3+, and refreshed system packages.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does Debian release new versions?
Debian releases a new stable version approximately every 2 years, though the schedule isn't fixed. It ships 'when it's ready.' Recent releases: Debian 10 (2019), 11 (2021), 12 (2023), 13 (expected 2025).
How long is each Debian version supported?
About 5 years total: 3 years of full security support from the Debian Security Team, then 2 years of LTS from the Debian LTS Team. Some packages may get Extended LTS through commercial providers.
Should I use Debian stable or testing?
For servers, always use stable. Testing gets newer packages but can temporarily have unpatched security issues and broken dependencies. For development workstations where you want newer software, testing is a reasonable choice.

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