Predicting the release date of a new stable version of Debian — which eschews a set release schedule in order to bring about a release when it is ready for release — is a task composed of a lot of perception, at least a little participation, and a bit of psychic prediction. It seems the crystal ball has once again been uncovered, as the Debian Release Team has announced a full freeze on the lenny testing branch as a precursor to a full release in September.

The current Debian release, 4.0, better known by its codename etch, was released in April of 2007. Before the 5.0 release, known as lenny, meets the announced release date, developers will be hard at work on a number of goals, including correcting a number of bugs related to bash/dash usage, wrapping up work on double compilation support, and ensuring full support for dependency-based init systems. They are also bringing back the BSP Marathons — BSP for Bug Squashing Party — previously utilized to clear up lingering bugs in the lead up to release; those interested in organizing a BSP should contact the Debian Release Team.

A full summary of the project's Release Goals is available from the Debian Release site, along with a trove of other useful information. We at Breaking News will be keeping our eyes peeled and our sacred chickens at hand — we'll be sure to bring updates on any developments or changes to the predicted release date.

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Justin Ryan is the News Editor for Linux Journal.
Look for him in the #linuxjournal IRC channel.