14 DAY TRIAL // Debian 10.4 “Buster” is now available for everyone, and users can simply install the new packages on their devices if they’re already running version 10.
As every update for a stable Debian release, this new version comes with small improvements here and there, and more importantly, with security fixes that users should deploy as soon as possible.
“This point release mainly adds corrections for security issues, along with a few adjustments for serious problems. Security advisories have already been published separately and are referenced where available,” the Debian project explains.
“Please note that the point release does not constitute a new version of Debian 10 but only updates some of the packages included. There is no need to throw away old buster media. After installation, packages can be upgraded to the current versions using an up-to-date Debian mirror.”
In other words, you can very well installed Debian 10 and then update the packages automatically.
Removed packages
One particular security bug that’s resolved in this new version concerns libssh. According to a dedicated advisory on the matter, libssh versions before 0.8.9 and 0.9.4 are affected by a security flaw that would allow clients or servers to crash completely if a connection hasn’t been fully initialized and the system tries to clean up the ciphers when closing the connection.
The new Debian version also removes some packages, such as getlive and gplaycl, both of which have been broken due to Hotmail and Google API changes, respectively. The yahoo2mbox package has also been pulled after being broken for several years, the Debian project says.
New installation images will also be released soon for those who want to install the new Debian 10.4 version on their devices without upgrading the packages on an existing installation of the operating system.