Debian (/ˈdɛbiən/) is a Unix-like computer operating system that is composed entirely of free software, most of which is under the GNU General Public License and packaged by a group of individuals participating in the Debian Project. The Debian Project was first announced in 1993 by Ian Murdock, Debian 0.01 was released on September 15, 1993, and the first stable release was made in 1996.