2.1.1 Directory structures

The software that has been packaged for Debian is available in one of several directory trees on each Debian mirror site through FTP or HTTP.

The following directories can be found on each Debian mirror site under the debian directory:

dists/:

This directory contains the "distributions", and this used to be the canonical way to access the currently available packages in Debian releases and pre-releases. Some old packages, the Contents-*.gz and Packages.gz files are still in here.

pool/:

The new physical location for all packages of Debian releases and pre-releases.

tools/:

DOS utilities for creating boot disks, partitioning your disk drive, compressing/decompressing files, and booting Linux.

doc/:

The basic Debian documentation, such as the FAQ, the bug reporting system instructions, etc.

indices/:

The Maintainers file and the override files.

project/:

mostly developer-only materials, such as:

project/experimental/:

This directory contains packages and tools which are still being developed, and are still in the alpha testing stage. Users shouldn't be using packages from here, because they can be dangerous and harmful even for the most experienced.

project/orphaned/:

Packages that have been orphaned by their old maintainers, and withdrawn from the distribution.