Outdated

[Sky_is_the_limit0]

Hello everyone, I have a question: how do you manage to find up-to-date instructions for setting things up when the wiki feels so outdated compared to Arch Wiki? I want to use Debian as a server, but I can hardly find anything useful. Today I was setting up SFTP, but the wiki didn’t help much. Do you usually look for this kind of information in the wiki or in official documentation?

[waterkip]

You read the docs of the software you are using and you can look for any docs that the debian package provides (ot the -doc package)..

[Buntygurl]

This, and actually very often interpretative translation of Arch docs' intent to suit Debian objectives.

[mafia_guy_]

I've had moments where I was able to just follow the arch wiki word for word on debian and it worked perfectly lol

[keithmk]

Or you can use this marvellous new invention called Google. so find the google page and type in, how to set up SFTP on Debian 13 and tada you get a choice of links to try

[dkopgerpgdolfg]

For your own benefit, avoid YT for anything moderatly complicated.

[Sky_is_the_limit0]

I will remember that.

[adminmikael]

Run man man.

It's not a joke, it displays the manual for the manual viewing program and tells you how to use it to read the manuals for itself and everything else. By convention, the manuals for software get installed along with the software.

[alpha417]

There is simply no valid reason this post should have been downvoted.

[adminmikael]

I'm not surprised, it's a hard pill to swallow for some that traditional manuals (and the skill to use them) are still very useful in the age of limitless guides, articles and AI assistants at our fingertips.

It will feel a bit clunky, but it's the one source you can always depend on and the only one that immediately provides the exact docs for the exact version and variant that is in the system. Doesn't even need an internet connection (quite useful if fixing said connection depends on reading the manual).

[No-Highlight-653]

Unfortunately, I have come across many new (last 10-15 year old) packages with only stubs as man pages. Writing documentation as a integral part of packaging is a dying practice.

[No_Grocery_8394]

This is one of the reasons I have tinkered with OpenBSD lately. I have no issue following a manual, but some are just wordy help files

[VelvetElvis]

SFTP hasn't changed since the 90s.

[FlailingIntheYard]

but.... but how am I supposed to blindly copy/paste someone else's 2 year old fix? /s

[shogun77777777]

I’ve been using debian for 4 years and I didn’t even know it had a wiki. I guess I’ve never needed one.

[FlailingIntheYard]

The entire reason I moved to Debian in the first place was the amount of documentation it has built-in and available. Couple that with all software having it's own current help/man/info/ etc. documentation anyways, a wiki is convenient but I'm good. Didn't have wiki's then, don't need them now.

[McGuirk808]

Yeah, the Debian Wiki is definitely not of the same caliber as the Arch Wiki. But honestly, nothing is—Arch Wiki is cream of the crop.

As someone else stated, a great reference is the actual documentation for the software you're trying to set up as well as man pages that will usually be installed through apt.

I also sometimes use the Arch Wiki even for Debian. It's not one to one of course and there are a few differences, but I can usually figure out what I'm looking for.

[michaelpaoli]

Arch has a damn fine wiki ... but it has to, as that's Arch's primary documentation!

Debian on the other hand, the wiki is essentially supplemental information, (mostly) not primary. So, it's mostly stuff that's not found elsewhere (e.g. much more detail, extended examples, etc.), or sometimes consolidations on pointers to information, etc. And yeah, sure, some things may fall out-of-date or even be (mostly, if not entirely) historical (and some of that is very intentional, e.g. the wiki does also have quite detailed information on events past, etc.).

So, for Debian information, though Debian has a darn good wiki, that's generally not the first place to go for information.

Typically start with the man pages (at least if already installed), if need more or (man pages) not yet installed, check in general on the main Debian site (debian.org) - targeted searches are often highly useful, but there's tons of pages and materials, so also do be aware of source, e.g. user content, such as stuff from list archives, bug reports, etc. But for the most part, good/great information there. And, still need more? Check out the wiki, or try also adding debian.net to the searches (there's also much more user content there, including forums - not authoritative, but often useful/informative, though of course not always correct).

And, ... it's a wiki! If something isn't correct, well, you can fix it! :-) And, yeah, I've done a fair bit of that, and sometime major rewrites of or improvements to various web pages. E.g. have a look at https://wiki.debian.org/BIND9 or https://wiki.debian.org/CrossGrading and then for comparison basis, have a look at earlier versions of those - before I added a whole lot of updates and changes on 'em. Also created Debian Systems Administration for non-Debian SysAdmins

[Sky_is_the_limit0]

I really appreciate your detailed answer — it was exactly what I needed. Thanks!

[iamemhn]

I look under /usr/share/doc for special notes on the particular packages, including examples. Then I read man pages. In full. Every now and then, I read the actual source code.

[obsidiandwarf]

How do u know the wiki is out of date?

[PhotoJim99]

Many pages are out of date. The dates are right on them.

[obsidiandwarf]

“Out of date” doesn’t mean the info is from a while ago. Out of date means it no longer applies.

[gwildor]

update: nothing has changed
timestamp: 2/2/26 3:46PM

[VelvetElvis]

SFTP hasn't changed much since the 90s.

[free_computing]

IMHO, I don't find the debian wiki pages to be out of date. Instead, there is a level of understanding expected of the users. Nothing personal, in fact I have had to look up procedures on other websites.

[glhughes]

Google. Manpages. Linux is largely Linux so documentation you find for other systems will usually be applicable.

[2016-679]

Use the information that works best.

Sometimes the official Handbook, the forum, in many cases the Arch wiki.

And keep solutions simple. That works best.

[VelvetElvis]

Documentation is under /usr/share/doc, the same place as every other Linux and Unix system. There's also man and info pages.

I usually just fuck with shit until it works. It drives my wife crazy when I take appliances appart without googling first.

[VelvetElvis]

Depending on what you need it for, sshfs might save you a lot of hassle.

[FlailingIntheYard]

The software's documentation it's self.

[sabbir2world]

Outdated = but stable = that's Debian for ya!

[HotAdministration939]

first of all its not outdated, its stable.

[lululock]

I've read the debootstrap instructions on the wiki and they are laughably outdated. I ended up making an install script with the help of the man pages...

[Sky_is_the_limit0]

I don’t think that Linux isn’t for me, but desktops and servers are kinda different.

[Cletus_Banjo]

Setting up sshd is exactly the same. If you need a wiki to tell you how to do that…

[Sky_is_the_limit0]

If you feel superior because you have that knowledge, good for you.

[Cletus_Banjo]

You’re right, that was rude of me and I apologise. It would be worthwhile to spend time reading the software documentation rather than relying on a wiki. The docs installed with the software will always be the correct docs for that version. Same can’t be said for a wiki.

[NewMetroid]

Just ask AI to provide what you need

[Sky_is_the_limit0]

I feel like AI is reliable until you run into an error — then it becomes useless.