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Debian's Overview

Total employees480
HeadquartersNot Applicable (Decentralized Project)
Founded1993

Debian is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to developing and distributing free and open-source software. Its most prominent project is the Debian GNU/Linux operating system, renowned for its stability, security, and vast software repositories. Governed by the Debian Constitution and Social Contract, the project emphasizes community, collaboration, and user freedom. It serves as a foundation for many other distributions, including Ubuntu. Debian is developed by thousands of volunteers worldwide and supported by donations and sponsorships, fiscally managed by Software in the Public Interest, Inc. (SPI).

Where is Debian's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Coordination of the global volunteer community, development efforts, software packaging, and release management, all performed in a distributed manner through online collaboration and mailing lists.

Notable Features:

Operates as a completely virtual and decentralized organization. Key infrastructure (servers, mirrors) is globally distributed, often donated by supporting organizations and universities. The annual DebConf (Debian Conference) serves as a key in-person gathering.

Work Culture:

Highly collaborative, consensus-driven, and meritocratic, based on strong adherence to the Debian Social Contract and Free Software Guidelines. Communication primarily occurs through public mailing lists, IRC channels, and bug tracking systems. Emphasis on technical excellence and volunteer contribution.

HQ Significance:

Its decentralized nature ensures resilience, global participation, and independence from any single corporate or national interest, allowing it to stay true to its core free software principles.

Values Reflected in HQ: Free software principles, community empowerment, volunteerism, global collaboration, technical excellence, transparency, and user freedom as outlined in the Debian Social Contract.

Location:

Debian has a truly global presence, with thousands of volunteer developers, contributors, and users spread across nearly every continent. Its infrastructure, including software mirrors and development servers, is also distributed worldwide. Functions supported globally include software development and packaging, quality assurance, translation and localization, documentation, user support via forums and mailing lists, and the distribution of the operating system and its updates.

Street Address:

Not Applicable (Decentralized Project)

City:

Not Applicable (Decentralized Project)

State/Province:

Not Applicable (Decentralized Project)

Country:

Global / Not Applicable (Decentralized Project)

Debian's Global Presence

Global / Online

Address: Not Applicable (Distributed Project)

To facilitate development, packaging, translation, support, and distribution worldwide, leveraging a decentralized community model to ensure global accessibility and participation.

Buying Intent Signals for Debian

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Executive Team of Debian

As of April 2025, Debian' leadership includes:

Jonathan Carter - Debian Project Leader (DPL)
Kurt Roeckx - Debian Project Secretary
Various Delegate Teams - Responsible for specific areas (e.g., FTP Masters, Security Team, Release Team)

Investors of Debian

Debian has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Community Donations (via Software in the Public Interest, Inc.)
Corporate Sponsors (providing hardware, bandwidth, and financial contributions)
Institutional Partners (e.g., universities and research labs providing mirrors and resources)

Executive New Hires/Exits in the Last 12 Months

Hire1
Exits0

The Debian Project Leader (DPL) is elected annually by Debian Developers. The most recent election concluded in April 2024.

New Appointments:

Jonathan Carter, Jonathan Carter was re-elected as Debian Project Leader following the annual DPL elections, continuing his leadership.

Technology (Tech Stack) used by Debian

Discover the tools Debian uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Debian Email Formats and Examples

Debian primarily uses mailing lists for public communication and collaboration (e.g., general inquiries, development discussions). The format is typically listname@lists.debian.org. Official developers and contributors often have @debian.org email addresses. Direct contact with specific teams or roles (e.g., leader@debian.org, press@debian.org) is also possible. Finding the correct mailing list is key for effective communication.

username@debian.org (for individual developers/roles) or listname@lists.debian.org (for mailing lists)

Format

leader@debian.org or press@debian.org

Example

90%

Success rate

News and media

Debian Official NewsMay 4, 2024

Debian 12.6 point release updates the stable distribution 'bookworm'

The Debian project announced the sixth update to its stable distribution Debian 12 (codename 'bookworm'). This point release primarily adds corrections for security issues, along with a few adjustments for serious problems....more

Debian Official NewsApril 21, 2024

Jonathan Carter re-elected as Debian Project Leader

Following the annual election period, Jonathan Carter has been re-elected as the Debian Project Leader for another one-year term. This marks his fifth term in this role....more

Debian Official NewsFebruary 10, 2024

Updated Debian 12: 12.5 released

The Debian project released the fifth update to its stable distribution Debian 12 (codename 'bookworm'). This point release adds corrections for security issues and adjustments for serious problems....more

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