The Debian project has announced the codename for its next release after Debian 13 "Trixie" and Debian 14 "Forky": the codename for Debian 15 is "Duke".
Like previous Debian releases, "Duke" is a name taken from the Toy Story movies. Debian uses these names to make each release easy to remember and a bit of fun.
In this case, Duke is a reference to Duke Caboom, the Canadian stuntman toy from Toy Story 4.
When Will Debian 15 "Duke" Arrive?
While the name has been announced, there is no specific release date for Debian 15 "Duke" yet. However, we can look at past releases to get an idea.
Debian 13 "Trixie" is expected to be released around August 2025. Debian 14 "Forky" is expected in 2027. Given this pattern, Debian 15 "Duke" is likely to be released a couple of years after "Forky", probably 2029.
Key Things to Know About Debian Releases
The Debian project has a fun way of naming its releases, using characters from the Toy Story movies. Here's some exciting news about the next three releases: Debian 13 "Trixie", Debian 14 "Forky", and Debian 15 "Duke". Let's take a look at what we know about these upcoming versions.
Debian 13 "Trixie"
Name:
"Trixie" is named after the Triceratops toy from the Toy Story 3 film.
Release Date:
The first alpha version of the installer was released on January 4, 2025. The full release is expected around August 2025. This is based on previous Debian releases taking about 5 months from the first freeze to the stable release.
New Look:
"Trixie" will have a new default theme called "Ceratopsian". This theme was chosen by the community and is inspired by Trixie and a previous theme.
Installer Improvements:
The installer will have better user setup screens and improved partitioning. It will also support the riscv64 architecture, but will no longer be built for armel and i386.
Language Support:
The installer supports 78 languages, with 18 fully translated.
Freeze Schedule:
The release process includes several freeze stages:
- Transition and toolchain freeze: This started on March 15, 2025. This means that big changes and updates to important tools are stopped.
- Soft freeze: Started on April 15, 2025.
- Hard freeze: This is for key packages and those without automated tests, which began on May 15, 2025.
- Full freeze: The final freeze before the release, the date for which is still to be announced.
Debian 14 "Forky"
Name:
"Forky" is named after the character Forky, a spork toy from Toy Story 4.
Release Date:
Debian 14 "Forky" is expected to be released in 2027.
Debian 15 "Duke"
Name:
"Duke" is named after Duke Caboom, the Canadian stuntman toy from Toy Story 4.
Announcement:
The codename "Duke" was announced on January 22, 2025.
Release Date:
The release date is not known yet, but will likely be a couple of years after Debian 14 "Forky".
New Features:
Currently, there are no specific details about new features in Debian 15 "Duke". Announcements about these will come later in the development process.
What are Debian Freezes?
Debian releases go through a "freeze" process to make sure they are stable and reliable. This involves stopping changes at different stages. The freeze helps to get the release ready for general use.
- Transition and Toolchain Freeze: This is when changes to the basic tools needed to build Debian are stopped.
- Soft Freeze: Further restrictions on changes are put into place.
- Hard Freeze: Only critical bug fixes for important packages and those without automated tests are allowed.
- Full Freeze: The final stage before the release, where no new changes are allowed.
How Can You Help?
The Debian community is encouraged to help with testing and bug fixes as the project moves toward the next release.
- Test alpha releases and give feedback.
- Fix release-critical bugs.
- Avoid new transitions during freeze periods.
Debian is always moving forward, and with "Trixie," "Forky," and "Duke" on the way, there are some exciting times ahead for Debian users. Stay tuned for more updates from the Debian project.