The release of the distribution debian gnu/hurd 2025 was recently announced, which combines the Debian software environment with the GNU/Hurd nucleus. The Debian GNU/Hurd repository includes approximately 72% of the total size of the Debian archive and features popular software like Firefox and XFCE. Installation assemblies can be found here (364MB) specifically for the i386 architecture. Additionally, ready-made images for virtual machines are available for those who want to explore the distribution without installation.
Debian GNU/Hurd is currently the only actively developed Debian platform that runs on a core different from Linux. The GNU/Hurd platform is not officially supported by Debian, so releases are created separately and considered unofficial. While the port of Debian GNU/KFREEBSD was previously developed, it has since been abandoned, making Debian GNU/Hurd the primary focus for Debian and GNU enthusiasts.
GNU Hurd is a microkernel developed as a replacement for the Unix kernel. It utilizes GNU Mach microkernel servers to implement various system services such as file systems, network stacks, and system control mechanisms. The architecture is designed to be distributed and offers an IPC mechanism that facilitates communication between GNU Hurd components.
In the latest release:
- The Distyan 13 Distribution Base now fully supports 64-bit systems, with package support equivalent to i386.
- 64-bit environments feature drivers from NETBSD drives operating in user space via the RUMP mechanism.
- RUMP provides support for USB devices, CD-ROMs, and bootstrapping from other operating systems using mmdebstrap.
- Rust is now supported for GNU/Hurd ported packages.
- Support for SMP has been added, allowing for better multi-core processor utilization.
- Users can now switch keyboard layouts in the console.
- New support has been added for ACPI, RTC, APIC, and HPET.